Bienvenue à Marseille | 2025 The Count of Monte Christo, read-a-long

Perhaps, because he was cowardly?
I thought she might not have had the strength to kill the man so got Caderousse to do it.

Incidentally, my understanding of that part of Bertuccio’s story is that Caderousse stood by without doing anything (as when Fernand and Danglars screwed Edmond over) while his wife stabbed the jeweller (who then shot her in self-defence). Is that right?

That's how I read it too. He then gets the heck out.

I felt his reluctance @LuckyMauveReader definitely.
I wondered if he followed her instructions.

@FuzzyCaoraDhubh I got the feeling that maybe Caderousse was against killing the jeweller. His wife seemed to be the manipulator, although I'm not saying Caderousse is by any means a good man.

I thought I knew what happened at the Inn, but now I'm not sure any more. I thought Caderousse's wife was urging Caderousse to kill the jeweler. I assumed he did and then shot her to be rid of her and run away with the haul. Am I completely wrong? I realise that we only have Bertuccio's account and he didn't see it.

I suppose a modern reading could be that Benedetto suffered brain damage during birth (or possible FAS during his pregnancy?) and suffered neglect during his time in the childrens home to such an extent that he was incapable of forming social bonds which is why he behaved so badly towards the only caregiver he ever knew.

Yes it was Bertuccio’s SIL I was referring to - must have got mixed up about which chapter it was in (I got a bit ahead and read several chapters in one go). Very horrible. I’m looking forward to Benedetto getting h what he deserves (although I have to say, I also feel a bit uncomfortable with the trope of a child that is born evil just because his dad is a self-interested, scheming shit).

We are around halfway through! Apart from getting mightily confused during the Rome bits and how everyone fits (massive thanks to this thread) I'm really enjoying it so much more than I expected.
Agree though the misogyny, racism and slavery is a difficult read. But I have to remember how old it is - not excusing it of course!

I thought the horrible event yesterday was what Benedetto did to Bertuccio’s SIL. Thought it was worse than the buried baby and the deaths today which we didn't get as much detail about, just saw the bodies. Although the shower of blood was pretty horrible imagery.

I think a lot can be attributed to the time it was written in, France hadn't abolished slavery yet at the time of writing and while there was soon to be universal male suffrage in 1848, women's suffrage didn't happen for another hundred years. And if we think about this being viewed as a YA novel then the graphic violence plays into this, teenagers love dystopic fiction where horrible things happen.

Warning - spoilers for today’s chapter (The Shower of Blood)!

Yes, after today’s chapter it’s increasingly clear that Edmond has been masterminding far more than we would have expected - we’re hearing Bertuccio’s story for the first time, but Edmond knew all about it and manoeuvred Bertuccio first into his employment, and eventually into the garden so that Bertuccio would be triggered to tell him everything (and probably to test his honesty).

And of course he has known what happened to Caderousse for years, after first meeting Bertuccio as Abbé Busoni - he gave Caderousse a chance to redeem himself when he gave him the diamond, and then got him sentenced to the galleys once he found out that Caderousse wasn’t going to change.

Incidentally, my understanding of that part of Bertuccio’s story is that Caderousse stood by without doing anything (as when Fernand and Danglars screwed Edmond over) while his wife stabbed the jeweller (who then shot her in self-defence). Is that right? The Shmoop summary says he actually killed the jeweller but I don’t think this is what we’re meant to take from the chapter? It’s a bit ambiguous so happy to be corrected!

Finally, I agree with @AgualusasLover on the horrible event in today’s chapter (I’m assuming that’s what you were referring to above). I don’t like the treatment of women in general in the book (and it can’t all be attributed to the time he was writing), and I really hate the orientalism. Other than that, I’m enjoying it!

Yes, that's right. That's what I meant :)

Surely Edmond is/was Abbé Bussoni!

No, that's unlikely even for him (!) But he seems to have had an influence where Bertuccio is concerned with this Abbé Bussoni character.

I’m also u intentionally a chapter ahead - it was another good one! I’ll sit tomorrow out and then I think I should be aligned with everyone.

Yes, the Count is definitely seeking people out but he couldn’t have engineered the historic links between Bertucci and Villefort and Caderousse….or did he???

Awfully coincidental, everyone popping up and crossing paths after twenty years! Although isn't this a feat of engineering on the count's part to a huge extent?

Thank goodness I am doing this as a read along as I had initially missed there being a significance to the house in Auteuil.

I have to say that it seems an awfully small world the way the same people keep crossing paths and cropping up - what are the chances of Bertuccio having a connection with both Villefort and Caderousse?

I have also completely lost track of which chapter I am meant to be on as I read The Vendetta yesterday but it looks as if that is today’s chapter?

Yes @lifeturnsonadime it was the same guy, Villefort, who was getting married on the same day as Edmond. Yes, his mistress was living in his father-in-law's house. Agree that this was a cool cheek.

I'm getting lost I think but was it Villefort who was getting betrothed the same day as Dantes? Do we know it was his mistress who was pregnant? I assume it must be or her wouldn't have tried to do away with the child?

I don't think we know who Villefort's mistress is or was...!

I was wondering the same thing about it really being Villefort. Also do we have any idea who the mother is? ( wasn't sure if I had missed a clue?)

I thought the house belonged to Villefort’s father in law. Takes some nerve to install your pregnant mistress in your FILs house.