I first read this book when I was in 8th standard. I absolutely loved the children's version and had no idea at that time that there is another version of the book. Until I saw the copy in a glass shelf under the Classics section at a bookstore few years back.

The memories of Dante's story of innocence and revenge rushed back. I bought the book and read it 3 times(two times in a row). A count of Monte Cristo is a historical fiction set in the time of Napoleon Bonaparte. The book is about a successful and happy sailor falling prey to the cruelties of betrayal and jealousy. One moment he has everything he ever wanted and then everything is snatched away. His love, his job and his life.

He is sent to a prison for a crime he didn't commit. A prison where death is the only air one can breathe. Pain, hopelessness and insanity became his friends.

After years of imprisonment, he finally gets a chance to survive. To break the shackles and take revenge. Will he? Well, no spoilers from me!

Obviously a masterpiece. The intricacy of the plot was absolutely fabulous. I am so glad I finally tackled this 1462 page brick of a book. Loved it.

I thought I would never finish this book

The plot in “Monte Cristo” is ingenious, if complex at times. Set in Napoleonic Italy, it involves a love interest, falsified charges of treason, a prison sentence, a thrilling escape from the prison, a wealthy, mysterious stranger, and several mysterious murders. It takes its time building up to the big plot twist however, and I found myself getting bogged down in the dialogue. It's one of the very few books for which I'd recommend reading an abridged edition (gasp!), but readers more patient than I am may well appreciate the slow build.

DID NOT FINISH.....I just could not get into this book. It had a few interesting moments, but even reading 200 pages was grueling. It's disappointing because I love the movie.

Holy cow that was a tedious read. I mean, I disapprove of waiting until the last minute to save someone's life when you could have done so with time to spare, and there was a mess of that going on and some of it was totally out of hand, as anyone who has finished the book will know. But what really irritated me on a page by page basis was the constant repetition -- not just that the episodes were repetitious, but that the lines were --
So that someone would say,

"The end is nigh!" and then their companion would say, "But wait! I have a letter from Monsieur X!"
"What," would say the first. "A letter, you say?"
"Yes, a letter!"
"Why, where do you have the letter?"
"Here, in my hand!"
"Well, what does the letter say?"
"Here, you shall read it for yourself!"
And he proceeded to read the letter, a letter which had these words in it, which indeed made up the letter and the letter read as follows: {text of letter}

Then, after the letter is revealed in full, the characters will discuss the letter and explain to each other and the reader the meaning of the letter and I mean it never stops.

Every now and then there would be this funny little line that would make me laugh but this is a totally different Dumas than the man who wrote The Three Musketeers. I mean, I know that he was writing for serial publication so every word counts but jeez.

4,5 ⭐️

3.5 rounded up

My favorite revenge story ever...