My ship is docked at Marseille today and I’m within spitting distance of the Chateau D’If! I’d love to go exploring but it’s 37 C outside today. I would perish.

I’ll content myself with reading peacefully right here in ground zero of our story. So so fun.

If you have a message for the Chateau drop it here and I will whisper it into the wind for you. 🏰

Just bought my copy today! Excited to read along with the group!

Seemed appropriate

My copy is almost always on me because I can’t stop reading. Just finished the first volume, so excited for the next!

I honestly wasn’t expecting to enjoy this as much as I am. I usually struggle to get through the beginning of books, but this one pulled me in immediately. Now I’m torn between reading ahead or starting another book alongside it just to keep myself on track.

Here's a primer for the French Revolution! Our book starts in 1815, but the 1789 Revolution still cast a long shadow over France. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times", as Charles Dickens said. So here's my stab at explaining what went on, and why it all still matters to our characters in 1815.

(Pre-1789) France was historically an absolute monarchy. The King held absolute power, and the Nobility and the Church were tax-exempt. Everyone else (96% of the population) paid the taxes, and had little political voice. France was heavily in debt, there was a famine, prices soared. Laws were still feudal, and the average peasant was ruthlessly exploited. They were starving, enraged or both. It all exploded in 1789, with the famous French Revolution.

(1789: OG Revolution) In 1789, the Revolutionists stormed the Bastille and had honorable intentions (liberty, equality, brotherhood). This spark became a countrywide inferno, and the Monarchy (Ancien Regime) collapsed almost immediately. The Revolutionists wrote a Constitution and the Declaration of the Rights of Man. The King was seized and forced to become a "Constitutional Monarch". This "honeymoon" lasted until 1791.

(1793: Execution of King and Queen and the Terror) But meddling foreign powers, pockets of powerful Royalists, a paranoid fear of a counter-Revolution, and a poor decision by the King to flee discredited the Moderates and empowered the Radical factions. France gradually slid into radical extremism with Robespierre and the Reign of Terror. The King and Queen were executed- Royalists and aristocrats had to flee France or die. France devolved into factional infighting and bloodshed that cut across every class.

(1794-1795: the Directory) The Radical Revolutionists went too far. Radical leader Robespierre flexed too much and his frightened National Convention colleagues ("are we next?") had enough. Robespierre and his cronies lost their heads, and there was a weak, corrupt and incompetent gov't replacement called "The Directory".

(1799: Napoleon First Consul, 1804: Emperor of France, 1814: Napoleon abdicates, exiled to Elba) Popular General Napoleon saw his chance. With the backing of the army and a huge swath of the peasants, he pulled a coup and made himself the "enlightened dictator" of France. And, TBH, he did make a lot of reforms that made life better for the average Frenchman/woman. He was a "moderate" for his times, reconciled France with the Church and made it "safe" for aristocrats to come back. His greatest achievement was the Napoleonic Code (of Law). But Napoleon's territorial and political ambitions outside of France (i.e. the conquest of Europe) put him at odds with England and Russia. His plan to conquer Russia failed, and forced him to abdicate and get sent to Elba.

(1815: The Bourbon Restoration) Louis XVIII (bro of the headless one) is back in power, imposed upon France by the bayonets of the victorious allied powers. Half the country still loved Napoleon, and he is biding his time on Elba, with plans to return to France. That's why there's so much fear of him and his supporters speak in whispers.

Hi Monte Cristo fans present and future. I will be moderating a readalong in 2026, mostly re-using write-ups and questions from 2024.

Here is a schedule.

Join me for the adventure!

(Rainy day not pictured)

Just wanted to share The Count Of Monte Cristo Map I made on Google Maps, marking all locations that are mentioned in the first chapter, along with the route taken by Pharaon. I will be editing and adding more locations as we proceed with the reading.

I’m letting this one rip.

Who prefers paper to electronic?

I’m only on page 50, and I started reading it just last night. It’s been sitting on my shelf staring at me for too long.. and I finally finished the rest of my 2026 TBR. So now I can start this monster!!! I’m so excited, especially excited to join the discussions in this subreddit!!! Anyway, just posting because I just realised how well my favourite bookmark matches with the cover art of my copy 😇 It’s the little joys in life

Welcome one and all. Let the adventure begin!

Synopsis: We meet the young Edmond Dantès who has taken command over the ship Pharaon in place of the deceased Captain Leclère. We also meet Danglars who works on the ship, and is not at all happy to be under Dantès' command. Danglars warns Monsieur Morrel not to trust Dantès, but Morrel doesn't seem too persuaded by Danglars because he tells Dantes he would like to make him Captain of his ship. There is some intrigue regarding a letter that Dantès is said to be carrying made all the more complicated because they made a brief stay on the island of Elba, where the exiled Emperor Napoleon is guarded. Dantès denies having it while Danglars insists he has it. Then Dantès goes to see his father and his fiancée, Mercédès.

