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.