The Count of Monte Cristo

Alexandre Dumas

Dec 2003 · Sold by Bantam Classics

About this ebook

Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read

A popular bestseller since its publication in 1844, The Count of Monte Cristo is one of the great page-turning thrillers of all time. Set against the tumultuous years of the post-Napoleonic era, Alexandre Dumas’s grand historical romance recounts the swashbuckling adventures of Edmond Dantès, a dashing young sailor falsely accused of treason. The story of his long imprisonment, dramatic escape, and carefully wrought revenge offers up a vision of France that has become immortal. As Robert Louis Stevenson declared, “I do not believe there is another volume extant where you can breathe the same unmingled atmosphere of romance.”

Ratings and reviews

This is a great Historical Fiction Novel to read. This abridged version is worth reading. I would highly recommend it to new readers. (especially readers who are younger then 17) For older readers (ages 17 and older) I would suggest to read any of Unabridged Editions of the story because it is more complete.

"The Count of Monte Cristo" is an enthralling tale of revenge and redemption, full of intricate plot twists and fascinating characters. It's a timeless classic that has stood the test of time and remains a must-read for anyone who loves adventure, suspense, and drama.

A very good story, definitely one of my favorites, but this is sadly an abridged version and I wish I knew that when buying. The original is over 1000 pages long. Still worth a read if the original is too long for you.

About the author

Alexandre Dumas (1802–1870) lived a life as romantic as that depicted in his famous novels. He was born in Villers-Cotterêts, France. His early education was scanty, but his beautiful handwriting secured him a position in Paris in 1822 with the du’Orléans, where he read voraciously and began to write. His first play, Henri III et sa cour (1829), scored a resounding success for its author and the romantic movement. His lavish spending and flamboyant habits led to the construction of his fabulous Château de Monte-Cristo, and in 1851 he fled to Belgium to escape creditors. Dumas’s overall literary output reached more than 277 volumes, but his brilliant historical novels made him the most universally read of all French novelists. With collaborators, mainly Auguste Maquet, Dumas wrote such works as The Three Musketeers (1843–1844); its sequels, Twenty Years After (1845) and the great mystery The Man in the Iron Mask (1845–1850); and The Count of Monte Cristo (1844). His work ignored historical accuracy, psychology, and analysis, but its thrilling adventure and exuberant inventiveness continued to delight readers, and Dumas remains one of the prodigies of nineteenth-century French literature.