I’m exactly halfway through the book. I think I like it? But I really don’t like Edmond as a character! I’m not looking for spoilers, and I understand that not all characters are meant to be likable, but is it just me or is he kind of a douchebag? I feel like I’m missing something. Obviously I need to just keep reading but I’m curious if you all had this experience with the book at this point.
Obvious spoilers: In chapter 47 – "The Dappled Grays" it is mentioned that she is 36 years old.
>"Madame Danglars, dont la beauté pouvait encore être citée, malgré ses trente-six ans, était à son piano..."
Events in Paris happen in 1838, so she was born in 1802.This either completely breaks the timeline or makes both Marquis de Nargonne and Villefort pedophiles.
Gérard de Villefort age is mentioned in the book as well, he's 27 in 1815. Therefore he was born in 1788. This is from chapter 7:
>"Gérard de Villefort était en ce moment aussi heureux qu’il est donné à un homme de le devenir : déjà riche par lui-même, il occupait à vingt-sept ans une place élevée dans la magistrature"
Benedetto was born in 1817, when she was 15 years old and already married! Furthermore, this means that she was impregnated at 14 by a married older man who was 29 yo, which is insane even for that time period.
I wonder if this is a mistake from Dumas or he was aware of her age and wanted to further emphasize how evil Villefort is.
Edit: The plot thickens. After looking further, I found another description of Madame Danglars in Chapter 44 - Vendetta. Bertuccio is recounting his spying on the Auteil house and he says that he saw a blonde woman who looked 18 or 19 years old. On the one hand this is just his guess, but on the other this could be a proof that Dumas did make a mistake in calculations.
At least we have something good to root for!
Synopsis:
Maximilien is in the garden with Valentine. She tells him the bad news of her grandfather's death and that the marriage contract will be signed that night. She makes a big scene where it seems she will accept her fate, but eventually Maximilien convinces her to run away with him (phew!).
He comes back later that night, but doesn't find Valentine in the garden. Alarmed, he enters the house and finds M. Villefort talking with the doctor. It seems that Mme. Saint-Méran has also died, but not by natural means, by poison! A poison that normally is delivered in small doses to Noirtier.
Maximilien penetrates the home deeper and finds Valentine sitting vigil by her grandmother's body. Together they find Noirtier and tell him of their plan. The old man indicates they should not run away together, but instead, he has a different idea.
END OF BOOK THREE
Discussion:
What would have happened if Edmond had never acquired wealth despite attaining freedom?
sometimes i think about this
When I read long books with a lot of characters, I often start mixing people up or forgetting who someone was and what they had done earlier in the story.
That’s why I’ve been working on an EPUB reader that tries to make this easier. It lists the characters in the book, and while reading you can tap on a character’s name to quickly see who they are and what they’ve done so far. You can also talk to the characters and ask questions about the book.
Everything is based only on the part of the book you’ve already read, so information from later chapters isn’t shown.
I thought The Count of Monte Cristo would be a good book to test this with because I know it’s very long and has a large cast of characters, although I haven’t read it yet.
I also made a free web version so it’s easy to try without downloading anything.
You can try the free web version here: https://lore-demo.web.app/?book=the-count-of-monte-cristo
If you try it, I’d really appreciate any feedback, especially from people who know the book well.
If you notice any missing characters, incorrect information, events assigned to the wrong character, or anything else that seems off, please let me know. I’d also love to hear if there’s anything you think would make this more useful while actually reading the book.
I absolutely loved The Count of Monte Cristo because it had everything I want in a great book: revenge, mystery, betrayal, romance, and characters with complicated motivations. I especially enjoyed watching Edmond Dantès transform from an innocent young man into the Count of Monte Cristo and carefully carry out his plans against the people who ruined his life. The story kept getting more interesting as all of the different characters and plotlines eventually came together.
What I loved most was how satisfying the long buildup was. Dantès spent years preparing his revenge, and seeing his plans unfold was incredibly entertaining. At the same time, the book made me think about whether revenge can actually bring someone peace and what happens when punishment goes too far.
The one part I didn’t like was that Mercedes and Dantès didn’t end up together. I really wanted them to have a second chance because I don’t think Mercedes did anything wrong. From her perspective, Dantès had been gone for years and she believed he was never coming back. She had to move on with her life, and I don’t blame her for marrying Fernand. I wish Dantès could have understood that and that the two of them could have found their way back to each other.
Overall, The Count of Monte Cristo was an incredible reading experience. Even though I didn’t love the ending of Dantès and Mercedes’ relationship, the story, characters, and revenge plot made the book one of my favorite books I’ve read.
If it's not one thing, it's another thing...
Synopsis:
The Count joins Mercédès in the garden and all kinds of irony ensues. Mme. Morcerf asks if they are friends, and the Count says "yes," but even though he says there is no greater sign of friendship in Arabia than the sharing of bread and salt, the Count still refuses to eat. She asks if he has suffered greatly, and he says "yes," she asks him if he has loved, and he describes a thinly veiled allusion to their own love. Then Franz bursts in with the news that Valentine's grandfather as died.
Our attention shifts to Mme. de Saint Méran and the death of M. de Saint Méran. It seems she has had visions of her dead husband since his death and is convinced her own death is at hand. She wants to see Valentine married before that happens and is anxious for the return of Franz so the marriage can take place. The chapter ends on a whisper to Valentine from Maximillien.
Discussion:
Next week, chapter 73! (And the end of Book 3, look how far we've come )
I went on vacation last week and brought Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett with me, had a good chuckle at this paragraph on page 305.
