Sunday, May 27, 2012

Book Review: The Count of Monte Cristo

I've been intrigued by this story for many years now. I first learned of it from the movie Sleepers (of which I wrote an earlier review for the book that the movie was based on. One of the main characters, Shakes becomes obsessed with the book about revenge after being placed into a reformatory with his childhood friends and enduring unthinkable acts of sexual abuse and violence. I later saw the latest movie adaptation, starring Jim Caviezel, with my wife on our first date about 10 years ago. 

I really enjoyed the movie. It was intriguing and vivid. When deciding to read the book, I hoped it would be true to the movie. Not thinking that the movie should be true to the story of almost 160 years. Originally it was a serial written by Alexandre Dumas that was published in a periodical over a span of 2 years and completed in 1844. The original french version was compiled into a book. Later it was abridged and translated into English. More then a mere story of adventure and revenge it is a chronicle of the political climate in Bonaparte's France in the mid 19th century.

It chronicles the second coming of the Emperor Napoleon. His triumphant return lasted a mere 100 days. In the book, after being exiled to Elba, the Emperor tries to communicate with a retired general by sending a letter with a sailor of Le Pharaon, Edmond Dantes. He innocently does the task and is charged for treason after the first mate, and two accomplices falsely accuse him as a treason. He is whisked away to the Chateu d'if, a prison reserved for the worse criminals and traitors of France. He is incarcerated for about 12 years and finally escapes. While in prison he befriends a priest and retired soldier. The priest teaches Edmond how to read, write, economics, physics, astronomy and how to wield a sword. He also give Edmond a map to a treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo.

Once escaped and with fortune in hand, he makes his way to Paris. He intends to buy his way into the inner circle of Parisian high society, where his tormentors are perched. He earns their trust through their families. Through a number of elaborate schemes he manages to drive the 3 men to poverty, suicide and insanity. In the end he is satisfied with the outcome and decides to give his fortune away and sail off into the sunset.

Compared to the film adaptation, the book was more elaborate. It contained a cast of characters not even eluded to in the film version. There is a long period of back story between his incarceration and his final revenge that makes for great reading. At almost 700 pages, this was the longest book I've ever read, and I truly didn't think I would finish it. Once I read the last page of the last chapter, I read the afterword. It proved to be more interesting to me than the entire book. It gave me background on the writer and where the story was derived.

I read it and became enthralled by what I read. It seems that not only was the story historically correct but may have also been loosely based on actual events. Dumas read stories written by a police archivist about a shoemaker named Pierre Picaud, who in 1807, while engaged to a member of high society was framed for a crime he did not commit. Jealousy lead to a betrayal by 3 friends who falsely accused him of being an English spy. He was then incarcerated. While imprisoned he served a rich cleric who after his death he left Picaud all his riches. After the fall of the empire, Picaud was released and retrieved the fortune bequeathed to him and spent 10 years plotting his revenge.

Upon his return to France he murdered one of the men responsible for his incarceration. His former fiance married another of the men. He drove his daughter to prostitution, who later died. He also burned down the man's cafe. He also pushed the man's son to a life of crime. He poisoned the third man. Picaud was later abducted and killed by a 4th person, who did not partake in the plot against him but knew of it and never came forth. The man who abducted and killed him, name Allut, was the man who gave the first hand account of the events from his deathbed that were recorded by the police archivist who inspired Dumas to write his masterwork.

All in all it was great read and a true adventure. Even for a non-reader such as myself with a short attention span. I recommend it thoroughly.

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