Marvelous!

“The Count of Monte Cristo”, by Alexandre Dumas
5 stunning stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a treasure and what a pleasure!

It’s a masterpiece!

Such an ingenious piece of work and a terrific storytelling.

It’s probably the best story about vengeance I have ever read.

Although not completely believable, the story is so well constructed and skillfully delivered that that fact is easily forgiven.

The story takes place in France, Italy, and islands in the Mediterranean during the historical events of 1815–1839 (the era of the Bourbon Restoration through the reign of Louis-Philippe of France).

This was a re-read for me, but I’m quite sure that the edition I read in Portuguese was abridged. I was so enthralled by the story that I didn’t want to put it down.

You may not know, but this book published in a serialized manner between 1844 and 1846 (and as a full book in 1846) was inspired by a real-life case of wrongful imprisonment.

I wished I could read it in its original language, French.

I had 2 different editions and although both had practically the same number of pages, the translations were different, but without changing the context.

As an example, reading Penguin Classics, a sentence read like this:

“But Valentine, why despair, why always paint the future in such somber hues?”

and in the other edition it reads:

“But why, Valentine, do you persist in anticipating the worst,—why picture so gloomy a future?”

Another example (from the same chapter):

Penguin: “Don’t mention Marseille to me, Maximilien. The name alone recalls my dear mother, that angel, mourned by everyone, who watched over her daughter during her eternal sojourn in heaven. Oh, if my poor mother were alive, Maximilien, I should have nothing to fear. I should tell her that I love you and she would protect us.”

The other:

“Don’t speak of Marseilles, I beg of you, Maximilian; that one word brings back my mother to my recollection—my angel mother, who died too soon for myself and all who knew her; but who, after watching over her child during the brief period allotted to her in this world, now, I fondly hope, watches from her home in heaven. Oh, if my mother were still living, there would be nothing to fear, Maximilian, for I would tell her that I love you, and she would protect us.”

Although I enjoyed the modern translation by Robin Buss (Penguin Classics), I did feel that the second translation had more passion.

Paperback (Penguin Classics - translated to a modern English by Robin Buss): 1276 pages, 119 chapters

Ebook (Kindle Amazon Classics) - unabridged- published by Pandora’s Box: 1689 pages (default), 459k words (this edition is free of preface, appendixes or notes) - I think that this is a combination of translations by Robin Buss, Robin Anthony Herschel Waterfield, Pat Boyette & Pauline Francis - it’s a great choice (also available from Kobo and Apple iBooks, for free).

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