Bienvenue à Paris - The Count of Monte Christo, thread 2

It’s been interesting to see how the revenge through relatives has been handled. It’s been very convenient that none of the younger generation have been at all put out by the breakup of their engagements.

Earlier I wasn’t at all sure what the CoMC thought of Albert and Franz - whether he hated them for their silver spoons - so it’s been nice this week to see his affection for Albert (even if he has disinherited him!).

I’ve caught up for this week, and looking forward we only have 2-3 weeks left.

I think the whole revenge aspect has been so interesting, because revenge could have been rocking up and burning their house down, shooting them, poisoning everyone - but to go via their loved ones is pretty ingenious. I am enjoying how it is all unravelling though and the Count is having to reconsider as we go along.

We will have to give some thought to what we might pick as our next readalong.

I suppose that it is inevitable that women in the literature of this period are all a bit wet, the ones who are interesting have to be bad.

I feel a bit sorry for Eugenie, because her father is awful and her mother doesn't seem to take much interest in her at all either, being wrapped up with playing the stock exchange with her young lover.

The count has so meticulously planned his revenge on the men who wronged him, he believes that god has spared him purely in order that he can take that revenge which sort of gives him a free hand in how to do it. It's interesting that he's beginning to see a few problems along the way, and that it's not all about him after all!

I think the book is famous for being the ultimate book about revenge, but maybe it will have a message about not getting too carried away by it.

Back again to say that I loved today’s chapter and the absolute badassery of Eugénie 😄

That's really funny about Cavalcanti @DuPainDuVinDuFromage 😅😅

It’s surprising that for once the Count wasn’t in control of the narrative - the Maximilien-Valentine love story has happened all by itself (which I prefer to it being set up by the Count!) and he’s definitely shown himself to be fallible as you say @FuzzyCaoraDhubh .

I’m about to start today’s chapter and was hoping that the Father and Daughter would be Villefort and Valentine (when is he going to find out his wife is the poisoner??) but it looks like we’re switching to Danglars and Eugenie (who I agree is a good character, and underused by Dumas - he seems very much of the view that she’s scary and weirdly masculine, as opposed to the positive impressions that I think we have of her. Incidentally, the fact that she’s in love with a woman is one of the very few things they kept in the new film - albeit they changed Louise d’Armilly’s name to something completely different, for no apparent reason!)

On an almost completely unrelated note, this week’s New Scientist has a lot of quotes (in an article on the 100th anniversary of quantum theory) from a scientist called Cavalcanti - made me smile as I haven’t come across that name elsewhere except in this book and they’re two very different worlds!

Eugénie isn't in the limelight very much in the book. There is a lot more focus on the men, I think. They are in the foreground.

Another great chapter today. It was interesting to see how the Count didn't factor in Morrel's love for Valentine. She was just going to be another casualty until she mattered to someone he liked.

That was a good line from Morrel, questioning whether the Count was a man, an angel or a god. I think this incident showed that the Count is not infallible and he can't programme his plan of revenge perfectly all the same.

Fair dues to those who guessed what Noirtier was doing to protect Valentine! Very astute of you!

Noirtier is a wily old dog who has guessed what's happening as is protecting himself and now Valentine as well.

Eugenie is a much more interesting character than drippy Valentine, but I'm not sure Dumas really likes her and approves of her.

I want to found a Eugenie Danglars appreciation society! I don't think she gets the attention she deserves.

Eugenie Danglars is a dark horse .. and a badass!

Crikey. What won't kill you will make you stronger kind of thing?! You're probably right!

It’s all getting very exciting - yesterday’s chapter was satisfying, and today’s makes me want to read on! I think Noirtier has persuaded Valentine to start taking a bit of his medicine every day, to protect her from Mme Villefort’s poison attempts, and I’m guessing it’s going to work, and she’ll survive due to having built up resistance (like Noirtier himself). It seems touch and go though!