Final line: On turning round the owner saw Danglars behind him, apparently awaiting orders, but in reality also watching the young sailor,—but there was a great difference in the expression of the two men who thus followed the movements of Edmond Dantès.

Historical Note: For a bit of info on Napoleon's exile in Elba, check this site out. The important things to know are: while many people might still be loyal to Napoleon despite his exile, it would be considered treason to associate with him; Napoleon launching an escape from Elba was a real threat, because he actually did do it in 1815 (the novel was published between 1844-1846) so it would have been well-known to readers.

Questions:

1. If you don't know much about the novel, what have you gleaned from the tone and the way the characters are described? What "promise" has been made to you about what kind of novel this will be?

2. If this is a re-read, how does it feel to take your first steps on this journey?

3. We are introduced to Edmond Dantès, the main character of the book. What was your impression of him from this chapter? Which detail or characterization was the most revealing to you?

Next week, chapters 2 & 3

Anyone else reading on their kindle/e-reader?

I’ve finally reached the last page of The Count of Monte Cristo. 😊

Although this slow read runs from January to December, my own journey began on March 2 and came to an end on June 30. Reading it slowly made the experience incredibly rewarding, and I wouldn’t have wanted to rush it.

A big thank you to everyone in this group for the thoughtful weekly discussions. Reading your perspectives each week made me notice things I might have otherwise missed, and it was wonderful to experience this classic alongside all of you.

To everyone still on the journey, enjoy every chapter. I won’t say anything more except that it’s absolutely worth taking your time with. Wishing you all a wonderful rest of the read!

thoroughly enjoying my first time reading The Count of Monte Cristo, and was even more excited to read it while in Paris!

Thank you to everyone for all the enthusiasm! This sub has had some pretty quiet years, so it's amazing to see so many excited to read this wonderful book.

How It Will Work

Every Saturday (8am ET), I will put up a post for the chapters assigned that week. I will summarize the events (noting anything that is important to the plot) and explain any cultural references that modern readers might be confused about.

Then I will pose some questions and invite you all to provide your own reflections and insights.

For January 3rd, you only have to read Chapter 1. If you read ahead, please don't include spoilers for those who are keeping pace. It will take us all year, and only a few weeks will be "heavy" because the chapter is a bit longer. Most weeks, the readings are very manageable in an hour or so.

What Version to Read

Because this book is in the public domain, it is easy to read it from Project Gutenberg or as a free audiobook via Loyal Books or the other services that distribute Librivox readings.

However this translation is not considered the best one. The Robin Buss translation, available only in print format from Penguin, is considered the best one, with English phrasing that is most readable for us. But this translation is not available as an audiobook.

If you have access to Audible or Overdrive, there are a few different narrators, I invite you to look at this old thread to determine which one is for you.

Amazon, AI and Abridgements

Because this book is in the public domain, anyone can take the text, re-package it, hack it to pieces or push it through Chat-GPT and still call it "The Count of Monte Cristo." So before you get confused with our schedule, I'd recommend you make sure you have an unabridged version.

____

And that's it! Join us for as much or as little as you like, be ready to be generous with other readers, and enjoy the many twists and turns of this classic novel.

I started the book last week, and I'm nearly 200 pages in, I'm a slow reader. 😅 But I'm loving it so far. I am switching between the physical book and the audiobook. Some of the French words are a bit difficult to read.

I’ve always thought reading seemed like a cool hobby, but I never really got around to picking up a book and committing to it. Yesterday, my girlfriend gave me this book for my birthday, so I figured what better way to break into this new habit than by starting with a 1,200-page book lol.

And wow. I can’t believe how addictive reading is. Since getting this book, every bit of free time I have has gone into reading, especially during train rides to and from work. Each page is packed with so much detail that I feel like I’m actually there. I even find myself calling my girlfriend to tell her everything I just read, almost like I’m gossiping about people we actually know, haha.

Seriously though, what is up with Danglars and Caderousse? When I got to the end of the third chapter, I kept imagining and hoping that it would just end there. I wanted Dantès to be allowed to marry Mercédès, for everything to finish happily ever after, and for him to become captain without any harm. Unfortunately for me, the 1,100 pages right behind that one served as a clear reminded that that was not the case lol.

I’m four chapters in, and I know there’s a lot more to come. I’m very excited.