#The count of monte cristo book serial#

You know exactly where it’s going, but you still can’t pull away. But if you want a novel to really sink yourself into, this is a great one.

#The count of monte cristo book serial#

Of course as a serial writer, he had an interest in drawing things out and making them suspenseful, which he does. What I enjoyed most was the complexity of Dantes’ schemes, and the way Dumas takes his slow time in unfolding them.

The novel may have contributed, against the will of the writer, to the victory of the future Napoleon III. In 1848, however, Dumas did not vote for Louis Napoleon. Just in the manner of Dantès, Louis Napoleon reappeared in Paris as a powerful and enigmatic man of the world. In 1840 Louis Napoleon was sentenced to life in prison, but escaped in disguise in 1846, while Dumas’s novel was a great success. Dumas did visit him there, although he does not mention it in “Etat civil”. At that time the future emperor was imprisoned at the citadel of Ham – a name that is mentioned in the novel. During this trip he promised the prince that he would write a novel with the island’s name in the title. In a small boat he sailed around the island of Monte-Cristo accompanied by a young prince, a cousin to Louis Bonaparte, who was to become emperor of France ten years later. It appears that Dumas had close contacts with members of the Bonaparte family while living in Florence in 1841. He even, apparently, knows the Napoleon family.įrom Wikipedia we get this cool description of the origin of this story: Dumas lived through the historical events described in Monte Cristo, so he knows what he’s writing about. Dumas is the grandson of a French nobleman and a Haitian slave, which has led some to speculate that the imprisonment in the book relates to the captivity of slaves. His father was a general in Napoleon’s army but was impoverished by the time of Dumas’ birth. There’s a possibility for love in Dantes’ life but he’s so caught up in revenge he doesn’t see it.Īlexandre Dumas was born in France in 1802. He’s ruled by emotion but at the same time he’s almost completely mastered his emotions so he can deceive everyone around him. Dantes loves Mercedes for life, even though he feels horribly betrayed by her. I could attempt to explain the Romantic period but there’s no need – romance and emotion are the defining features of this book. The novel is also part of the Romantic Period, which ran in Europe from about 1800 to 1840. Still, Dumas is writing about some of the most pivotal points in French history. It’s also considered a “historical” novel although it seems strange to me that a novel written in 1844 about 1815-1835 would be considered historical. It was published in 1844 in serial form and was extremely popular at the time of publication. Monte Cristo is considered an “adventure novel”.

The other question is at what point Dantes will realize that he can’t punish the wicked without punishing the innocent people around them.įirst, some background on the book, because Napoleon-era France is pretty damn interesting. (I kept thinking of Inigo Montoya in the Princess Bride as I read this book.) So one question you have as a reader is whether Dantes at some point will realize that it’s better to enjoy his life than punish those around him. We know from the start that revenge can be bad business – it takes over your life and leaves you with nothing else. He spends years setting up his plots, integrates himself into the lives of his enemies, and even befriends their children. The surprise in this book is how complicated and subtle his schemes are. Here’s what you probably know already (but stop reading if you don’t):ĭantes manages to escape from prison years later, smarter and tougher and determined to take revenge against his betrayers. He’s thrown into a dungeon and forgotten by the rest of the world. So, playing on France’s instability, Dantes is framed for treason by jealous “friends” (one wants his job and the other wants his woman). This is 1815 and France is still torn between the Bonapartists and the royalists, and Napoleon himself is just sitting on an island scheming to retake France. Unfortunately for Dantes, on his last voyage he was asked to make a stop at the island of Elba to receive and deliver a letter. Monte Cristo tells the story of Edmond Dantes – he’s young and handsome, about to marry the girl he loves, and has just been made captain of his own ship. This is one of those books that has been retold and copied so many times you wonder if the original will feel “tired” – but it doesn’t. I expected swashbuckling adventure but the book turned out to be much more psychological than that. This is a book I’ve always wanted to read, and happily it met and exceeded all expectations.