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!

Chapter 2 : Father and Son
• Dantès bounds up the stairs and into his father's apartment.
• He's in the middle of telling him all the news – how the captain died, how he's going to be the new captain and make lots more money, how life's going to be a lot more comfortable from now on – when he notices that his dad is looking worn out.
• Dantès looks around, realizing only then that the apartment is bare – there's not even anything to eat or drink.
• Turns out dear old Dad used most of his 200 franc allowance from Edmond to pay back a debt to Caderousse, their neighbor; he's spent the last three months living on next to nothing.
• Dantès is heartbroken – he hates to see his father suffer, and he's in the middle of explaining this to his dad when who should appear but Caderousse.
• Caderousse and Dantès exchange some less than pleasant pleasantries; Caderousse is particularly excited when he sees some coins (a portion of Dantès' pay) dumped out on the table.
• Dantès reveals that Morrel has invited him to dinner. His father is disappointed to hear that Edmond has turned down the offer, but he understands better when he mentions a certain Mercédès. He sends his son off to see her.
• Before he can go, however, Caderousse warns Dantès that a girl like Mercédès will attract many followers; Dantès doesn't really pay attention to this.
• Outside the apartment, Caderousse meets up with Danglars and tells him what he's learned upstairs; he also tells him that he's seen Mercédès hanging around with one particularly big Catalan dude.
• Danglars thinks about this for a bit – no doubt rubbing his hands together and grinning menacingly – before suggesting that he and Caderousse go hang out at a tavern down by Mercédès' place, you know, to see how the big reunion goes.

https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/count-of-monte-cristo/chapter-2-summary.html

I am finding it quite easy reading. Certainly more than Dickens!

Right, well. I made a terrible start, by putting on the audiobook and then promptly dosing off on the sofa yesterday, woke up much further into the book than I should’ve been with no idea what was happening 😳 So, I’m starting over today: going for a walk to listen from the start!

Read this a couple of years back. Hoo boy you are in for a treat! It is a mega banger with a surprise lesbian lovers subplot.

Loving the fact that Dantès response for his seemingly ailing father was to perk him up with wine!

Im also finding it an easy read so far. Dumas manages to get quite a lot of info into a very few pages.

I think wine was a common remedy back in the day. I’m just reading Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park and when Fanny is feeling upset and tired Edmund gives her a glass of Madeira.

@AwardGiselePelicotTheNobelPeacePrize shhh, no spoilers. Got to agree though, we are in for a good time!!

In just a few pages I start to see Dantes as being diligent, fair, and loving with a keen sense of right and wrong. A perfect young man. I was beginning to think Dantes might be a beautiful and idealistic yet naive soul - up to the point that he fibs to Caderousse about the money which is on display as belonging to his father. After Dantes fibs I realise that he is not so naive at all and is really quite shrewd when it comes to character appraisal - perhaps? This white lie scene made me re-visit what Dantes had said earlier about whether or not the captain had given him a letter. I hadn't realised how well crafted a response it had been.

Love the fact that Danglars and Caderousse's idea of a good time is to sit and have a drink while waiting to see Edmond have a falling out with his girlfriend.

@TonTonMacoute I think that seems perfectly reasonable. They are such textbook baddies aren't they!

Forgot to say yesterday that I liked the mention of the isle of Monte Cristo in the first chapter. Little hint of what is to come.

In my edition it says that Dantès father says “There is no wine left.”

”What! No wine!” Dantes said, paling in turn as he looked from the old man’s sunken and livid cheeks to the empty cupboard. “What! You have no wine left?”

I love the total horror because of the lack of wine.

I’m intrigued by the enmity Dantes is generating for apparently not
much - being arrogant (Caderousse) and being promoted ahead of him (Danglars).

Would Danglars have been in a position to be captain though, if his current job is in charge of cargo rather than actual sailing?

IIRC there are a couple of versions floating around depending if the translation was done from the serial publication in the press or from the final published book version. That would account for minor differences.

I love the total horror because of the lack of wine. 😀

But he goes straight on to say 'Have you been short of money?' (I'm reading it in French where he says Auriez-vous manqué d’argent, so I'm guessing the translation.) I think he's more worried that papa has been taken advantage of (by Caderousse?) although lack of wine is not to be taken lightly of course!

Im looking forward to the back story behind Danglars hatred, is it just jealousy or something more.

There’s a lot of « but I’m almost Captain » and « she’s nearly my wife » - Dantès is counting a lot of chickens. I like him, he’s The Hero, but I wonder if this habit rubs people up the wrong way?

