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

[AgualusasLover]

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!

Same! I managed to stop myself after a couple of paragraphs 😄

I'm the same. I barely restrained myself from carrying on. I don't know much about this period of French history so that's keeping thinks exciting for me!

Louis is being depicted as an intellectual, with his reading of Horace and his use of Latin phrases. Is this to show us that he is less interested in politics, and that he relies on others to protect his position?

My kindle version has a footnote to suggest that, yes.

Will get the schmoop summary shortly.

Chapter 11
The Corsican Ogre

• As you might expect, the Minister of Police has some bad news: Napoleon landed in France two days earlier, and is most likely making his way toward Paris.
• Convinced that the threat is real, the king thanks Villefort, and asks him for more advice.
• Villefort tells him that they could raise support against Napoleon in Provence and Languedoc, but that in some areas the people will almost certainly join up with the former emperor.
• At this point the King is pretty mad at his Minister of Police. He can't believe that all of his government agents have been scooped by a deputy crown prosecutor.
• Villefort is careful not to overplay his hand, though: he's still scared that the conspiracy might be traced back to his father.
• Conveniently enough, Blacas brings up another matter with King, "the matter of the Rue Saint-Jacques!" Villefort nearly jumps out of his chair, but somehow manages to keep his cool.
• The death of a certain General Quesnel – who was seen visiting the Rue Saint-Jacques – seems to have been less than accidental. They've even got a description of a potential murder suspect – one that sounds surprisingly similar…to Villefort's father. (Are you really that surprised?)
• The king makes it very clear that the man in question must be found…and then turns to Villefort: You're staying with your dad, he says, right? (like it's the most natural thing in the world).
• Villefort tells him that he's staying in a hotel.
• The king gives Villefort the cross of the Legion of Honour – he unpins it from his own coat, no less – as a reward, then tells him that he's free to go back to Marseille.
• After getting to his hotel and settling down for dinner, when his valet comes in and tells him a visitor has arrived…a visitor who fits the description of the murder suspect.
• Sure enough, Villefort's father has come to pay him a visit.

I still can't get over the extent of Villefort's perfidy. The fact that he's the representative of the law and is willing to sacrifice an innocent man to preserve his own standing. It all seems to be working out really well for him so far!

And the portrait of the king is amusing. I would argue that the ability to cite Horace in Latin doesn't necessarily make one an intellectual though! In this context, it makes him look like a wanker 😂and someone out of touch with reality.

@MotherOfCatBoy thanks for mentioning the Plage des Catalans; I've actually been to that beach, but hadn't made the connection! Weirdly enough, I'm currently reading Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner, which was on last year's Booker Prize shortlist (or more accurately, rereading it for book group purposes) and part of that story is also set on the Plage des Catalans. It's depicted as a kind of working-class people's beach, with the police waiting around in vans ready to swoop down and manhandle people if any 'trouble' occurs. Anyway I'm enjoying the Marseilles setting in the Dumas novel.

@Orland0 thanks for explaining why Villefort tells the marquis to liquidate his government stock; I hadn't understood that at all.

I now have the Penguin Classics Robin Buss translation and it's loads better than the original one I had. It also matches my French text, which is nice. Speaking of the French, I keep forgetting that 'batiment' in this novel means ship instead of building, even though I encountered that word on page 1!

I am so glad I found this post. I started reading TCOMC as we had visited Marseille in September.
I am a bit further on but gave up as I was getting so confused with all the different characters.
i have read all your comments and will do so until you catch up to where I am and then I will continue with the book again
And thank you @AgualusasLover for the schmoop summary which really clarifies each chapter.
Photo from open top bus tour of the Chateau d’If

Welcome @Ginsmything !
What a brilliant photo! Thanks for sharing. Did you like Marseille?

I am definitely looking into a small overnight to Marseille for me.

Would recommend Marseille for a short break definitely. We stayed too long but it’s a beautiful place especially the port

After not finishing the chapter yesterday I've now caught up. How is Villefort's father known to the King and yet his description is only recognised by Villefort? And interesting that Villefort has not yet betrayed his father, is it out of filial love or is he covering his tracks so people can't work out why he put Dantes in prison?

