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The Count of Monte Cristo

Name: The Count of Monte Cristo
Rating: 5 (16 reviews)
Author: Alexandre Dumas, adapted by Crystal S. Chan, illustrated by Nokman Poon
ISBN: 9780140449266

Alexandre Dumas, adapted by Crystal S. Chan, illustrated by Nokman Poon · 2003 · 1276 pages

"On what slender threads do life and fortune hang." Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read

Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantes is confined to the grim fortress of 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. Dumas’ epic tale of suffering and retribution, inspired by a real-life case of wrongful imprisonment, was a huge popular success when it was first serialized in the 1840s.

Robin Buss’s lively English translation is complete and unabridged, and remains faithful to the style of Dumas’s original. This edition includes an introduction, explanatory notes and suggestions for further reading.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

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recommended by 16 people

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Ryan Holiday
“A 1,200-page epic exploring faith, revenge, and philosophy through brilliant storytelling. A riveting narrative combining adventure with profound meditations on human nature.”↗
Andrej Karpathy
“I don't usually read this kind of literature, but Count of Monte Cristo is a unique and marvellous book that explores a variety of themes: life/death, revenge, justice, hope, etc through a fascinating story. Reading the book is comparable to seeing a large puzzle coming together piece by piece, as Edmond slowly but surely achieves his revenge, until it all comes together in a brilliant and emotional ending. The style of writing is amusingly unique (remember this book was written in ~1840!), especially the chapters rich in noble banter. Lastly, before you endeavour to read this book, keep in mind that it is a significant undertaking that takes many many days to get through. Sometimes the story drags on and on with all kinds of details and "gay" chitchat when all you really want to read about is Edmond finally meeting Mercedes again. So be prepared to fight your eagerness, and try to enjoy the ride!”
Nassim Taleb
“1) The taste of (cold) revenge is by far the most underrated human experience. Not for cowards. Not be good for society except when revenge does not lead to more revenge. 2) Written ~170 y ago. I've never read more limpid more recent page turner.#Lindy = #ergodic seller! https://t.co/ODPZoPB6pb”↗
PewDiePie
“Woah! For some reason I thought I would see through myself, that's the level of brainlet I am. Incredible.”↗
Mike Maples, Jr.
“Speaking of a book about grudges.”↗
Rose McGowan
“The hopelessness of character assassination and being trapped by evil people’s lies is something I know a little about. I fell in love with Dàntes and his quest for justice long ago. Dumas’ writing helped form me. I wish I could thank him in person, but this’ll have to do.”↗
Pierce Brown
“@alwayssendingit Hyperion, Dune, Forever War, Shadow and Claw, Count of Monte Cristo, Ian Banks' Culture series”↗
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