The Count of Monte Cristo Book Review

            My project, my big read of 2016 was this book in unabridged form, almost 1300 pages of majesty. One of the longest classics novels in literature, I was drawn to it although intimidated by its length. The late 90’s movie featuring Jim Caviezel, Guy Pierce and the late great Richard Harris was very good and since the story line was so compelling; I felt if I was going to take on a novel of this size, this was as good of risk as any other book I came across.

The Count of Monte Cristo is a story of love, betrayal, long plotted revenge and redemption.

Edmund Dantes is our hero or perhaps anti-hero would be more fitting, but either way, the reader finds themselves cheering him on throughout the story. A young merchant sailor who is well liked, mannered and seems to have the world on a string being in love; on track to be captain of his own ship.

Edmund loses his dream life it all overnight, going to prison in “Shawshank Redemption” fashion, for a crime here did not commit. After many years, he finds freedom and a new world and life to begin seeking his lost love and looking for answers to find and confront his betrayers.

Can Edmund Dantes find the justice he has thought about so much during his years of imprisonment? What is this mysterious Count of Monte Cristo true motives and why does concern himself with Edmund Dantes? Mercedes, the woman Edmund was to marry those many years ago……what has happened to her? Did she move on after her beloved Dantes was imprisoned, rumoured dead, or moved on himself with another love?

This book has it all. It’s like The Godfather meets Bruce Wayne in describing the Count of Monte Cristo; mega rich, cunning and mysterious like Bruce Wayne but a master planner of the long con, drawing his enemies closer and closer like The Godfather. At times you feel there is so much injustice, that evil will win the day, nice guys finish last sort of thing. The Count though is smooth in his deception, cunning in out thinking his enemies, putting the pieces together slowly to pull off his long term plan.

Alexander Dumas broke the mold in writing this story., His buildup of the story, the anticipation his puts the reader through in figuring what is going to happen next; is second to none. Truly a master of story telling, which says even more considering the length off this book.

I don’t regret reading the unabridged version of this book and highly recommend anyone wanting to read this story to go the extra mile in reading the unabridged version. It’s worth it, trust me.

Yes, you could watch the movie and get the gist of everything but the book is different and so much more…. so much better than the film. The book has so many layers that you can fully appreciate the depth of the Count that could not be filmed successfully to a Hollywood audience in 2 and half-hour movie.The film was great, but the book is as masterpiece. Jim Cavizel and Richard Harris were brilliant, but the book transcends even their performances.

Honestly, this probably is my new favorite book all-time after The Bible. The Count of Monte Cristo does it all in a wonderful story and you cannot go wrong picking this book up to read.