"The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexandre Dumas - Penguin Classics Edition

MG: I have enjoyed reading this book again after many years. Beautifully written and one of the best ripping yarns of all time. Once started you will not put it down unless stopped by sleep or work. Enjoy!

United Kingdom on Oct 10, 2023

Boy Val: I never thought a revenge story would be so engrossing. From the first chapter to the last, there's enough drama, intrigue and action in each page that I was always looking forward to continuing where I left off.
This is not just a "revenge story". The subplots are seamlessly interwoven and the character development is amazing. From Edmond Dantes,to his enemies, even a prick like Andrea, they're all interesting characters that I was always wondering what will happen to them as I was reading.
The only other books I've read with so many interesting characters and subplots are "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina", but minus Tolstoy's occasional preaching.
To those who are on the fence about reading this classic I say go for it. The 1079 pages are totally worth your time.
I haven't read any other translation than this unabridged Buss translation so I can't judge if this is the best one. The general consensus is however that this is the best translation. I can't also say how much you'll miss by reading the abridged edition. But why take an abridged version just for a few hundred pages less?

United States on Sep 04, 2023

david canford: Oh so long! Over a thousand pages. The first quarter was totally gripping but the rest of it failed to reach that standard for me. Still, it is an intriguing, if at times somewhat fanciful, plot and the historical background of early nineteenth century France is interesting. There is a huge cast of characters. I can see why it was a sensation when published being unlike anything of its time. At times the writing style is not great - pages and pages of just conversation. In short a good adventure yarn for its era and a theme of revenge not bringing satisfaction.

United Kingdom on Aug 31, 2023

Joann LeeJoann Lee: Took off a star because the paint seems to come off easily. I took off the price tag carefully but it still peeled one of the masks :(

United States on Aug 06, 2023

G Raines: This is an action packed tale of mystery and intrigue. Be sure to get a good
translation if you cannot read French. The length of this book is daunting, but the end is sweet. Dumas is a masterful writer.

United States on Jul 29, 2023

DJ: “I too have been carried up by Satan to the highest mountain on earth. Once there, he showed me the whole world and, as he did to Christ, said to me: ‘Now, Son of Man, what do you want if you are to worship me?’” (p477)

What a spectacular adventure story!

I thought I knew what to expect from this novel. I imagined I’d end up writing a somewhat banal review contrasting Monte Cristo (“wrongfully imprisoned protagonist becomes consumed by bitterness and the need for revenge”) and the nearly contemporaneous Les Misérables (“protagonist in comparable circumstances shows what redemption looks like”). I was wrong. I’m delighted to report that this rich, multi-layered novel upended my expectations.

This isn’t “Rambo” or “Kill Bill”. Instead, the Count is the nineteen century’s Raymond Reddington, protagonist of the TV series Blacklist. He’s infinitely powerful, obscenely rich, extraordinarily connected, all-knowing, mysterious, and intentional. He has a strong though quirky moral core combined with a delicious dash of ruthlessness, curious mannerisms, and uncomfortable predilections. He’s the ultimate puppet master. He’s always...

United States on Jul 14, 2023

David: came in perfect shape! 👍 good book too

Sweden on Jun 19, 2023

Elaine FogartyElaine Fogarty: Feel bad even giving a 4 - would say its more like a 4 and a half

There 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 stickers

Just 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...

United Kingdom on Jun 11, 2023

LA in Dallas: I'm going to cheat and review four books together: Le Comte de Monte-Cristo, Les trois mousquetaires, The Count of Monte Cristo, and The Three Musketeers. Of course, that is really just two books, since the latter two are English translations of the first two. I read these in High School, first in English translation, and they quickly became my very favorite novels. (The first time I read The Three Musketeers I had no idea of the correct pronunciation of d'Artagnan, and our hero's name was a major roadblock.) I of course read all the d’Artagnan Romances. They're full of action and adventure.

Later I read them in French, which astonishes me now. I took three years of high-school French. If you have ever read a book in a foreign language (by which I mean a language you first learned in school), you know that it is, at the start, a slow business. Les trois mousquetaires was a major project -- it took months. (I am retroactively impressed that at the age of fifteen I had the perseverance to stick to such a project.) But, if indeed you have read books in foreign languages, you know that this is exactly the kind of book to start with: something exciting and not too subtle, that...

United States on Aug 28, 2022

I: The paint slightly melt off if it gets warm + small amount of fuzz derives from the book's hardcover but otherwise it's great!

Germany on Mar 14, 2021