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It's been a long time coming but I finally found the time to gather my thoughts on this tome. My initial verdict still stands: this was fucking great! It's been a long time since I've read an adventurous novel and even longer that a book with over 1000 pages managed to entertain me from start to finish. So, turn off your TV, log off of Twitter, cancel your Netflix subscription, and get your hands on this book. The Count of Monte Cristo is the gift that keeps on giving.

Life is a storm, my young friend. You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes. You must look into that storm and shout as you did in Rome. Do your worst, for I will do mine! Then the fates will know you as we know you.

The Count comes with secret islands, a big fat treasure, fistfuls of poison, serious disguises, Italian bandits, intricate prison escape strategies, Romeo-and-Juliet-like love scenes, and more. In 1815 Edmond Dantès, a young and successful merchant sailor who has just recently been granted the succession of his erstwhile captain Leclère, returns to Marseille to marry his Catalan fiancée Mercédès. Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantès is confined to the grim Château d’If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and he becomes determined not only to escape, but also to unearth the treasure and use it to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration.

Personally, I didn't know anything about this novel. I know it's hugely popular and referenced in other media very often, but somehow I wasn't aware of any of the plot points, not even the prison break. :D So, you can imagine my surprise by how fast paced and multi-faceted this tale was. Every chapter came with new surprises, intricate plot points, and overall, this was just such a fun ride. Early on, I started rooting for Dantès and I was totally on board for him to get his fucking revenge.

But Dantès cannot stay in prison for ever; one day he will come out, and on that day, woe and betide the one who put him there!

Written around 1844, The Count of Monte Cristo is one of Alexandre Dumas's most famous and beloved novels and was a huge bestseller back in its day. The Count was originally serialized, which attributed to the fact as to why there are so many plot twists, turns and cliffhangers in this story. Dumas had to hold his readers' interest, so that the newspaper would keep on publishing his book. So, if The Count starts to feel like a soap opera as you are reading it, you know why.

On the day of his wedding to Mercédès, Edmond Dantès, first mate of the Pharaon, is falsely accused of treason, arrested, and imprisoned without trial in the Château d'If, a grim island fortress off Marseilles. A fellow prisoner, Abbé Faria, correctly deduces that his jealous rival Fernand Mondego, envious crewmate Danglars, and double-dealing Magistrate De Villefort framed him. Faria inspires his escape and guides him to a fortune in treasure. As the powerful and mysterious Count of Monte Cristo, he arrives from the Orient to enter the fashionable Parisian world of the 1830s and avenge himself on the men who conspired to destroy him.

I was not only positively surprised by the ridiculousness of the plot, but also by the accessibility of the writing. Robin Buss did an amazing job at translating this literary masterpiece and he can honestly have all of my money. I underlined so many passages, because they were either beautiful as fuck or downright savage. Overall, Dumas' writing style gave me serious Oscar Wilde vibes. (I know, that Oscar wasn't even born yet at the time The Count was written but pshhh, let me have my Oscar moment, please!)

“Yes, devotion. That is the honest way to describe ambition when it has expectations.��

“And whatever philosophers say, it’s marvellous to be rich.�� �� “And, above all, to have ideas.��

“I know that the world is a drawing-room from which one must retire politely and honourably, that is to say, after paying one’s gaming debts.��

These are just a few examples of the wittiness that all our characters displayed. The dialogue was sharp and engaging, and kept me interested in all of the characters, whether villain or hero (because Dumas keeps it quite black and white, if we're going to be real here), I was invested into all of the characters' fates.

Another reason why I was immediately sucked into The Count was Dumas' ability to make his setting and scenery come to life. I was amazed by how authentically Dumas interwove the historical and political context, as well as the atmosphere of his chosen locations into the narrative. Strap on your traveling shoes, because the Count's going to take you all over the world. The story takes place in France, Italy, and islands in the Mediterranean during the historical events of 1815��1839: the era of the Bourbon Restoration through the reign of Louis-Philippe of France. It begins just before the Hundred Days period (when Napoleon returned to power after his exile).

