Sunday, August 9, 2015

THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO - Alexander Dumas



Young Edmond Dantes is looking forward to a big week.  He is about to be promoted to ships captain and he is to  be married shortly to the love of his life.  Things couldn't be going better until three people conspire to have him imprisoned.  He is locked up in solitary confinement and forgotten for 14 years.

During this time he manages to make contact with an old priest in the next door dungeon.  The priest tells him of a fantastical treasure that he is aware of which awaits them if they can escape. Edmond eventually does escape and locates the treasure.

This treasure along with the education the priest has given him enable him to set out on the path of revenge against those who betrayed him.

This is a very complicated and brutal revenge involving many European locations and people which makes for a wonderful novel.

I've seen this described as a children's book but it contains adult themes which are not bed time reading for the kids, suicide, murder etc. There are many abridged versions of this book in the market but this full unabridged version needs to be read which runs 1200 -1400 pages depending on the edition.

Of course there are contrivances to keep the story and plot on target but this is a novel and novels do that.

There are religious themes and a moral lesson that is brought home at the end but the main point this makes apart from being very entertaining is never ever give up hope.



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