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

Good point Fuzzy about the Count stepping into the father role for Valentine. I agree that Villefort falls short on the family love side. Even in terms of his relationship with his own father, he has always seemed more motivated by a desire to preserve the family reputation than by any genuine affection.

Presumably he's not madly in love with his wife either, given that he had an affair with Mme Danglars.

DuPain I love the idea of the Count as a Slytherin, ha!

I liked the chapter when he visits Valentine (haven't caught up with today's chapter yet). Just imagine lying in bed and having the handsome, pale Count of Monte Cristo slowly enter your room via a sliding bookcase. Sadly the bookcase in my bedroom seems irrevocably fixed in place 😂

Lol @cassandre 😄😄

Actually I think I was getting a little carried away there 😂

I also forgot to say thanks to @MotherOfCatBoy and @JaninaDuszejko for the info about substack. That's very helpful. I think I will probably just stick to the MN read alongs for now, but I'll put substack read alongs on my mental list of things to do when I retire and have more time to read books! Unless I succumb to the temptation earlier.

Just imagine lying in bed and having the handsome, pale Count of Monte Cristo slowly enter your room via a sliding bookcase

Poor old Val, she's mortified at the idea that the count has been spying on her!

Pretty dramatic chapter but I think it's fair to assume that not all is as it seems!

I am up to date and sitting on my hands not to read ahead!

I'm starting to hope that as well as some justice for those who wronged Edmond we might get some happy endings for our friends? The Count certainly seems to be quite fond of Valentine even if it's just because he decided he would look out for Morrell.

I'll do another read along one day, but this has had me baffled so I often I think I will take a break!

Well, what a look of drama. The Count being all Friar Lawrence, let’s hope he has more success.

Next week:

Monday: Maximilien
’Villefort got up …’

Tuesday; The Signatures of Baron Danglars
‘The following day dawned sad …’

Wednesday: The Pere La Chaise Cemetery
’M. Boville had indeed crossed the route …’

Thursday: The Share-Out
’The first floor in the house on …’

Friday: The Lion’s Pit
’One sector of La Force …’

Saturday:The Judge
’It will be recalled that Abbé Busoni…’

9 chapters after this, making 24 May the end.

I expect we’d need a break to relax, read other things, watch adaptations before starting anything else.

Thanks Agua. This has been a brilliant readalong. I'll look forward to our next one after a break.

I feel very sorry for Noirtier in this episode. Poor man can hardly give expression to his grief.

I finished it today. Can’t wait for you all to catch up! Things to talk about!!

Agree that Villefort is an awful father. Only got to look at how he lets Mme indulge him to see that.

Valentine is different because of her mother's / maternal family influence.

I've really got enjoyed the last few chapters and have also had to resist reading on.

For a moment ('My father is not involved in this fearful plot...'...'No...' I was struck by Villefort's fundamental decency, then caught myself!

I'll second that @FuzzyCaoraDhubh . It's been a great way to spend time every day.

I'm looking forward to the next book. Has it been chosen yet? I hope to get both Spanish and English versions to improve my language skills. As soon as it's decided, please let me know so I can get both books in time. 💐

Will do, LuckyMauveReader!

I think we may tackle Les Mis next January, but we need to decide on another book before that.

Les Mis is a great film, so tackling the book, I hope, will be better. I had a look at the book in Waterstones and it's a doorstop. It will be a book I will look forward to reading.

Although I am slightly biased, what about Don Quixote? It sounds a little like The Count, as in it would be as adventurous but also humorous.

I went on to Substack to have a look at their read-alongs, but their page setups don't appeal to me. The chat/threads seem like they could get a little disjointed.

Is there anywhere else anyone can recommend for a parallel read-along?

I think it’s fine for our readalongs to stay here, they work quite well - this one has been going for a good while, as has the Really Dated one and of course Piggy’s Dickensalongs have been going since I can remember. Another platform opens us up to a wider range of people (for better or for worse).

I will collate all the suggestions once we’ve finished and we can muse on them a bit.

I have a feeling those of us who haven’t yet finished will be doing so at various points over the next two weeks, it’s quite hard not to read on.

@AgualusasLover agree it would be best for readalongs to stay here (and thank you for being our leader!) Although I have enjoyed others on Insta and Substack, there is a unique flavour to Mumsnet book chats and I wouldn’t want to change that! I know I can come here for feminism and snark and humour that I wouldn’t see elsewhere!

@LuckyMauveReader I fancy doing a read along to Don Quixotic, it's been sitting on my TBR shelf for a while. But I need a readalong break, I really enjoy them but it also complete interferes with my normal reading! So not Don Quixotic next 😂

I’ve finally caught up after lagging behind for a few weeks. I’ve got to say I’m really enjoying the book again after struggling in the middle quite a bit. I think I would have given up if it wasn’t for the thread!

This weeks chapters were particularly good. I haven’t quite worked out how the Count has managed to fashion a secret sliding bookcase hideout next to Valentine’s room without anyone noticing. 😂Also absolutely loving Eugenie’s character and story.

Registering interest for Les Mis next year.

I also love all the fantastical elements like buying the house next door and installing a secret bookcase. Or putting on a different hat and becoming unrecognisable. I hadn't expected the book to be so amusing.

I'd be keen on another read along. I did try Les Mis many years ago and gave up as it was heavy going. But with you all explaining it to me I may have more luck

I agree - the last few chapters have been great!

Yesterday's chapter when a distraught Maximilian bursts in on a grief stricken Villefort is actually quite funny.

Todays chapter also funny as you see the Count tie Danglars in knots. Danglars sees it too but can't do anything about it.

Yes, all that sneaking around and then « who cares! » although from Max’s pov also desperate times!

Agree Maximillian bursting in on Villefort was amusing, but only because we all know Valentine is just drugged by the Count; Romeo and Juliet anyone? Is Valentine going to run away with Maximillian and never contact her father again or will she let her father know she's alive do we think, Noirtier presumably knows? And where on earth was Mme Villefort while all the drama was going on, surprised she didn't disappear along with the servants?

Poor Morrel! The Count is really putting him through the wringer, poor man.
At least he gave Noirtier the nod and the wink that Valentine will be okay.

There is a lovely parallel with the Count saving Morrel on the ten year anniversary when he saved Morrel senior.

I'm looking forward to the Count achieving peak godliness when he brings Valentine back from the dead.

It is getting very stressful, it’s really not fair on Morrell! Surely Valentine can’t be left much longer?!?

There is a lovely parallel with the Count saving Morrel on the ten year anniversary when he saved Morrel senior.

That is true but was anyone else thinking FFS what is it with these fathers and sons wanting to die when things go wrong for them. We've had both Morrels, but also Albert (with his dual against the Count), and then Fernand actually killed himself.

Today we've left poor Valentine in her grave for another storyline. Dumas is really drawing it out for us now!