And even though I knew only very few about France's political landscape of the time, Dumas makes it incredibly easy to navigate through and engage with his narrative. I am by no means a history geek, but I was so fucking invested in the historical setting of the book, as it was such a fundamental element of it. Dantès' adventure is based primarily on the values of hope, justice, vengeance, mercy, and forgiveness. It is important to understand why Dantès was imprisoned, what was the nature of his alleged treason? Why was Villefort so afraid of his father being a Bonapartist?

Separating the historical and political scene from The Count of Monte Cristo is like trying to separate salt from the ocean. In order to really understand what The Count's all about, we need to take a look at what was going on in France at the time. We know that Edmond Dantès's story spans from around the 1815 until around 1838. We know from Danglars's report at the very beginning of the novel that Edmond has stopped at the island of Elba to retrieve a letter on his way back to Marseilles which is addressed to Noirtier. Guess who was exiled to the island of Elba? Right! Napoleon Bonaparte.

Following the French Revolution, Napoleon was elected First Consul of France. The French citizens loved him, but there were many members of the French nobility with ties to the former kings of France who hated Napoleon's guts and who wanted him out. Many of these royalists plotted to kill Napoleon in various ways, to reestablish the monarchy. (That's were the clinch between the Royalists and Bonapartists comes in.) In April of 1814, Napoleon was officially exiled to the island of Elba off the coast of Italy. However, a year later, he escaped Elba and fled to France. He returned to Paris and ruled the French for one hundred days. He was still very popular among the French. But Napoleon's smallish army was defeated again by European powers, and Napoleon was exiled to the island of Saint Helena, far, far away in the Atlantic Ocean.

The difference between treason and patriotism is only a matter of dates.

The Count of Monte Cristo begins right before Napoleon's first exile to Elba, and throughout the novel, we hear about Napoleon's armies, his escape to Paris, and about the royalist parties. Villefort, for example, is a royalist, but his father (Noirtier) fights for Napoleon. The country is in political turmoil, and corruption is everywhere (recall how Dantès ends up in jail in the first place). Following Napoleon's second downfall, France was ruled by a series of monarchs. The novel ends around the time when Louis-Philippe I ascends the throne and when things are starting to calm down in France.

I found it incredibly interesting to learn about French history in such a fun way. On top of that, having been fortunate enough, to have roamed the streets of Paris and Rome myself, I really have to say that Dumas did an amazing job at encapsulating the atmosphere of those places. I'm aware, that 200 years ago both cities were very different from what they are now, but I cannot help but feel that Dumas really managed to depict their spirit. I felt like being there myself, breathing the same air as our characters. Additionally, Dumas never failed to include actual places (like hotels or streets) and even real people (like Countess G, who was Byron's mistress) in his narrative to make it seem more authentic.

“Fool that I am," said he,"that I did not tear out my heart the day I resolved to revenge myself".��

Funnily enough, The Count could've done with a little more romance. Yeah, shocker, I know. I thought that the Count's failed relationship to Mercédès would play a bigger role, although, in the end, I really appreciated that they didn't end up together, because it was much more realistic. Nonetheless, the romantic subplot that we did indeed get, concerning Valentine and Morrel, really did deliver. Dumas went full Romeo and Juliet on us. He basically rewrites that play. :D

According to Valentine's dad, Morrel is not rich enough to be considered a worthy suitor for her. The two must meet secretly in the garden (OK, no balcony scene, but still �� a secret garden!), for Valentine has been promised to another, more eligible bachelor. The two promise to marry anyway, and with Valentine's grandfather's help and the Count's help, they do. The Count's plan involves secret and super hardcore sleeping pills that Valentine takes. Morrel and the rest of the world thinks that Valentine has died as a result of being poisoned, but really, she's just asleep. The Count convinces Morrel to wait for one month before committing suicide (which Morrel really wants to do, because life isn't worth living without his Valentine, duh). When that month is over, the Count gives Morrel a pill he promises will kill him. But the pill merely puts Morrel to sleep, and when he wakes up, Valentine is there to kiss him on the lips.

