The Count of Monte Cristo

I am sure this may come as a surprise to some of you but this review is for the book and not the movie. This may be shocking because given the amount of TV shows and movies I have reviewed some of you probably didn't think I knew how to read or what a book was. Well I do and when I worked downtown and took the train each day I used to read a lot more then I do now. But that is off topic, today I want to talk about The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. I am sure many of you have already read this book as it is a classic but it is for that very reason that I was hesitant to read the book to begin with. It was tenth grade and I had one of those great English teachers that thought you could learn a lot more about English by submersing yourself in it (i.e. reading books) then by studying a textbook. Before this time I had never ventured out much from Michael Crichton land and was not very very interested in doing so, especially for some boring old stuffy novel like The Count of Monte Cristo. Did I know anything about the book? No, but I was judging it by its cover. Now I know why you are not supposed to do that and I glad I did because the Count quickly became my favorite book and I have read at least 4 different abridgements at least 6 times.


The last abridgement (the unabridged version) I read was by far the most expansive, checking in at 1,000+ pages and a reference and history guide at the back of the book, complete version I have come across yet. This book has just about everything you can imagine in it. From wrongful imprisonment, murder, betrayal, revenge, redemption, romance, friendship, you just can't want anything more from a book. Each time I read it I discover something that I didn't realize, or pick up, the previous time. I think that is why I keep going back and reading it again and again. Edmond Dantes leads the kind of adventures most of us only dream of but at the same time his life is not easy and is consumed with vengeance. So it is a trade off: adventure with all consuming revenge. Ah who am I kidding I would still take it but that might be because I know how the story ends and no the movie does not end the same way, so don't base your assumptions on that.


I would go into more detail about the plot and characters but I think for you to truly enjoy this you need to go in blind, like I did, and discover it all for yourself. Maybe I should have started with that. Forget everything you just read and go and get yourself a copy of the book and find out for yourself. That is if you already haven't read the book and if you have, try the big unabridged version it is worth the effort. There are so many story lines that where taken out or shorted in the version most of us read in high school. I think I may just start reading it again.

-Eric