The Count of Monte Cristo (Penguin Classics)

I recently finished reading “The Count of Monte Cristo” by Alexandre Dumas, published by Penguin Classics, and it was an absolutely enthralling experience from start to finish. This edition is beautifully presented, with a cover that captures the essence of the novel and high-quality paper that makes for a pleasant reading experience.The story itself is a masterpiece of adventure and intrigue. Dumas’ writing is both engaging and detailed, bringing to life the tale of Edmond Dantès’ transformation from a wrongfully imprisoned sailor to the enigmatic Count of Monte Cristo. The plot is richly layered with themes of justice, revenge, and redemption, making it a deeply satisfying read.One of the strengths of this novel is its complex and well-developed characters. Each character, from the cunning villains to the loyal friends, adds depth to the story. The protagonist’s journey is both heartbreaking and exhilarating, and it’s easy to become deeply invested in his quest for vengeance and ultimate justice.The Penguin Classics edition also includes helpful notes and an introduction that provide valuable context and insights into the historical and literary significance of the novel. This added depth enhanced my understanding and appreciation of the story.The only minor drawback is the novel’s length, which can be daunting. However, every chapter is filled with gripping narrative and unexpected twists, making it well worth the commitment.Overall, “The Count of Monte Cristo” is a timeless classic that deserves a place on every bookshelf. This Penguin Classics edition is a wonderful way to experience Dumas’ epic tale. Highly recommended for anyone who loves a story rich in adventure, emotion, and complexity.

Firstly, a quick note on this edition: having started an old, archaic and atrocious translation to begin with, I can heartily recommend the crystal prose of Robin Buss's translation for Penguin Classics... The difference was startling, and it made it an absolute joy to read where it could so easily have become a chore!Now, this is going to be a tricky one to review. What to say about a book so well loved, so widely read, so generally revered? Well, let's start with the basics, the bits most people already know. The novel opens with young Edmond Dantes, on the verge of becoming captain of his merchant ship and husband of the beautiful Mercedes, being betrayed by his jealous friends and thrown into jail for his alleged support of Napoleon. During his fourteen years in the terrifying Chateau d'If, he meets a 'mad' old abbe, who introduces him to the world of learning and tells him about a secret treasure that he wishes Edmond to have should he ever escape. Well, escape he does, and is reborn as the Count of Monte Cristo, using his incredible wealth, power and intelligence to bring justice down on the heads of the three men who condemned him to the dungeons.This book is so many things: it is epic, complex and exciting; it is heartbreaking, sorrowful and romantic. It touches on the heights of emotion, society and the human condition, as well as the depths of despair, corruption and depravity. I found myself speeding along in breathless excitement as Edmond's true identity was revealed to each of his tormentors, and felt the full horror of the tangled webs he wove to destroy them one by one. It made me ponder the relationship between wealth and power, between knowledge and power, and the way that faith can save someone's life but also, if they don't take care, lead them down a path swathed in darkness. The Count's lesson for jealous Danglars, for example, was deeply satisfying - whereas his quiet destruction of Villefort's entire family was devastating to read. Of course, all this is terribly unlikely and deeply dramatic, but that is part of its charm - this is escapism at its finest!Quite simply, this is a masterful novel that drew me in gently then refused to let me go. The characters are wonderfully drawn - I even got a bit of a crush on Dantes, fallen angel that he is - and the story seeps forward deliciously, bringing everything slowly into focus as the scattered elements of the Count's plans draw together. This is definitely going to be one of my top reads of the year and one of my favourite books ever! Read it!

Feel bad even giving a 4 - would say its more like a 4 and a halfThere is a huge following out there for Penguin 'Cloth-Bound Classics'. Like many other people, I absolutley love the collection. Its beautiful and for non-English titles the translations are usually good.But, if this is your first time purchasing a Cloth-Bound Classic there is something you need to be aware of so you wont be disappointed.When you peel the barcode label off the back cover it can often remove some of the surface print and depending on the colour palette, can also leave a noticable rectangular mark.Also you will need to make sure your hands are DRY when reading, or again the surface print may either flake or come off.Personally I don't see this as a fault or flaw -its just the natural state of the materials used to make these lovely cloth-bound books combining with an understandable need to manage inventory and dispactch logistics with low-tac stickersJust wanted to provide the info so anyone new to this collection can make an informed purchase.Enjoy your Cloth-Bound Classics, once you buy one, you will want to build your collection :)On this title specifically........................................................Can't recommend The Count of Monte Cristo enough!!And this is a comfortable read translation-wise.Its an epic tale that will draw you in and keep you turning pages...As it was orininally circulated in serialised form, the plot layers and characters develop at a pace that will keep you engaged and excited to keep turning pages.Don't let the number of pages put you off -This is one brick of a book that is definitely worth time investedWhether you choose to approach this in one long cover to cover unbroken read, or pace yourself over some months by using it as a companion to your other core reading, I'm sure you will enjoy it :)

Classic story, long lasting and fascinating, about justice and fairness.

Excellent read, although make sure you get the unabridged version, which this is

Absolutely phenomenal.The Count of Monte Cristo is a masterclass in storytelling. It is rich, well paced and immensely rewarding. Alexandre Dumas weaves justice, revenge, and redemption into a mature epic that never loses its pacing despite the length of the novel, over 1,000 pages in this kindle edition.It’s a long read with many characters, that can be tricky to keep track of, but every chapter is compelling in it’s own way, making it a classic that has matured with age and is as relevant now as when it was written all those years ago.

I got a real surprise as it’s a huge book, but looking forward to starting it.

A great story with remarkably modern and relevant ideas.But more importantly Amazon should pay full UK taxes. It benefits from operating in the UK, yet puts virtually zero back-not good enough Amazon! Contribute to our society and welfare system! Apart from anything else it means that they compete unfairly with great British companies like John Lewis, who pay full UK taxes. Come on Amazon-cough up!

The book is well wrapped, the printing is very clear. Can’t wait to read it !

The Count of Monte Cristo is a wonderful, compelling story of love, loss, revenge and friendship. It is a long book but in the end, it wasn’t long enough because I would have loved for the story to keep going.I decided to read this book on the recommendation of a friend and also partially as a challenge for myself to see if I still had the focus to read something so long, given my modern day struggles with a short attention span. I did not find it difficult to read at all. I thought that this translation was easy to understand and the footnotes highly helpful given it was written in a much different time period.Do give this book a go. It might take you shorter to finish than you think.

I just got it, I am super excited to read it and the quality of the book is good overall.

This is about the clothbound edition by penguin. It is the only version I could find with the Robin Buss translation.It is the most modern and most readable translation in English. Highly recommended.I hope that one day Penguin will publish a bit more elaborate edition of this version. I think this book deserves it.

This story is wonderful. A great read. But read it when you have a lot of time. This one was/is a translation of the original text in French. It was a little hard to get into, but I loved it for the detail it gave me.I read a German translation that was not quite as 'attached' to the original style. I read that one from the first the the last word in one night. I just could not put it down. The English translation was more detailed and took a 'little' longer to read. It was also twice the volume. It is a great story for the person that believes in justice and revenge, where it hurts the most. At that time in the pocket-book. I loved the story and the author's style. The two translations were quite different, not taking away from the story line, however.A great story, well written and translated.