So yeah, they do get their happy ending, which makes this the somewhat happy version of Shakespeare's play, but I honestly couldn't make that shit up. As much as I enjoyed the silliness of their relationship, I have to say, that the cheesy and overall too happy ending of The Count kind of killed the mood for me. This is also the main reason why I rated this book 4 stars instead of 5. I wanted more blood and more revenge at the end. Instead, the Count kind of grew soft and spared his biggest enemy to focus on the reunion of these two love birds above. CAN'T RELATE!

I want to be Providence, because the things that I know which is finest, greatest and most sublime in the world is to reward and to punish.

Although, I appreciate that Dantès finally realised that he cannot play God without severe consequences. Since, by the end of his hardships, Edmond has grown a serious God complex. He's built himself up so high that he can't help but picture himself in the most grandiose terms. Our naive poor boy, for whom we have rooted for from the start, has become quite unlikeable in his quest to seek revenge on his tormentors, not least of all because he has so few visible flaws that would make him appear more human. I always appreciated the moments in which Dantès came through again and the Count displayed some serious emotions.

However, where the Count sometimes may have seen a little devoid of emotion, the other characters of this tale really made up for it. I think my favorite ones were definitely the whole Danglars family. They were all such a mess. First and foremost, Mlle Eugénie is a gay icon and you cannot convince me otherwise. Dumas made so many allusion to her being lesbian, she is basically the Sappho of this tale. Amongst my favorite moments of her were definitely her elopement with Mlle d'Armilly, her cross-dressing and her complete and utter disinterest in marrying the men her father propositioned to her. Eugénie was so headstrong and independent (she basically said that she just wants to be free in heart, body and soul, LIKE YAS BITCH), which was such a breath of fresh air compared to the other female characters who were either quite pure and angel-like (eg. Valentine) or very hysterical.

And even though they were little shitheads, I absolutely adored the relationship of Eugénie's parents �� the Baron Danglars and his wife Hermione. The two of them basically hated each other's guts and the only reason why they stayed together is for prestige and to not offend the public's opinion. They are both super rich (and pretty much into gambling). :D Danglars knows that his wife is cheating on him and he truly doesn't care but as soon as he realised that Hermione was trying to get to his money for her lover, he fucking snapped, and served me the most scalding hot tea I ever saw: "I let you. You see, it doesn’t matter to me, as long as you are paying for your lessons out of your own pocket. But I now see that you are dipping into mine and that your further education might cost me as mich as seven hundred thousand franc a month. Woah, Madame! It can’t go on like this. Either the diplomat will have to start giving his �� lessons for nothing, and I shall put up with him, or he will not be allowed to set foot again in my house. Do you understand?" LIKE OMG, if words could kill, Hermione would be six feet under by now.

On top of that, I liked how cleverly Dumas spun this web of characters. Everyone was somehow connected to one another, which made the stakes even more higher and made his various reveals and plot twists even more exciting.

When you compare the sorrows of real life to the pleasures of the imaginary one, you will never want to live again, only to dream forever.

As for our author, Dumas' dad was a soldier in Napoleon's army, but he fell out of favor there when new racist laws were established barring men of color from serving, and the family became very poor. Dumas�� paternal grandparents were a French soldier who was stationed in Haiti and a former slave. Dumas' dad died when he was three, and his mother struggled to make ends meet. She didn't have enough money to give Dumas a really good education, but Dumas learned to read and then read as much as he possibly could. Despite their poverty, Dumas' family still had connections to French nobility, and so, when Dumas was twenty years old, he moved to the big city of Paris and started working for the Duc d'Orleans at the Palais Royal. (The Duc d'Orleans was kind of a big darn deal, since he, in 1830, tok the throne, becoming King Louis-Philippe I. ;))

Just like his Victorian pendant Charles Dickens, Dumas became one of the first French writers who could actually be considered a celebrity of his time. He made a shitton of cash, which he spend so lavishly (by even ordering the construction of his own Château de Monte Cristo), that he was actually in debt very often, which he tried to avoid paying by going abroad. #MOOD! His life was as tumultuous as the plot of his novels. I can definitely see myself reading more from him.