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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
OP posts:
Thread gallery
15
Buttalapasta · 17/03/2025 19:51

TonTonMacoute · 17/03/2025 18:17

He does, but how? I don't think we know.

Show quote history

I thought they had an open relationship.

Tarahumara · 17/03/2025 19:03

I think just by being more observant than Madame Danglars had given him credit for. His wording is: "I saw and I have always seen. In roughly the past sixteen years you may have hidden a thought from me, but never a step, an action or a sin." I guess he was keeping a close eye on her!

TonTonMacoute · 17/03/2025 18:17

Tarahumara · 17/03/2025 07:06

I notice that Madame Danglars promised Villefort that no one knew about their liaison. But that isn't true is it? Danglars did.

He does, but how? I don't think we know.

lifeturnsonadime · 17/03/2025 18:14

I loved today's chapter. Will Villefort rumble Edmond?

TonTonMacoute · 17/03/2025 15:32

The two of them also comment on how the count didn't eat any of the food at his sumptuous dinner. It reinforces the idea that he's not Edmond but a sort of not really human engine of revenge. Could he even be a ghost.

Scatterbugg · 17/03/2025 12:38

I've caught up again and got a bit ahead as it's got really good!
Thanks for the read along, it's made the experience so much less confusing.

I am still enjoying that a quick switch of outfit makes the Count totally unrecognisable to most people. Makes me laugh every time

CutFlowers · 17/03/2025 12:15

I like that Villefort is starting to get suspicious of the Count

FuzzyCaoraDhubh · 17/03/2025 08:58

Yes! He knows alright!

Tarahumara · 17/03/2025 07:06

I notice that Madame Danglars promised Villefort that no one knew about their liaison. But that isn't true is it? Danglars did.

DuPainDuVinDuFromage · 16/03/2025 23:45

Thanks for the reminder about Jacopo, I had completely forgotten him!

From Danglars’ conversation with his wife, it seems that he knew about her affair with Villefort, and the pregnancy too. I guess most people didn’t know? But how would she hide the pregnancy - by going off to Auteuil and hiding out there I suppose? And Villefort obviously covered up his involvement completely as he’s so good at doing. It’s all very melodramatic.

lifeturnsonadime · 16/03/2025 22:11

So today I've read 6 chapters because I was behind. Wow it's fast moving!

Sometimes I think it's hard to work out if it's something we should know or whether it is a new aspect of the plot.

Thanks @AgualusasLover for the list of chapters per week. I've recently taken on a new job so I'm finding it difficult to read a chapter per night. Having Sunday as a 'reset/ catch up' day is really helping me to keep track. I'm avoiding the thread until I'm up to date.

Original poster
AgualusasLover · 16/03/2025 21:45

I think people had a lot less to keep in their head - less information constantly, less choice of reading material. Even readers would only be reading one thing at a time so waiting and recalling, I suppose it might be read out and possibly multiple times until the next issue and maybe discussed when people went calling.

That is insane print.

OP posts:
FuzzyCaoraDhubh · 16/03/2025 21:02

Holy Moly! I can only make out the title. Did everyone have a magnifying glass in those days?!
That's amazing. Thanks for posting that @AwardGiselePelicotTheNobelPeacePrize

AwardGiselePelicotTheNobelPeacePrize · 16/03/2025 20:27

I wonder how people managed to keep track when it came out, with no internet. I must look up if it was serialised in the dailies or the weeklies.

Edit: this is what it looked like. Blimey imagine reading that by gaslight, you'd go blind!

Tarahumara · 16/03/2025 19:47

Thanks @AwardGiselePelicotTheNobelPeacePrize - I couldn't place Jacopo!

FuzzyCaoraDhubh · 16/03/2025 18:20

Jacopo! That's going back a while!
The things you're expected to keep in your head!
I'm glad it's picked up again.

Original poster
AgualusasLover · 16/03/2025 16:53

Well, it’s all coming together nicely.

The affair between Mme Danglars and Villefort was the final relationship to be revealed so I will try and upload the character spider diagram later as no more spoilers I don’t think.

Monday
The Crown Prosecutor’s Office
’Let us leave the banker’s horses trotting …’

Tuesday
A Summer Ball
’The same day, at about the time …’

Wednesday
Information
’M. De Villefort kept his word …’

Thursday
The Ball
‘The hottest days of July had come …’

Friday
Bread and Salt
‘Mme de Morcerf directed her companion under the arbour …’

Saturday
Madame de Saint-Meran
’A mournful scene had just taken place in …’

OP posts:
CornishLizard · 16/03/2025 16:41

thank you!

AwardGiselePelicotTheNobelPeacePrize · 16/03/2025 16:39

The sailor who picked him up when he escaped prison

CornishLizard · 16/03/2025 16:33

help! I need a previously please… who is Jacopo?

FuzzyCaoraDhubh · 15/03/2025 10:38

Yes. Approximately one hour after I had posted that, I realised it was coming from Debray. Slow on the uptake:)

TonTonMacoute · 15/03/2025 10:36

The dreams that the Baroness has about making money sound like a load of baloney. Does he really believe that?!

No! In his little evening chat with his wife it's perfectly clear he knows exactly what's going on and where her information is coming from. That's why he thinks Debray should pay him back for his losses.

He's not going to admit to Edmond that though, although of course he knows anyway.

FuzzyCaoraDhubh · 15/03/2025 09:17

There's lots going on at the moment!

I take it back about Danglars being oblivious to what is going on. He's very shrewd. The dreams that the Baroness has about making money sound like a load of baloney. Does he really believe that?!

The line that the Count came out with about how Danglars might like to marry Andrea himself for his wealth made me laugh. I thought Danglars was going to give the Count a slap when he called his fortune 'third class'.

JaninaDuszejko · 15/03/2025 06:57

Well this has been a very interesting week with all the revelations (handily showing that the people who did him wrong have continued to behave badly throughout their lives). I've been behind all week but am now fully up to date. Enjoying the reappearance of some of characters, hope we hear more about Jacopo. Edmond is clearly very loyal to those who are good to him.

CornishLizard · 14/03/2025 12:21

haha yes it wouldn’t have been so good for the book if he’d just lived happily ever after finding the treasure!

I don’t feel he’s entirely lost - he takes great joy in friendship with the Morrels and is building a relationship with Haydée - my favourite bits are where we see he can’t hide his emotion.