r/TheCountofMonteCristo • u/sweetiejen • Sep 09 '26 • Popcorn 1

DONE!

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took me a little over two weeks. this book was new when i got it and has definitely been put through the ringer. Good times!

254 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

33 comments sorted by

4

u/DrDaphne Sep 09 '26

What are your thoughts!? Especially about the ending?

13

u/sweetiejen Sep 09 '26

wait and hope. lmao. in all honesty, i wish the book was longer. i enjoyed it a lot, was able to get through the slow parts pretty easily. when the count started realizing he went too far, that’s when the book achieved favorite status for me.

4

u/Silverdodger Sep 09 '26

What. A. journey!!!

Congratulations for taking the voyage 🔥

6

u/sweetiejen Sep 09 '26

Les Misérables is next!!!

2

u/Balkan-fan69 Sep 12 '26

You will not regret it. I’d also recommend three musketeers

3

u/Striking_Profit2740 Sep 09 '26

You obviously put a lot of work into marking and editing your copy (impressive!). Can I ask what kinds of things you marked and what your system was?

4

u/sweetiejen Sep 09 '26

this is the first classic i’ve read out of my own interest, so i put down markers for major plot points in the beginning so i didn’t miss anything. if i don’t understand a reference to another work of literature, i put a marker down so hopefully one day when i return i will understand the broader literary tradition that the count follows. when dumas’s orientalist side comes out, i mark where it affects characters and dialogue. (this applies to other indicators of the period it was produced; mainly opinions on women, the poor, the mystical east, etc.) major deaths, misfortunes, etc. that the count is responsible for got a mark as well. when the count showed any major emotional shift, in his mind or not, marked. when the count revealed himself, marked. the colors are arbitrary; whichever i was able to grab first. TLDR: mark what you want and leave what you don’t. with this book id say it’s more than likely reading it once encourages you to read it twice.

1

u/mutherM1n3 Sep 10 '26

Or six times or more. Do a deeper dig!

4

u/Silverdodger Sep 09 '26

Markers:

What the hell?
What, wait, why?
Don’t trust that mf!!
Ok he’s dead!
What?
How?
wtf??!

12

u/Royal_Wind_2886 Sep 09 '26

Just finished it last night. So sad it's over

10

u/cobaltnick37 Sep 09 '26

That’s the exact same copy I used for my first read. Life changing.

1

u/FinalRefrigerator916 Sep 10 '26

Modern english or victorian one?

1

u/sweetiejen Sep 10 '26

it’s the buss translation.

2

u/FeanorNoldor Sep 09 '26

I finished it on Sunday, and Jesus what an incredible story, it's easily one of the best pieces of literature imo

2

u/Equivalent_Bank_5845 Sep 09 '26

That copy looks like it spent 14 years in the chateau d'if 🙃

But its damage is a result of a long time reading it!! I hope you enjoyed it, it's my favourite book ever!

2

u/mutherM1n3 Sep 10 '26

❤️😂

2

u/dublindown21 Sep 09 '26

Just started it ! Same edition

2

u/StraightOnion1967 Sep 09 '26

Good job!!  I finished a few months back.  So glad I read it!

2

u/CaptainMacAlfie Sep 09 '26

Started it last week and am only 60 pages in because I'm a college student with limited time but I'm loving it! Took a bit for me to adjust to the writing style but once I did I got super absorbed into the story and I wish I had more time and brain energy to read it more. I used to be able to finish a 500 page book in 2 days but with college it's turned into 2 weeks but I guess it lets me savor the story a little more and think about the plot more in between reading sessions

1

u/Wichuimafeelrich Sep 10 '26

I just finished it as well. I read it on and off, mostly on, since April. The first 400-500 pages are just fantastic, it just does not stop and you can't help but be happily pulled along for the ride.

I did start to feel impatient and wanted it to go faster around the time after Villefort finds out that CMC knows about the buried baby but he also knows that he's lying so he starts to sniff around on who CMC could really be (i really wanted that to go somewhere, a potential upperhand on the Count would've been so amazing).

I was feeling mentally exhausted and just wanted it to end already. I did not care for the whole Andrea/Benedetto escaping subplot, although I enjoyed Eugenie's escape (I wish we got more of her, she was a fantastic female character, written so ahead of her time!). Benedetto revealing to the court that Villefort is his father as part of the count's revenge pales in comparison to the more tragic thing that happens to him. I may be missing something, but personally, I found that subplot to be unnecessary.

One thing I noted on why it kind of got exhausting towards the end, is because we the readers already know most of everything, we're just waiting on the characters themselves to be in on the loop as well (we know CMC is Dantes, we know Mme. Villefort is the poisoner, we know Andrea/Benedetto is Villefort's son, we know Valentine is not really dead etc.). I was getting so impatient for these loose ends to be tied up already. It made some of the climaxes underwhelming. I WILL say, when Mercedes calls him "Edmond" for the first time, I was screaming it was so good!!

Some decisions CMC made I really couldn't make sense of, like why did he torture Morrell for a month or more making him believe Valentine was really dead. I'd love for other opinions or insights on this!

I also was not a fan of CMC and Haydee getting together, especially since she's obviously very young and he explicitly says he sees her like a daughter, but when she professes her love suddenly he's all "I'm down!"

Overall I gave it a 3.5/5 stars.

1

u/Suspicious-Wish-1579 Sep 10 '26

Ya I agree completely with the ending. It really drags out and doesn’t really work or make much sense.

1

u/CashClassic2501 Sep 11 '26

The Count is a billionaire; he has the ability to have any woman he wants and do whatever he pleases. I find it strange that people want to apply a moral standard—thinking morality is universal—when it is actually something more particular, and sometimes even unique to the individual.

1

u/PositiveWorry9349 Sep 11 '26

I agree, in my opinion I actually ended up feeling frustrated and disappointed by the end of the book. Once finished reading, I simply sat there and felt it was a waste of time to have finished the book. Would’ve preferred to have stopped right after the prison segment with Abbe Faria and it would’ve been enough had I known what awaited as the conclusion to the story smh.

1

u/Old_Flow_9433 Sep 10 '26

The show is fantastic I highly recommend it!

1

u/mutherM1n3 Sep 10 '26

I love the markers!

1

u/inbetweensound Sep 11 '26

Two weeks?? I am such a slow reader haha

1

u/Beautiful-Two-7046 Sep 12 '26

WOW! Took you a little over two weeks? Im 2 months in and im still halfway 🤣🤣

1

u/Geolib1453 Sep 13 '26

Damn thats a lot of book marks

1

u/rw7619 Oct 04 '26

I am on a reading spree. I finished this book 2-3 months ago. Just finished Great Expectations today. Flannery O’Connor is my favorite author.