The Count of Monte Cristo (Penguin Classics)

The Count Of Monte Cristo was the first book I picked up in many years in order to make a return to my love of reading and wow did it not disappoint. In a story you are always looking for great characters, a story that makes you want to read more and more with each passing page, and you want to feel emotion. Well this book gave me everything. I was shouting at the pages in anger, laughing, crying, every emotion you can think of.I was surprised that it wasn’t really just the one story but actually many stories that bring together one overall tale. Each character has a story that we learn as things move along and a lot of the characters are associated with each other in some way.People talk about big books being scary and at one point I agreed with that feeling however if you want to give one a try then I would certainly recommend this one as a starting point. If however you love big books and haven’t read this one yet I can only shout ‘why not, are you mad’ and suggest you click the image link above and order your copy today.5 stars just isn’t enough.

Feel bad even giving a 4 - would say its more like a 4 and a halfThere is a huge following out there for Penguin 'Cloth-Bound Classics'. Like many other people, I absolutley love the collection. Its beautiful and for non-English titles the translations are usually good.But, if this is your first time purchasing a Cloth-Bound Classic there is something you need to be aware of so you wont be disappointed.When you peel the barcode label off the back cover it can often remove some of the surface print and depending on the colour palette, can also leave a noticable rectangular mark.Also you will need to make sure your hands are DRY when reading, or again the surface print may either flake or come off.Personally I don't see this as a fault or flaw -its just the natural state of the materials used to make these lovely cloth-bound books combining with an understandable need to manage inventory and dispactch logistics with low-tac stickersJust wanted to provide the info so anyone new to this collection can make an informed purchase.Enjoy your Cloth-Bound Classics, once you buy one, you will want to build your collection :)On this title specifically........................................................Can't recommend The Count of Monte Cristo enough!!And this is a comfortable read translation-wise.Its an epic tale that will draw you in and keep you turning pages...As it was orininally circulated in serialised form, the plot layers and characters develop at a pace that will keep you engaged and excited to keep turning pages.Don't let the number of pages put you off -This is one brick of a book that is definitely worth time investedWhether you choose to approach this in one long cover to cover unbroken read, or pace yourself over some months by using it as a companion to your other core reading, I'm sure you will enjoy it :)

Firstly, a quick note on this edition: having started an old, archaic and atrocious translation to begin with, I can heartily recommend the crystal prose of Robin Buss's translation for Penguin Classics... The difference was startling, and it made it an absolute joy to read where it could so easily have become a chore!Now, this is going to be a tricky one to review. What to say about a book so well loved, so widely read, so generally revered? Well, let's start with the basics, the bits most people already know. The novel opens with young Edmond Dantes, on the verge of becoming captain of his merchant ship and husband of the beautiful Mercedes, being betrayed by his jealous friends and thrown into jail for his alleged support of Napoleon. During his fourteen years in the terrifying Chateau d'If, he meets a 'mad' old abbe, who introduces him to the world of learning and tells him about a secret treasure that he wishes Edmond to have should he ever escape. Well, escape he does, and is reborn as the Count of Monte Cristo, using his incredible wealth, power and intelligence to bring justice down on the heads of the three men who condemned him to the dungeons.This book is so many things: it is epic, complex and exciting; it is heartbreaking, sorrowful and romantic. It touches on the heights of emotion, society and the human condition, as well as the depths of despair, corruption and depravity. I found myself speeding along in breathless excitement as Edmond's true identity was revealed to each of his tormentors, and felt the full horror of the tangled webs he wove to destroy them one by one. It made me ponder the relationship between wealth and power, between knowledge and power, and the way that faith can save someone's life but also, if they don't take care, lead them down a path swathed in darkness. The Count's lesson for jealous Danglars, for example, was deeply satisfying - whereas his quiet destruction of Villefort's entire family was devastating to read. Of course, all this is terribly unlikely and deeply dramatic, but that is part of its charm - this is escapism at its finest!Quite simply, this is a masterful novel that drew me in gently then refused to let me go. The characters are wonderfully drawn - I even got a bit of a crush on Dantes, fallen angel that he is - and the story seeps forward deliciously, bringing everything slowly into focus as the scattered elements of the Count's plans draw together. This is definitely going to be one of my top reads of the year and one of my favourite books ever! Read it!