Count if Monte Cristo

[clpsmum]

I've never read this and really want to. Had the idea to listen as an audio book but it's 52 bloody hours long. My question is, is it worth it? 52 hours is a big investment for me!!

I love this book, it’s probably in mu
top 3 and the only one of Dumas books
I like.

I absolutely love this book too and listened to the audio recently not having read it for ages. The audio is certainly very long! But worth it. If you’re finding it too long you could skip over the Italian bandit bits.

Thanks for the tip. I think I'll take the plunge

I love this book! It is a commitment, but it's worth it for me!

Ha this is making me laugh! I listened to a hugely abbreviated version of it (approx 4 hours) on a podcast a while ago, loved it, and thought I’d like to read it. I really wanted to buy a nice three volume set or something, like LOTR, but couldn’t find a good one - most places seemed to have a single massively thick unwieldy paperback. Then I found one option I thought would be ok but it turned out to be basically the same dimensions as a ream of A4 paper. Looked it up on audible and couldn’t face the 52 hours. So I gave up.

However, I’m just finishing the latest Outlander book on audible and that was 42 hours, and I think I’ve upped my tolerance for massively long audio books so I may give it a go soon. Would be great value…!

It's definitely value for money just do t know if I have 52 hours in me!

😂It’s a lot!!
I just went to look on Audible to see if there’s a slightly shorter abridged version - I normally wouldn’t, but it seemed like it was worth checking for 52 hours. Maybe something abridged to 30 hours? But no. Abridged versions are ~2 1/2 hours!! Is there no halfway? That’s not “abridged” - it’s a total retelling!

OTOH if you look at the next unabridged one down the list in audible, it’s a mere 46 h 56m. Narrator must talk faster!

My favourite book! Hope you enjoy it too and it’s time well spent 😊

I started reading this a few weeks ago and it's brilliant. A great story well told. I'm not daunted by the size of it at all. I was before I started

I'm going to give it a bash thanks everyone. I will update once I've finished but who knows when that will be!!

I found it a bit too long-winded towards the end. If I'm honest I prefer The Three Musketeers.

An hour a week for a year, maybe?

If you want to see a screen version, there’s a great French mini series from the 90s with Gerard Depardieu as Dantès. I know he’s problematic, but it was the era when he was in every historical movie, and he is brilliant in the role.

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone that encouraged me to read this. Best book ever!!!

Bloody loved that book...it's my second favourite book of all time! So glad you took the plunge.

I can't believe there are so many like me who love this book. Most people I mentioned it to looked sideways at me in puzzlement at my choice!

Oh and I just had a look at my Borrow Box and there is an audio version there read by Bill Homewood. Wait for it, 2 h 39m. That's very quick! I read the paper one while on hols around Aix and Marseilles. Special.

A magistral book. So nice to see so many people are enjoying it.

Stephen Fry did a modern update of this called The Stars Tennis Balls which I enjoyed (and I am not a SF fan at all). I found the translation of the original I ha wasn't great in places but the story itself is fantastic.

You obviously have very good taste @heymammy 🙂What is your 1st?

I have never even thought of reading this. Will add it to my list. I watched a TV series of it back in the day. I can’t remember if it was French.

The plot has been re-used several times, not just by Stephen Fry. Ben-Hur, and 'The Stars My Destination' by Alfred Bester, also borrowed the plot. I haven't actually read it, although I've got the Robin Buss translation, which is supposed to be very good.

What is your first?

It's brilliant and when googling found out the island is real as is the prison which is now a visitor centre so guess where was added to my bucket list lol

I'm now delighted it's so long tbh I don't want it to end!

It's amazing. I was full on sobbing at it today!!