The Count of Monte Cristo (Everyman's Library)

I first read this book when I was in my early teens and, as expected, I was just fascinated by it. So much so, that I started reading everything “Dumas” I could put my hands on, to the point that I got so fed up with this writer I vowed never to read anything written by him ever again… But then, finding the above pictured version (with the enticing introduction by Umberto Eco), I decided to give it another try and see how I would feel about it decades and decades later. Starting to read it with a bias opinion, I slowly began falling in love with it all over again. I rediscovered Dumas’ sophisticated writing style (far superior to many contemporary writers), his complex plots and mysterious characters, his almost perfect structure of a novel.Wrongly accused and unfairly imprisoned, Edmond Dantes will spend the best years of his life incarcerated at Chateau D’If, where we can see his evolution from a young and naïve chap in his prime to a mature, serious and even cruel man, seeking revenge against all who wronged him. It is in this prison where he meets the abbe Faria, his mentor, the one who will not only open his eyes and help him solve the mystery of his imprisonment but will transform him into a scholar and a man of letters. It is thanks to abbe Faria that Dantes manages to, not only keep his sanity, but escape that death trap and, ultimately, find wealth, fame and fulfill his thirst for revenge.This book is really many-splendored things: it is not only about its complex characters and the unique situations they live, it is also a homage to the era it depicts, including the fashion, the customs, the manners, the high society with its carnivals and balls, the political distress of the epoque, the banking system, the arranged marriages, the military and justice system, etc. etc. “The Count of Monte Cristo” is a true literary masterpiece: a story about deceive, desperation, hope, ambition, redemption, revenge and, of course, love. And everything is masterfully crafted in Dumas’ unique style, where he doesn’t just form sentences to express an action, he paints a picture in vivid colors. For example, Dumas does not just simply say that the count is looking with interest at a picture, but “he is busy examining [this] portrait with no less care that he had bestowed upon the other”; he is not just seeing an old man, but “reads on the careworn, pale feature of [that person] a whole history of secret grief written in each wrinkle time had planted there”, etc. etc.Still, Dumas’ insatiable romantic style is reflected throughout the entire book: some reactions are rushed and extreme, his characters move from tears, to paleness, to trembling, to tears again within one sentence; his protagonists are animated by the same passionate, impulsive and unrealistic love and enthusiasm that sometimes make these scenes puerile in description and illustration. But, all in all, this book is a delight to read. As said before, I personally recommend the version pictured above, in the “Every Man’s Library” collection, as it has a beautiful introduction signed by the great Umberto Eco, one of my absolute favorite writers.

Alexander Dumas tells one of the greatest sagas ever told. He does it in a way no one else can. Humor, adventure, romance, all while serving the king and defying the Cardinal. This is a true page turner and one I hope to revisit many times in the future

Note: While Amazon for obvious reasons has tossed into one folder ALL the reviews of the various editions abridged and unabridged, kindle and physical books, I have read this one: The Count of Monte Cristo May 1, 2016 | Kindle eBook. This is an unabridged version.----Published in the mid-19th century this is still the gold standard for the revenge novel (the recent TV series "Revenge" was loosely based on it), and while parts of it surely are typical of the 19th century, there are other parts that are astonishingly postmodern.There are many subplots, clandestine romance, twists, and misdirections. And it all ends well in a looong resolution, as the characters we've been following leave the stage one by one. (Postmodern some parts may be, but this is, after all, still a 19th-century novel.) The novel requires The Count to play several roles, and Dumas does not always reveal this at the beginning of the scene. It was easy to figure out when the Count, Edmund Dantes, visits someone in disguise, but I kept wondering if it were that easy for 19th-century readers. Was this a very early example of this technique? I cannot say.The plot is simple. Edmund Dantes, unjustly left to rot in a dungeon thanks to the collusion of four people, learns of buried treasure while incarcerated, miraculously escapes, finds the treasure and becomes The Count of Monte Cristo, and sets about evening the score.The translation (anonymous) certainly retains the flavor of the original French with quite a bit of Homeric hyperbole tossed in. And there is quite a bit of social satire, some of which probably seemed funnier to Dumas's contemps than it does to today's audience, but you'll still get more than a chuckle or two out of the gossipy dialogues among the French upper crust the author pokes fun at.Notes and asides: Amazon offers two Kindle versions at low prices. One was formatted in 2012. Avoid it. Be certain to select the 2016 version I cited at the top of my review, which has proper spacing and paragraph indents. Indeed, the Good Folks at the company should do prospective readers a favor and withdraw the former version. There is some stuff that parents who rate 9 and above on the helicopter scale might want under-16s to avoid. Parents who rate lower will probably think it ok for 13 and above.

The book is in perfect condition

4.75Amazon, please give us the ability to rate in smaller scales so that I can give this book a more precise review.THIS IS AN OPINION FROM ONE READER THAT REALLY ENJOYED THE BOOK.This book took me about 3 months to finish (due to school and other required texts I had to read). The book does a great job of portraying the setting and the characters, to a point that it felt more like reading a description of a landscape painting.The characters were all very well established in their detail and motives, although it had a bad habit of putting too much details into the characters conversation that became difficult to follow at times.This book took me through a long and arduous journey of a man who vowed to take revenge from the people who took everything from him. At times the journey was dull or too detail oriented, but these short comings are overshadowed by the other moments that are epic, dramatic, and satisfying.

It’s The Count! I read it for the fifth time last year and intend to read this version in the next year or so.

This was the first novel I purchased from Everyman’s Library, and I was pleasantly surprised by the excellent quality of the book. It features a good-sized font, well-spaced margins, and is printed on acid-free paper in a durable hardcover edition—all at a very affordable price. Since then, I have purchased many more books from this publisher and have never been disappointed. I highly recommend this edition of this great novel.