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

984 replies

AgualusasLover · 15/11/2024 13:18

Following the success of the continuing Dickensalongs, Fallen Women and various other classics, please join The Count of Monte Christo read-a-long, kicking off on 1 January 2025.

The ultimate tale of revenge, with swashbuckling, chicanery and bare faced lies - The Count of Monte Christo has it all.

Editions: most important point is an unabridged version, coming in at just over 1,200 pages. This thread discusses the various translations – the Penguin Classics, trans by Robin Buss is very popular and the one I am reading but what you have already is likely fine and the nuances of translation are always fun to discuss.

What’s the best translation of The Count of Monte Cristo? • We Love Translations

I’ve been thinking about the best way to read-a-long. There have been red-alongs by the day, in chunks and every which way.

I think we have two options:

There are 118 chapter and my proposal is we do one a day, starting on 1 January, 2025. (W&P and all the Fallen Women books worked well this way)

We could also convene weekly e.g. no spoilers until Sunday and read it as it was released, in 18 parts c.65 pages per week. (I remember The Woman in White worked well this way and so do the Dickensalongs)

For now, I have assumed a chapter a day as it has served us well so far, if the majority strongly object, I have put placeholders in my copy breaking it down and can update in readiness for January.

Schmoop very handily has chapter by chapter breakdowns. Here is the Intro https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/count-of-monte-cristo/

MN meet up in Marseille 2025!

Bienvenue à Marseille | 2025 The Count of Monte Christo, read-a-long
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lifeturnsonadime · 03/02/2025 21:54

I've read the first of the 2 chapters in one go in the end as I got into it, happy to have a few extra days for the next one!

MotherOfCatBoy · 03/02/2025 21:17

(I mean even better in the same way as, here comes another Tolstoy history lecture in W&P… Hmm)

MotherOfCatBoy · 03/02/2025 21:16

Even better, my French edition has extra footnotes that have variations of the text when it was drafted - several pages long - haven’t tackled them yet. (Written in the first person from Franz’ point of view, I think.) Does yours, @TonTonMacoute ?

TonTonMacoute · 03/02/2025 12:45

according to my French edition on kindle the start of La Mazzolata, chapter 35, is 75% of the way through volume 2!

CornishLizard · 03/02/2025 07:26

That’s grim Janina - can see why the various editions all seem to agree to keep that in Italian!

I think we’re saying the 2 long chapters (so 3 in some editions) to take us to the beginning of Mazzolata for the weekend?

JaninaDuszejko · 03/02/2025 06:36

So are we reading to the end of the Robin Buss Chapter 34 Apparition ending with 'Monte Cristo' or to the end of Chapter 35 'La Mazzolata'.

Shmoop calls their chapter 35 'La Mazzolata' but that's equivalent to chapter 34 in Robin Buss. I didn't know what mazzolata meant so looked it up. According to Wikipedia it's an Italian term that refers to a method of capital punishment involving the use of a mace, mallet, or club-like weapon to inflict head trauma. Lovely.

FuzzyCaoraDhubh · 02/02/2025 20:57

Gosh! Thanks @cassandre sorry Shmoop 😄 I'm very quick to judge!
Yes. I have the same as you described.

cassandre · 02/02/2025 20:52

Sorry I crossposted with you @Orland0 ! 😂

cassandre · 02/02/2025 20:51

That's interesting, @CornishLizard , because I just noticed that my print edition has just gone out of sync with Shmoop. Shmoop divides the 'Roman Bandits' chapter (Ch 33 in my edition and mega-long) into two chapters, 33 and 34. That's why you thought Shmoop was taking shortcuts on Ch 33, @FuzzyCaoraDhubh ! Though in fact Shmoop still leaves a lot out (eg the horrific story of the bandit Carlini and his girlfriend).

I wonder if this is another discrepancy stemming from the fact that the novel was published in slightly different versions at different times.

Ch 34 in my edition is called 'Apparition' and ends with the words 'Monte Cristo', if that helps.

Orland0 · 02/02/2025 20:48

I dozed off about 10 minutes into ‘Roman Bandits’ this morning, while the hotel owner was waffling on about… something or other.

I’m pretty sure Shmoop has split into 2 chapters what my audio version has as one long one, so there may be other variations between texts here. I’m a bit disappointed that Edmond seems to have spent 10 years neglecting revenge, swanning about building palaces and getting high. What happened to all that ‘God of Vengeance’ stuff?! Presumably playing the long game 🤔

I’m happy with a week on the 2 chapters, as I think it’s going to require me girding my loins to get my focus into this new section of the book, and work will be full on too.

CornishLizard · 02/02/2025 19:31

Thanks that sounds good. I’ve just realised that my audio and print get out of step here (I’ve been doing well at following it by audio until this point but now need to revert to the text for a bit)! So my audio has one chapter ‘Roman Bandits’ that the print divides into 2 (‘Roman Bandits’ and ‘Vampa’). So the next chapter ‘The Colosseum’ is numbered 34 in one and 35 in the other! So are we aiming to get to the end of ‘Colosseum’ for the weekend?

FuzzyCaoraDhubh · 02/02/2025 19:15

That's fine 👍

Original poster
AgualusasLover · 02/02/2025 19:01

So chapters 34-35 inclusive

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Original poster
AgualusasLover · 02/02/2025 18:59

Shall we say reconvene at the weekend then?

Posts restricted to clarification points but with all of us aware that whilst we will all try not spoiler a question or an answer might inadvertently be a spoiler (would expect only tiny given how much we have left to go)?

From Saturday morning, free for all and we can look ahead and see how we feel about the next lot.

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TonTonMacoute · 02/02/2025 17:10

FuzzyCaoraDhubh · 02/02/2025 13:30

Yes, MonOncle. He got lucky. Right place at the right time perhaps?

He was a player. Just before Waterloo he deserted Napoleon to go over to the English, but in a way that he could still go back if Napoleon won.

I admit, it never felt like he would be capable of all this manoeuvring when we first meet him - although he was very happy to dob in Edmond, it wasn't that sophisticated.

I am very much enjoying these chapters but I had expected a bit more actual revenging.

FuzzyCaoraDhubh · 02/02/2025 13:30

Yes, MonOncle. He got lucky. Right place at the right time perhaps?

MonOncle · 02/02/2025 13:10

In terms of pacing, also happy to go with the flow.

MonOncle · 02/02/2025 13:10

Hello, I fell behind so have just caught up. Definitely found the last few chapters quite the departure (and a bit of a slog at times). I wouldn’t have picked up on who the characters are if not for this thread so thank you all!

It seems crazy to me how Fernand has risen so far, given the impression he gave at the beginning of the book.

Sadik · 02/02/2025 12:54

I've got a lot on this week, so very happy to have a bit longer

Sadik · 02/02/2025 12:54

I've got a lot on this week, so very happy to have a bit longer

EineReiseDurchDieZeit · 02/02/2025 12:05

I'm going to need the week to do these two chapters I think

FuzzyCaoraDhubh · 02/02/2025 11:46

I don't mind taking the week. We have covered a lot of ground in the book already. Happy to go with the flow.

Original poster
AgualusasLover · 02/02/2025 11:05

If we have two particularly long chapters coming up, we could take the week? But I am behind so will go with whatever is decided.

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FuzzyCaoraDhubh · 02/02/2025 11:04

I also enjoyed the article that cassandre posted. Fascinating.

FuzzyCaoraDhubh · 02/02/2025 10:39

I think Shmoop is taking short cuts again!
That was okay. A bit meandering and long-winded. Was the point of the chapter to infuse the story with local flavour, I wonder. Or is Luigi Vampa going to make an appearance?

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