I'm wondering why Valentine is taking medicine meant for Noirtier? She isn't feeling well, but this is making her worse. And she has increased the dose. It's a bit odd. No one is prompting her to do it, I don't think.

Is that the first time we have heard Eugénie Danglars say something? You can see how different she is to Valentine who is a quieter, more acquiescent girl.

Oh no, I don't like Wednesday's chapter. Poor Valentine.

I'd love to see him get back together with Mercedes. In the 2002 film they changed the plot so Albert was really Edmond's son (and Mercedes married Fernand because she was pregnant when Edmond was sentenced). But sadly I think it is wishful thinking.

All the outfits - he’s like Mr Benn! (70s child…)
It’s very farcical in places!
(Maybe this is where Allo Allo draw their cultural inspiration - It is I, LeClerc… )

Exciting chapter! Yes, will be interesting to see how it develops with Haydée - and if we’re carried along - at the moment I’m another one wishing he and Mercedes could get back together.

Exactly 😅

Perhaps it was unintentionally a bit funny when the Count put on his sailor's jacket and cap in a 'now do you recognise me?!' kind of way. He nearly scared him to death!

Edmond is a bit like one of those old music hall quick change artists at times!

It was very tense and very exciting. Fernand lost everything that mattered to him, his family and his reputation that was built on betrayal and deceit. Yes, we could see it coming, big spoiler alert! But it was a good chapter.

Perhaps it was unintentionally a bit funny when the Count put on his sailor's jacket and cap in a 'now do you recognise me?!' kind of way. He nearly scared him to death!

So, Haydée is spoken about equally as a daughter and as a mistress? We will see.

I heard while ago while listening to a podcast that the sale of this book increased ten fold in France following the release of the film last year, which is what you were saying TonTon, that it might encourage* *people to read the book if they enjoyed the film.

Two down two to go!

Saturday's chapter where the Count/Alfred duel situation is resolved was very tense. Feel a bit sorry that Mercedes feels her only future is as a nun, but I might be doing nunnage a disservice.

I didn't think it was too hard to guess whose suicide it would be in today's chapter, but it was exciting nonetheless.

Interesting that after the two Father and Son chapters at the beginning we now have a mother and son and a father and daughter.

**POSSIBLE SPOILERS: the chapter titles below seem a teeny bit spoilery to me, and sort of point to where the narrative might go. I think overall we find these useful, and I am sure we will continue to be surprised by the way things actually unfold, but I thought a disclaimer worth while so you can scroll quickly past, should you want to.

So, for those who are managing to contain themselves and keep pace (very difficult, given the last few chapters).

Monday
Mother and Son
’With a smile full of melancholy …’

Tuesday
Suicide
‘Meanwhile Monte Christo had also gone back into town…’

Wednesday
Valentine
’The reader will have guessed …’

Thursday
A Confession
’At the same moment, M. de Villefort …’

Friday
Father and Daughter
‘In the previous chapter we heard…’

Saturday
The Marriage Contract
’Three days after the episode that we have just described…’

I plan to watch every single version I can lay my hands on. I’ve even come across a Turkish mini series which will likely take 128, 2h episodes. To be honest, this is the stuff of 1970s Middle Eastern melodrama so I’m not at all surprised.

Most excited for a new French version though.

Back on track - both with the book and the new thread.

Lots of action. In the most recent chapters I was surprised that Mercedes seemed so willing for Edmond to sacrifice himself for Albert. Whilst I know she had a plan, Edmond didn't know that so she could have displayed a little more gratitude. The Count/Edmond's musings seem to suggest that there's still a lot to come.....

Interesting to have it confirmed the relationship with Haydee is strictly paternal as I had wondered...

Enjoying the translation and script discussions. Disappointed to hear that the film does not adhere to the book. Saw a T-shirt yesterday which said "The book was better" - feel like every 50 booker needs one!

It was released last year and I guess will be available from the usual sources.

This is the trailer for it