“The story of Edmund Dantes, self-styled Count of Monte Cristo, is told with consummate skill.”

 

NO MAJOR SPOILERS

The Count of Monte Cristo is an intriguing historical narrative set in France in the first half of the nineteenth century. A tale of murder, love, intrigue and politics, it follows the life of a young sailor, Edmond Dante, as he’s imprisoned on the eve of his wedding for a crime which he did not commit before escaping, becoming rich and returning to exact revenge upon those who caused his imprisonment.

Filled with mayhem, ethical dilemmas, and dark motives, it’s a fascinating foray into post-Napoleonic France that is sure to leave you guessing as to everyone’s true motives as through the course of Dante’s plotting families are torn apart, lovers meet in secret, dark pasts and terrible truths are revealed and one by one the bodies begin piling up.

The intrigue and conspiracies in this book span generations and several countries and affect people from all walks of life, from a lowly sailor to the French nobility and even the king himself.

Many books will never make it to “classic” status but those that do are labelled as such for good reason. The Count of Monte Cristo is undoubtedly most deserving of that title.

 

Reviewed by:

Nathan House

Added 4th May 2015