Why you should read The Count of Monte Cristo

The Count of Monte Cristo

When talking about The Count of Monte Cristo one instinctively reaches for superlatives and analogies to properly convey the genius of Dumas', at least to my eye, magnum opus. The sheer heft of the tome is enough to make any book-browser balk, but still its volume did not prepare me for the vibrancy of the world Dumas' built in the 1300 pages. While it is possible to appreciate this masterpiece independently from Dumas as an author, the impressive nature of Dumas' literary journey is a fantastic story in and of itself.

On 24 July 1802 or, for the history buffs, 5th Thermidor Year x, Alexandre Dumas was born. The 1820s were the perfect years for an aspiring young writer, the literary battle between the Classic and Romantic movements gave birth to a newer movement, and Dumas placed himself chiefly at the forefront. Even the most cursory of research on Alexandre Dumas's career yields jaw-droppingly impressive factoids about the author–over 100 works, 100,000 pages, 200 films adapted from his novels. As prolific as he was, an author's most impressive achievement is, perhaps, for his works to take a life on its own, for the story to so wholly exist outside of the storybook, that modern readers, centuries later, can recognise its elements. Among his many works, two stands out to the modern reader (and even non-readers): The Count of Monte Cristo, and The Three Musketeers. "The Three Musketeers" was and is such a sensation that many use the phrase to describe any trio of friends, completely oblivious to the story. The Count of Monte Cristo on the other hand, explores themes so central to the human condition it is difficult to foresee a future in which our protagonist Edmund Dantes' journey is rendered irrelevant.

The Plot

The Count of Monte Cristo is, quintessentially, a book about revenge. We can all recognise the book's familiar trope in many novels and films today: a wronged and helpless innocent, his escape from captivity, the methodical and cunning plotting as he lies in wait to make his move, the eventual revenge on his accusers, and the triumphant ending where our protagonist emerges as the champion and hero of a sinuous and arduous journey. While the trope has been overdone and risks being trite, Dumas' characters weave in and out of the set path with such grace that this slow-burn of a book often morphs into a page-turner, leaving me with just enough to keep me from leaving.

Such is the length of the plot that its summary can make up an essay in itself, but here is my attempt at summarising the multiple plot-lines: We first see Edmund Dantes' as a humble and successful young sailor, earning his wages honestly from expeditions at sea. Wrongfully imprisoned for a crime he did not commit, he spends his youth in the Château d'If, an island fortress to hold special criminals (the crazy, the depraved, the political). Abbé Faria was a fellow prisoner that everyone thought was crazy. His cries of being a sage with a fortune buried in a nearby island rendered him crazy to everyone in the prison. Yet, it was he who taught Dantes science, history, and many languages, and transformed Dantes into a gentlmen with the knowledge and deadly grace of an aristocrat. Dantes also inherited Abbé Faria's enormous wealth, and he uses it to transform into the Count of Monte Cristo, a charming, extremely wealthy high-bred enigma, who takes the Parisian high society by storm. Dantes as you will see, puts on many masks, these are just two of them. We follow Dantes' and the Count's journey over 23 years, from humble sailor to aristocrat, prisoner to executioner.

Themes and Characters

There is far more to The Count of Monte Cristo than merely a tale of adventure and revenge. For all the themes it explores it is perhaps more accurate to call The Count of Monte Cristo a book about the elucidation of emotions rather than a book about revenge. Dumas expertly knits yarns of revenge, love and redemption, political commentary, and morality, birthing a story that has just enough for everybody, no matter what they look for in a book. Whether you like historical fiction, crime thrillers, or a juicy romance plot, The Count of Monte Cristo will deliver. One really can analyse the plot and themes ad infinitum.

We’ve been introduced to Dantes and the Abbe, but as one might expect from a book a thousand pages long, there are many key characters to our story. The primary love interest, the woman Dantes fights to return to is Mercedes, the beauty of the town, “as beautiful as a Madonna”. And of course, no revenge will be complete without our villain Fernand, the one who framed Dantes to steal his lover. Each character has brilliant arcs of their own and we watch their personalities clash and evolve with each page. But I have not even talked about the wit and elegance we observe from the Count, Faria's infinite wisdom he imparts to Dantes, Mercedes' conflicted heart as she battles love and commitment. Dumas' characters are plenty intricate, and an investment into their world will be infinitely rewarding. Though mere spectators to the scenes before us, it is inevitable that we will somehow feel the condescension Dantes has towards Fernand, the devotion and love he has towards Mercedes, and the icy wrath he exudes as he takes down his foes.

Why read?

Set in France in the 19th century, it is a setting that modern readers would not find familiar, let alone empathise with, and yet It is a genius in itself that the themes and characters in The Count of Monte Cristo is universally loved, so universally recognised that non-readers and readers alike have heard of Edmund Dantes' tales and tribulations. Forever weathering the storms of change, The Count of Monte Cristo certainly deserves its title as a "Classic" and, I guarantee that the weeks (or months, but certainly hours and hours) spent reading this book will be an adventure you would want to embark on again right after it ends.