The Count of Monte Cristo

The Count of Monte Cristo is a tale about revenge - anyone who has seen the movie knows the outline: Edmond Dantes, a young and successful sailor about to marry the girl of his dreams, is sent to prison falsely accused of being a spy. Presumed dead by his family, he vows revenge against those who got rid of him for their own greed and desires. Left a treasure by the only true friend he found in prison, he escapes and becomes the Count of Monte Cristo. One by one, he takes down his enemies. Consumed by revenge he sees nothing - not even the innocent.

I really enjoyed reading The Count of Monte Cristo. It was a light and easy read and those who like adventure, mysterious strangers, and fabulous treasure will love this book. For history geeks, the story captures the essence of France and Italy in the early 1800s and has a lot of references to historical figures. Actually, the whole story is historically inspired with Edmond being sent to prison because it was believed he was a Bonapartist - a follower of Napoleon.

This is the second book I've read by Alexandre Dumas that has been turned into a film. Like The Three Musketeers, the film is not completely faithful to the story. For one thing (spoilers ahead), Edmond doesn't end up with Mercedes!! Yes, that was a shock to me too, but as I read the story, I realized that the author wouldn't have him wind up with an 'old lady' when there was someone young and beautiful under Edmond's protection. Another huge change was that the villain in the movie was a morph of two villains in the novel. Unlike in the movie, Alexandre Dumas shows Edmond's interest and love for his old benefactor and employer Morrel and his family. The Count views them as his own family and does everything for them, taking care of them in their time of need. All in all, although the movie is good, there are a lot of differences from the novel and trust me, reading the book will be fun and different from the experience of the movie.

The Three Musketeers

D'Artagnan, a young Gascon youth, sets out from his village with the hope of joining the regiment of the King's Musketeers. As soon as he arrives in Paris he gets into trouble, first entangling himself in one, then two and finally three duels, all in one day! And with men from the very regiment of Musketeers he had hoped to join! But his adventures don't stop there; before long, he becomes involved with the affairs of the Queen, Anne of Austria, herself and must enlist the help of his fellow Musketeers Athos, Porthos and Aramis. Together, the four friends journey through France escaping from the nets of the Cardinal and his dangerous spy, Milady, while all the time fighting duels at the slightest provocation.

I love the summary given at the back of the Wordsworth edition. It describes the book perfectly,

"One of the most celebrated and popular historical romances ever written. The Three Musketeers tells the story of the early adventures of the young Gascon gentleman. D'Artagnan, and his three friends from the regiment of the King's Musketeers - Athos, Porthos and Aramis.


Under the watchful eye of their patron M. de Treville, the four defend the honor of the regiment against the guards of the Cardinal Richelieu, and the honor of the queen against the machinations of the Cardinal himself as the power struggles of seventeenth-century France are vividly played out in the background.


But their most dangerous encounter is with the Cardinal's spy, Milady, one of literature's most memorable female villains, and Alexandre Dumas employs all his fast-paced narrative skills to bring this enthralling novel to a breathtakingly gripping and dramatic conclusion."

The characterization in this novel - especially of Milady and Athos - was so good that I actually wanted to meet the characters! The movie on The Three Musketeers does not do justice to either character. Milady reaches depths of evil and horror which aren't shown in the film. All we see is an ambitious young woman who despite what she does, loved someone once and wasn't truly evil. But in the novel, the description of Milady and the suppressed animal within, how she is able to ensnare anyone while putting on an act, her ability to sense every weakness in man - all are so wonderfully drawn. As for Athos, he is shown as the true nobleman that he is, and his quiet way of handling even the most alarming of situations makes him particularly attractive while at the same time remaining mysteriously charming. Though not the hero of the novel, he is the most important character and the leader of the Musketeers; Keith Wren, in his introduction to The Three Musketeers sums it up when he writes,

"For Dumas - and for us - it is the three musketeers - Athos, Porthos, Aramis - who represent the fantasy of eternal youth, a refusal to compromise with the greyness of the modern world, the glorification of the undying spirit of adventure."

I keep forgetting that The Three Musketeers is historical fiction. The Cardinal Richelieu, King Louis XIII and Queen Anne were actual historical figures, as was the Duke of Buckingham and his murderer, Felton. Alexandre Dumas has fashioned a unique story with these real live characters. It was rumored that the Duke was in love with the Queen of France (this is also mentioned in The King's General), and in this novel the flirtation was embellished, with Queen Anne and the Duke having many secret meetings. The various love triangles in this novel make for a lot of intrigues, a lot of duels, and most of all, a lot of jealousy!