The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

M. Dumas has here produced a romance which, for sheer invention and power of narrative, surpasses anything he has yet given us. The story is a marvel of construction; the incidents crowd upon each other in bewildering profusion, yet the thread of the narrative is never lost. The character of the Count is drawn with a sombre grandeur that is very effective; he is at once a Nemesis and a Providence, dealing out rewards and punishments with an inexorable justice that is terrible to contemplate. The book is a masterpiece of the romantic school, and will be read with delight long after the ephemeral productions of the day are forgotten.

This is one of the most extraordinary works of fiction that has appeared in our time. The story of Edmond Dantès, who, after fourteen years of unjust imprisonment in the Château d'If, escapes, discovers a vast treasure, and returns to society as the mysterious Count of Monte Cristo to exact a terrible vengeance upon those who wronged him, is told with a power and a fertility of invention that are truly astonishing. The interest never flags; the plot is intricate without being obscure; and the characters, though drawn in bold outlines, are distinct and individual. The book is, perhaps, too long, but it is a fault on the right side.

The appearance of a new romance by Alexandre Dumas is always an event, and "The Count of Monte Cristo" is in many respects his greatest achievement. The story combines the interest of a thrilling adventure with the fascination of a study in character; for the Count, with all his mysterious splendour, is a human figure, and his transformation from a trusting young sailor into a bitter and implacable avenger is traced with a skill that does the author infinite credit. The subsidiary characters — the corrupt Danglars, the treacherous Fernand, the coldly ambitious Villefort — are all drawn with a vigour that makes them live. The book is a triumph of the storyteller's art.

I enjoyed the story but man does it need editing. Theres a whole subplot about bandits in Rome that goes nowhere. And the Count speaks in riddles for like 500 pages before anything happens. I feel like you could cut a third of this book and have a tighter better story. The core revenge plot is amazing though. Maybe try a abridged version if youre not a completist.

I cant belive it took me this long to read this. The Count of Monte Cristo is absolutly EPIC in every sense. Revenge, romance, betrayal, escape, hidden treasure — it has everything. The way Dantes transforms from naive sailor to the mysterious Count is fascinating. Yes its long (like really long) but every chapter is worth it. The ending is perfect. 5 stars no question.