Bienvenue à Paris - The Count of Monte Christo, thread 2

[LeylaOfCircassia]

Welcome back - we now find ourselves in Paris, where we have discovered:

• the Count has unlimited resources
• apparently unlimited patience
• is being rather harsh on Mercedes
• has unmasked adultery and a rather tragic act and reunited father, mother and son, but with an incestuous twist, everyone remains in innocent ignorance
• grandparents have died, there may have been foul play
• a couple of women don't want to marry a couple of men, who in turn, also don;t want to marry them

If you are new and joining us - God Speed.

Previous thread here

Next week, from 31st
Monday - Lemonade
Tuesday - The Accusation
Wednesday - The Retired Baker’s Room
Thursday - Breaking and Entering
Friday - The Hand of God
Saturday - Beauchamp
Sunday - rest

Is The Leopard the Italian one which was adapted into a movie with Burt Lancaster? Think I watched it donkeys ago and loved it

I am also up for Les Mis in January.

And quite fancy Kristen - at least trying the first book. Would a chapter every two days work? Also happy to try some of the other suggestions.

The Leopard is the Burt Lancaster movie

Let’s wait for a few more opinions, but Kristin appears popular.

I had never heard of it and I’ve never read anything Norwegian - Ibsen is the only Norwegian writer I can even think of.

Now that @JaninaDuszejko has broken it down it feels a bit more like the trilogy is a whole in comparison to the other things we’ve read.

I’d be keen on Kristin Lavransdatter too - I actually bought a copy a while ago after Janina’s recommendations on here.

I have rather raved about it, I hope you all enjoy it. I'm from the north of Scotland which was still part of Norway in the 14th century and culturally is still very close so I'm not sure if you will read it all the way I read it. Think one of the 50 bookers read the contemporary Charles Archer and J.S. Scott translation and didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the modern Tiina Nunnally translation.

Yeah, the second book follows on from the first book almost immediately, can't remember if there's much of a gap between the second and third books. But, like Elena Ferrante's Neopolitan Quartet, they were conceived as a trilogy and the three books were published in consecutive years.

@JaninaDuszejko Given your new detail about Scotland and Norway I think this could be a really interesting new read.

It does sound like there is a significant difference in translations, more so than many of our other reads, so perhaps best we try and read the same, but can iron out the details.

Do you fancy leading this one @JaninaDuszejko given you have some really good insight already? No pressure if not.

KL is on my TBR pile and would be more than happy to read it in the company of all of you!

Hurrah, I have belatedly finished and caught up on the thread. Thank you v much to @AgualusasLover for leading and everyone else for their insights and ensuring i kept going.

It was so different from my preconceptions - much less worthy and a real rollercoaster of a plot.

i agree that Mercedes was treated badly but was some of that self-inflicted? She could have taken some of their fortune so she was not destitute but seemed to want to punish herself (even though she did nothing wrong as she thought Edmond was dead).

I have no sympathy for Villefort as he was a sanctimonious murdering adulterous hypocrite. Very surprised Danglars got off so lightly.

I think the Count and Haydee would have been viewed very differently at the time but agree it's difficult to stomach now and I can see why adaptations have changed the ending.

Can't wait for the next readalong even though I have never heard of the Norwegian front runner!

I still have two hours left but have been on an exhausting work trip and keep just falling asleep and can’t seem to get through.

There has been no more discussion on the next book, so I propose that I start a sign up thread for Kristin Lavransdatter in the next couple of days and reading commences 1 July.

Thanks Agualusa, looking forward to it.

Hi Agua. I hhope you get some time to rest up soon (and finish the Count!).

I'm looking forward to starting the Lavransdattar in July. It will be something different! * *

So I'm really late finishing! But I got there, thanks for the read-a-long. I'd never have read it otherwise.

I don't know what I expected before i started. But it wasn't that.

Like others I wasn't desperately comfortable with the Haydee ending.

I've just ordered the book for July. I'm enjoying reading outside my comfort zone and reading everyone's reactions/ observations.

I have finished!!!!

I have to say those last few chapters were wonderful. I feel like in the end Danglars was the only real baddie and agree he got off rather lightly but I think the Count was ready to accept that he no longer needed absolute destruction.

I actually think it was quite realistic not to reconcile with Mercedes, too much water under the bridge, too much had happened, but I also don’t love the whole Haydee love story. Before I even consider the age and enslaved dynamic, she wasn’t really a big enough character, we didn’t see their relationship develop for it to be believable.

This was a reread for me, I absolutely loved it the first time and was less enamoured this time, though I still really enjoyed it.

For those who have enjoyed the mad, slightly crazy dering do of Dumas, might enjoy The Three Musketeers. Books one and two were page turners but the third book I’ve been reading forever and a day.

Hoping to get a hard copy of KL in a day or two.

thank you all for the company, insight and fun.

Well done @AgualusasLover . It was a great readalong. Thank you

Good to see you at the finish line Agua!
I agree with you on everything. It wasn't quite everything I was expecting which is good. I liked it a lot. I think the first part, his incarceration, was brilliant. I liked how he underwent a change towards the end. Sometimes he seemed a bit wooden to me. It was a very enjoyable readalong. Thanks again 🌺

I have no sympathy for Villefort as he was a sanctimonious murdering adulterous hypocrite. Very surprised Danglars got off so lightly

Its interesting because IMO Danglars was the one character who absolutely no redeeming features whatsoever. After the Villefort tragedy I thought that maybe it was meant to show that the Count's thirst for revenge had been quenched.

Re the Edmond/Haydee age gap, in fact the Valentine/Morel age gap is quite big too - she's 17 or 18 I think while he's 30. I guess it just wasn't such a big deal in those days.

My copy of Kristin has just arrived, I need to put it away somewhere so I don't get tempted...

Am I the last, limping over the finish line after everyone else has gone home! I lost my way a bit but have been lurking despite knowing I’d never catch up. I loved the last section as everything came together.

Glad you're over the finish line @Goodbyeimgoinghome 🌟
I agree that it was a satisfying conclusion.

@AgualusasLover May I join the KL thread when it gets going please? It’s been on my list for a while.

I went to a bookshop today and they did not have KL. Will try Foyles tomorrow and then start a thread.

I have ordered KL off Bookshop.org - they have a paperback with all three volumes for £20. Plus if you order this weekend they have a £250 prize draw.

@AgualusasLover
Here it is - weighs a ton! Just over 1100 pages all in.

It looks like such a nice copy. Foyles in Charing Cross Rd told me that Waterstones in Piccadilly are the only place in the whole of the West End/vicinity with it in stock - and they have FIVE copies.