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!

Good luck @lifeturnsonadime , I'm sure you'll be great!

I also find myself getting confused about which character is which. It's tricky now that the three original villains all have wives and grown children. In the 'Robert le diable' chapter at the opera, it took me awhile to realise that 'Moncerf' is Albert, whereas the Comte de Moncerf, who makes a late entrance into the chapter, is Albert's father, aka Fernand.

Whom is Mme de Villefort so keen to poison, I wonder? And how does the Count know she wants to poison someone? That last question isn't really serious, because obviously the Count just knows everything, ha. (Haydee: look! That man betrayed my father! Count: Really? Why don't you tell me all about it.)

It clearly speaks well of Albert that he is so keen not to upset his mother. And it speaks well of his mother (Mercedes) that she can't stand the Danglars family.

That would be great thanks @AgualusasLover

I’m enjoying him knowing everything too cassandre. I love the count’s comment in Robert le Diable about sending regards to Countess G from her friend the Vampire - he even knows that she said that about him! And yes it was great when Albert said he’d rather upset his father than his mother (though we know there’s self interest in that too as he’s not too keen on his father’s choice).

I am about to catch up, but wanted to post next week’s chapters first. Looks like there are more characters coming.

This week should have included and ended with,

Rise and Fall

Next week’s chapters:

Monday
Major Cavalcanti
‘Neither the count not Bapistin had lied …’

Tuesday
Andrea Cavalcanti
‘The Count of Monte Christo went into the neighbouring room…’

Wednesday
The Alfalfa Field
‘Our readers must allow us to take them back …’

Thursday
Monsieur Noirtier de Villefort
‘Here is what has happened in the crown prosecutor’s house…’

Friday
The Will
‘As Barrois went out, Noirtier looked at Valentine…’

Saturday
The Telegraph
‘When M. and Mme de Villefort returned to their own apartment …’

Sunday – day of rest

This is Agualusa with my laptop account (don't ask)!

I have found a very helpful visual character map. In terms of spoliers it will show:

• who Villefort had his affair with
• aliases (is that a word) related to a character
• the death of someone and who is responsible
• also who are friends/allies and lovers

But the good news is, I can probably pull a list from it and delete the bits above, I think.

Not my best work.

I absolutely applaud your efforts here Captain

Thank you @AgualusasLover / @LeylaOfCircassia I’ve downloaded the character sheet.

The ‘free’ Sundays are turning out to be very helpful for catching up (she says, just starting Rise and Fall).

Thank you @AgualusasLover !

When there are no spoliers left I will post the diagram, because it really is very good with lots of arrows connecting people.

That’s really helpful @AgualusasLover / @LeylaOfCircassia , thanks very much! It was getting hard to keep track of the younger generation and who’s in love with whom!

Thank you @AgualusasLover , very useful!
Not to mention witty. Eg 'Edouard = PITA'. Agreed 😂

Thank you @AgualusasLover and @cassandre . I had also missed that the Comte de Moncerf was Fernand not Albert. Think I need to reread that bit of the chapter!

FFS I had been wondering who Moncerf was!

I half wish I'd made notes as I went - but then it becomes homework and I'd probably stop reading 😆

Today’s chapter was funny! Clearly a complete set-up organised by the Count - the other guy didn’t have a clue 😂 Is the son going to turn out to be Benedetto??

No clue what was going on in today's chapter!

It crossed my mind too that this lad could be Benedetto or is he just another good-looking boy with blond hair of similar age?

Shmoop:

Ch 54 A Flurry in Stocks

• Albert and Lucien Debray (Mrs. Danglars's lover) visit the Count's house.
• Albert is not too excited by the prospect of marrying Eugénie Danglars. He thinks she's too smart and not girly enough for him. Plus, his mom, Mercédès, doesn't want to be tied to the Danglars family, and Albert doesn't want to upset his mother in any way shape or form.
• Then the topic of conversation shifts to Lucien's lover (Mrs. Danglars) who likes to gamble with her husband's money by playing the stock market, as it were.
• Albert teases about this, but Lucien gets a little moody.
• The Count realizes that Lucien (a government official) gives Mrs. Danglars lots of important and confidential information about the stocks that he absolutely should not be giving to anyone.

Ch 55 Major Cavalcanti

• The Count continues to surprise us with the many tricks he's got up his sleeve.
• He meets with two random dudes and promises them beaucoup bucks if they pretend to be two different dudes.
• The Count wants one dude to pretend to be Bartolomeo Cavalcanti, a former Italian soldier who has been searching for his son who had been kidnapped fifteen years before.

Ahh...I didn't get that. I'll blame the fact I read it in French.

@FuzzyCaoraDhubh I'm reading in French too, and I would say that chapter isn't as clear cut as Shmoop would make out! Shmoop is being a bit spoilery again if you ask me, ha.

Thank you @cassandre I did wonder...
He sounded very doddery, but I didn't pick up on anything else I don't think.

I was confused by today’s chapter too and wondered if he was an imposter, but it wasn’t explicit I don’t think.

Having a shocker at work so have fallen a week behind so not reading the thread in case of spoilers. Managed three chapters yesterday so hopefully back on track soon. However, now find myself trying to recall who some of the more minor characters are - I could do with a Jilly Cooper style cast list! Hopefully back soon.

@TimeforaGandT ta da

I understood he was an imposter. "Cavilcanti" and "Andrea " discuss how much money they've been given.