Danglers and Caderousse appear to be hateful enough to sabotage every aspect of Dantes's life. My thought is that if they were interfering with his promotion and his girlfriend, could they also jeopardize his pay?

Dantes has generously handed over what little money he had to his father and promised further funds. If that happens both Dante and his father will be affected.

I am relieved at how readable this is so far!

Dantes seems like a caring son and a diligent employee but certainly has enemies in Danglars and Caderousse. As mentioned, he is a little arrogant (or maybe more than a little) but perhaps there’s also some envy.

I fear that Mercedes may be going to disappoint him!

Well Mercedes is his fiancée so I don't think it's too unreasonable of him to assume she's going to be his wife!

I agree that it's readable so far, and Dumas sure packs a lot of info into a few pages. I wonder if Mercedes is officially his fiancée or if there is a less formal understanding between them?

Les Catalans

• Over in the area of Marseille known as Les Catalans – which, oddly enough, is where a lot of people of Catalonian/Spanish descent live – inside a modest little shack, an uncomfortable scene is unfolding.
• A beautiful, dark-haired girl is arguing with a big, swarthy man. He wants her to marry him; she just wants to be friends. In any case, Fernand has to ship out to war soon. The girl is named Mercédès. The dude is named Fernand.
• Mercédès is waiting for her true love, Edmond, to show up, and no matter how much Fernand tries to convince her that Edmond is not, in fact, coming, she won't budge.
• Edmond shows up right on cue. He and Mercédès embrace. Fernand looks totally pale and angry.
• Mercédès tries to explain that Fernand is like a brother to her, but Edmond isn't having it. He knows that Fernand is jealous and angry and a potential rival.
• The two dudes shake hands…then Fernand runs from the house like a madman, screaming.
• On his way out he runs past Caderousse and Danglars, who invite him to have a drink.
• Caderousse and Danglars tease Fernand mercilessly, nearly driving him mad for the second time. He gets especially angry when Edmond and Mercédès walk by the table acting all lovey-dovey.
• Edmond lets them know that the wedding will be taking place in a day or two, and that, immediately afterwards, he'll be making a trip to Paris on behalf of the dead captain.

I was glad that Mercedes seems as committed to Dantes. What a relief. He is a big of a pain 18 year old though isn’t he 😂. I’m not clear why Danglars and Caderouse have it in for him to the point that they are following him about. Danglars cannot be a captain anyway and doesn’t seem to want to be and Caderousse … is he just annoyed Dantes is at the beginning of his life. Fernand is the only one I can see has a real grievance.

Les Catalans (as many of the places in the book) is real place - the Wikipedia page has two references and one of them is Dumas’ description in The Count!!! Not what I would call empirical evidence with only one other citation.

Marseille is definitely being added to my literary tours list.

I think the engagement is informal, since she is an orphan - however, it seems to be common knowledge and they are planning a wedding day after next, so seems it’s happening.

The Bad Guys are circling the Hero...

I wonder if Caderousse has it in for him due to past debts and now jealously over the girl and good fortune?

Dante is off to Paris to deliver the letter. I wonder what is in it? Danglers has other ideas. What mischief will he create for Dante?

@AgualusasLover I had hoped Mercedes would be there for him too. That made me smile.

I can't wait for the next chapter. To be honest I'm doing everything I can not to read further. For now, I'm resisting.

I'm enjoying this very much.
The first half of chapter three reads like a play with Dantès entering on cue as if from the wings.

Interesting to see the use of 'tu' and 'vous'. 'Vous' between Mercédès and Fernand. 'Tu' between Mercédès and Dantès. 'Vous' between Fernand and the evil duo. 'Tu' between the evil duo and Fernand. Fernand the Catalan doesn't seem to have social status for the 'vous' form.

@FuzzyCaoraDhubh interesting. Maybe it’s because Caderousse is older than Fernand? Danglars isn’t though, they seem about the same age. As you say, could be because Danglars has a professional role?

I think the Catalans as an insular, migrant group plus status afforded by roles, Catalans mostly fisherman I think are referred to as below by the ‘natives’. They have been described as dark, and they were referred to at the beginning of the chapter as ‘gypsies of the sea’.

So, imo, definitely some status/snobbery going on. Whilst we don’t have the obvious distinction for those reading in English, I do think it comes through some what in the manner in which the other two engage with Fernand, they are condescending and seeking to wind him up.