I notice the next chapter is called 'Father and Son' just like the second chapter when we see Edmund and his father meet up for the first time in several months. Presumably tomorrow's chapter won't be quite as affectionate.

Villefort is shaping up as a really weasely player.

I did think it was odd when Louis asked him 'are you going to see your father now?' I assume he was still giving Noirtier the benefit of the doubt as to his loyalty.

That's a good observation about the chapter headings. A nice parallel between two sets of fathers and sons. Also the two betrothals.

I would put my money on the 'covering his tracks' theory. The description of M. Noirtier made me laugh. It could be nearly anyone! I thought the king seemed sharp enough when he questioned Villefort.

There's no hanging about in this book. I love how Villefort was planning to take the next coach out of Paris and then up pops Noirtier.

I have stuck with it but I'm not connecting properly with it as a tale as yet.

So is this king the brother of the king who was married to Marie Antoinette? If so no wonder he's a bit antsy about being usurped.

Villefort is a right little weasel, I don't think he's really built for intrigue and I reckon he's gonna have a stomach ulcer from the stress within ten chapters.

Also the fact that he turns bright red and then pale when he's shocked might go against him!

Yes, he is, but I had to look it all up on Wiki. Lots of background history!

@EineReiseDurchDieZeit maybe read a few ahead for a couple of days and see if it reels you in?

Chapter 12 - Father and Son

• Once the valet leaves, M. Noirtier locks all the doors in the room.
• Villefort asks his father if he knows anything about the Bonapartist club on the Rue Saint-Jacques; of course, he replies, I'm the vice president.
• Villefort and his father discuss the matter of General Quesnel, spending a lot of time discussing the nature of "murder" in general. Noirtier tells him that the General had been invited to the club under the assumption he was a Bonaparte sympathizer; still, he swore to keep the plan secret. He must, Noirtier continue, have taken a wrong turn somewhere and ended up in the Seine. He assures his son that there's nothing anyone can do to stop Napoleon, then turns to leave.
• Villefort stops him and tells him that the police have a description of the supposed murderer.
• With surprising quickness, Noirtier gives himself a shave and dresses himself in his son's clothing.
• Noirtier thanks Villefort for saving his life – he's serious – and promises to return the favor. He tells his son to give the king the straight dope on what's happening with Napoleon – in the end, his honesty will help him regain the monarchy's favor, should it be restored. He also assures him that he, Villefort, will get to keep his job in Marseille.
• And then he's gone.
• Villefort watches from the windows as he runs from the hotel, then gets to work disposing of his father's old clothing. Soon enough he's back in Marseille.

I did see Villefort in a slightly more sympathetic light today. He is still his father and whilst he is selfish and has condemned an innocent man, there does appear to be some depth of feeling between father and son.

These two are a lot more cordial towards each other than I had expected.

Before taking his leave of Villefort, Noirtier switches over to the 'vous' form.
I don't quite know why. He still calls him Gérard. He refers to the future. Maybe he's realising that they will always maintain opposing points of view.

The tu vous thing in this scene is interesting (tedium alert for the readers of the English version).

It changes throughout the conversatIon, the more formal the tone of the discussion vous is used, when he lapses into affectionate father it switches to tu.

His father is so supremely confident that Napoleon will prevail it must be putting Villefort in a bit of a bind. What if Napoleon discovers he has unjustly imprisoned one of his important messengers?

I also note that this point is exactly halfway through volume 1 of my kindle edition!

As I’m reading in English, interesting to read what I’m missing on tu/vous.

Great chapter today - veteran Noirtier is cool as a cucumber - shame about the murdering though.

I swapped to the Buss translation today. Interesting to hear the tu/vous observation.

I agree that the relationship between father and son was much more cordial than I expected. It's to Villefort's credit that he obviously loves his father, and isn't willing to betray him at least, no matter how many brownie points it would win him. I quite enjoyed Noirtier, he seemed to have a bit of a twinkle in his eye throughout, and to be enjoying himself immensely.