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!

That's an interesting point @TonTonMacoute Maybe!

I have to admit I struggled with that chapter, very glad of summary!

Same Eine, I'm ashamed to admit I skim read parts of it 🙈

That was a weird one, I definitely did not have "Edmond gets off his tits in a cave palace with a random French dude" on my Cristo bingo card. I too thought 'Sinbad' was fibbing about waiting until the tongue was cut out, maybe to increase his reputation and mystique.

Good theory about Edmond fibbing to impress his visitor. I hope that's the case as I want him to remain the good guy!

I don't understand why we've had another time jump??

I know Eine. Does that mean the vengeances have happened and we'll hear about them as past events?

Yes that was a really odd chapter! Thanks cassandre for the tip about Albert being Mercedes and Fernando’s son, I’d have missed that. And I wouldn’t have clocked the time lapse either - revenge really is going to be served cold. looks like there are some really loooong chapters coming up.

I don’t get the time jump either! So now it’s 24 years after his arrest! That would make them all early 40s. I don’t remember that extra decade in any of the film versions, I think they simplify a lot. My DH read the book last summer, he says stick with it, it’ll all come clear.
(I am sad though partly because if there was any chance of reuniting with Mercedes, he’s now left her to Fernand for another 10 years??? Does he still love her or has he written her off with the others?)

I only realised it jumped ten years because shmoop said so!

First impressions of Albert are not good!
He sounds like an entitled brat.

Chapter 32 Summary

The Waking

• The morning after Franz's drug trip, he tries to find his way back to Sinbad's house, which is hidden in the rocks and caves of the island, but no cigar. Weird.
• So, he continues his journey to Rome where he meets up with his BFF Viscount Albert de Morcerf.
• The friends want to party like rockstars during Rome's upcoming Carnival, which is a crazy citywide festival. However, they are a little late in planning for the event, and there aren't any available coaches to rent. And everyone knows a coach is essential for Carnival time, right?

If the next few chapters are quite long, does it make sense to allow a few days or so to read a couple? I’m easy and happy to do whatever pleases everyone else.

Two days over a chapter perhaps if it looks very long?
I found chapter 31 much longer than the others. I nearly fell into a trance myself!

Yes chapter 31 took ages, and I was trying to concentrate while surrounded by family trying to talk to me and the telly on - not ideal, and the weirdness of the chapter made it worse 😂

Albert is Danglars’ son right? The Vicomte de Moncerf, and Danglars is the Comte de Moncerf.

That's right DuPain.

Albert is Mercedes’ and Fernand’s son.

I’ve looked at the length of chapters 33 & 34 on Audible - they’re both over an hour long (!). How does everyone feel about starting 33 tomorrow, having 2 days for it, then starting 34 on Tues? Then we can see where we’re all up to on Weds, and if we need a couple of days to get caught up or whatever?

We don’t all need to be on exactly the same page or anything daft like that, but I think it’s probably better for discussion if we’re at roughly the same part of the book. And I’m conscious that I don’t want to dominate the thread completely - so, opinions please? 😳

@Orland0 I think it’s Franz that’s the son of Mercedes and Fernand?

I agree it would be good to have several days to read each of the long chapters!

Oh shoot! I'm completely mixed up. I was confusing Danglars and Fernand!
Now I don't know anymore who Albert is.

I remember that during the War and Peace readalong we had days off for some reason.

Personally I’d be very happy to take longer over the next couple of chapters, can see myself getting behind otherwise especially as it feels almost like we’re getting into the book all over again.

From google: " Franz, or Baron Franz d'Epinay, is a friend of Mercedes and Fernand Mondego's son, Albert de Morcerf."

I also like the idea of slowing down to read the longer chapters. I've read tomorrow's chapter but it took me ages!

Albert is definitely Fernand and Mercedes's son - and obviously takes after his father as a bit of an ass.

There are still two other bad guys, and all we know from Caderousse's update was that Danglars was now Baron Danglars and Villefort married his fiancée (can't remember her name). I don't know if Franz is the offspring of one of them. I suspect not as he seems quite a sympathetic character.

Okay, good! I'm back on track. So yes, Albert is a bit of an ass and takes after his father.

Tomorrow's chapter is 89 pages on Kindle 😯

Kill me now