For anyone looking to read in English I highly recommend the Robin Buss translation. It has endnotes throughout the book explaining various references that would not be obvious to modern readers, such as references to real people that don’t get named to avoid libel issues but would’ve obvious to readers in the 19th century, or how certain artists reveal that someone has good taste or bad taste.

Don’t be intimidated by the size; it quickly becomes a page-turner. It was originally published serialized in newspapers, like a modern TV show, one chapter each day. Most chapters end on a cliffhanger so people would buy the next day’s paper, making the book hard to put down.

It is a masterpiece. If you like the genre, I’d like to recommend Der Schwedische Reiter (The Swedish Cavalier in english). It is the very definition of adventure, mystique, vengeance, and love. The beauty of it made me very emotional. I should re-read it…!

I fully support you in this endeavor.

Yeah it’s probably my “pick just one” best book. It’s a wild ride! I’m interested in what you think when you finish!

Three Musketeers is different but I also really liked it. It’s very amusing/funny.

I was considering picking this one up. Good to know it lives up.

I was going to read it in French. I wonder if I’m missing out by doing that (it’s a great movie, and I’m only semi fluent in French).

There is an anime as well.

I love this book! it’s long but dense, it’s trashy but it’s also high art, it’s tragic but it’s also inspirational. I’m glad Dumas was paid by the word, because it means he wrote as much. You should check out the musketeers books if you haven’t already, I think Count is a stronger book but they’re all written in the same engrossing style.

The Count of Monte Cristo will always hold a special place in my heart because I read it as a kid and it was the first real “grown up book” I ever read, and it absolutely hooked me. I was reading it under the covers with a flashlight when I was supposed to be asleep. It has the vivid, detailed descriptions you find in the classics, but without slowing down the pace. There’s a bunch of different threads and subplots to follow, and I generally feel like most adaptations don’t do it justice, because it takes more than a movie or miniseries to tell the story - the one exception being Gankatsuo (as mentioned here already) which changes the setting but follows the story pretty faithfully, giving it a full season and starting midway through.

On top of the action, adventure, and schemes, it also has social commentary, philosophy, and interesting characters. The count occupies this unique position in the upper class in that he’s not old money and not tied to the aristocracy, but not exactly new money either, in that he’s not a merchant or capitalist. He’s just this free agent with his own agenda and values, and nobody knows what to make of him.

It’s fun, it’s very thought-provoking, and the imagery is striking. Big fan.

It’s a bit of a leap, but I think there’s some similarities with another one of my favorites, Crime and Punishment. In fact, looking back at what I wrote, “On top of the action, adventure, and schemes, it also has social commentary, philosophy, and interesting characters” is exactly on point for it too. It feels more modern that the era it was written, I’ve seen it described as a thriller and I think that fits.

I have read both The Count of Monte Cristo, The Three Musketeers, and Twenty Years After. I’m currently playing with the idea to read The Three Musketeers again because it has been so long.

I had also read The Count of Monte Cristo a few years ago and want to see if i can take on the unabridged version

This is my favorite book! I love that you love it too! It only gets better the further you get in the story. I own both the abridged and unabridged versions, can’t go wrong with either. Hope you enjoy the last half!

Thanks for this post! I read The Three Musketeers ages ago while in middle school (pre-teenage). I’m sure I didn’t get get much more out of it than sword fights and adventure at the time. I’d always meant to go back and read more Dumas. This post (and the comments about Dracula, another book I read first in middle school and enjoyed even more when I read it again last year for Halloween) has encouraged me to add to the top spot in my “to read” list.

The recent French language movie was absolutely superb as well, one of my favourite movies I’ve ever seen (as long as you can handle subtitles)

Spoilers below so don’t read if you haven’t read a book published 180 years ago

It is the greatest story of vengeance ever written.

Not revenge, vengeance.

The book is bat shit wild. There are parts where you will remember after you finished and think ‘was that a fever dream?’

There was a cross dressing lesbian couple or did I imagine that?

Did he really just burn down the whole house?

How did he survive the poisoning?

Who is that bandit again?

What was buried in the yard?

So many tangential story lines that culminate in an amazing climax.

So many moments that are little vignettes which explain pivotal moments in the characters.

The crazy Abbes relief when Dantes believes him.

The live fish being delivered in barrels

The fact no one escapes the Counts wrath.

Wait and Hope Baby. Wait and hope.

Kind of ajacent but if you havent watched V for Vendetta there is a pretty good scene talking about The Count of Monte Cristo.

I would recommend finishing the book first because i dont know if there are any spoilers.

Bonus points if you watch it on Fifth of November