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!

Thank you AgualusasLover!
Looking forward to this!

Thank you - summary was very helpful

Hi all!

I have never joined a group like this before or done a read along. When I saw the size of the book I had to take a deep breath.

Breaking this size of book down to a chapter a day will be so helpful to me to complete a book of this size.

I have just finished the first chapter so ready for tomorrow. I doubt I'll post much but will follow the discussion on the thread.

Oh dear, Danglars certainly has it in for Dantes!

Thank you for hosting this thread @AgualusasLover . A read-along is really the only way I will be able to finish this mighty work.

When is the first "discussion day" please?

@EineReiseDurchDieZeit since we are reading each day, feel free to discuss as we go. Up to you how you want to manage - brain dump after a few chapters, smaller observations daily or anything in between.

The assumption being that once it hits midnight there may be spoilers for the days chapter as people read it.

Ok cool

Enjoyed the opening chapter, gives a real sense of Marseilles as a seaport and intrigue about the relationship between Dantès and Danglars.

What a great opening chapter! Really sets the scene.

It struck me that Dantes is so young to be seriously considered as captain of the ship. I can't picture many of the 18-20 year olds of my acquaintance in such a responsible position.

My ds who is nearly 19 woke up today after his NYE party and declared that he felt like 'a delicate flower' so...no, I don't think so :)

I think people grew up and were treated as adults at a much younger age historically. Dantes would probably have been working on boats for several years already.

Great opening chapter which really drew me in and left me wanting to know more about the characters and whether there was/wasn’t a letter.

I skipped the introduction as sometimes when I have read these in the past they have contained plot spoilers. Has anyone read the introduction who can report?

@FuzzyCaoraDhubh at the delicate flower

@TimeforaGandT I've avoided the introduction for the same reason.

He's writing off today @highlandcoo 🙄
Currently lying down in a dark room.

@highlandcoo and @TimeforaGandT the introduction is very spoilery so you were right to avoid it! I’ve read the book before so read the introduction this time - but I’ve realised I have no recollection of the characters or much of the storyline (it was decades ago that I read it!) so I have actually been somewhat spoilered by the introduction after all!

Nice first chapter, it’s got me interested and looking forward to reading tomorrow!

Well our Hogmanay visitors have just left and I've finally had a chance to read the first chapter. Love the high stakes start with mysterious parcel being delivered to Napoleon.

Just checking in and ready to read the first chapter. Thanks @AgualusasLover for posting the Shmoop summaries, which are highly entertaining at times

I skipped the introduction as sometimes when I have read these in the past they have contained plot spoilers. Has anyone read the introduction who can report?

I always read the Introduction afterwards, unless I have read the book before.

Thanks for running this Agualusa, looking forward to reading along with everyone. As everyone has said, chapter 1 is reassuringly intriguing and readable, and evokes the ship’s entry to Marseille beautifully.

I’ve got this Everyman edition - apparently a revision by Peter Washington of an anonymous 1846 translation. I’ve swerved the introduction for now too - on the one hand to avoid spoilers, on the other as being by Umberto Eco I fear if I start it with 0 knowledge I might finish it with negative understanding.

Is anyone going audiobook? I have a 3 months of audible offer so wondering about taking it up as having an audio option some days might be useful. I see there are a couple of options available, not sure which I’d pick?

I’m probably not best placed to comment on audio, but my very minor successes have been about the narrator, so maybe have a dabble with the samples and see if any click?

I've found 'The Count' on Spotify as well. I think it's useful to have an audiobook alongside a printed book. I liked my audiobook for 'Liaisons'. It was handy!

Chapter one was a good strong opening.

I looked up 'grognard' (trooper).
Apparently a 'grognard' was a soldier in the old guard for Napoleon 1. This was Morel's uncle with the strange name, Policar. I was curious because I know that 'grogner' is to growl or complain, but that's incidental.
Dh says that 'grognards' are old veterans in general as well.

I liked the inclusion of Napoleon in the story. He put in an appearance in 'War and Peace' which I thought was fascinating at the time I read it.

I enjoyed the opening chapter, like others have said there is some intrigue with the reason for Danglars's hatred and the dying Captain’s message. I'm grateful for the summary as I'd somehow totally missed that they were referring to Napoleon!

Just going to read the opening chapter now, before bed.

Would love to join in, never done a read along before and not read this book before either. I have read the first chapter twice and listened to the Spotify audiobook. I’ve not watched the film, so I have no inkling of the story outline at all.

I read the first chapter around six hours ago and have only just realised I thought it was Don Quixote that we were reading

I love the precision of the opening lines - that's a massive clue right there as Dumas does not waste his details. Trying not to be spoilery; this feels like the start of a banquet and we all get to tuck in.