Book Report - Count of Monte Cristo

If you've seen the 2002 movie, you know the very beginning of the story of Alexandre Dumas' Count of Monte Cristo. (You also know that Jim Caviezel is totally hot, but that's another post.) Edmond Dantes, a naive young sailor, comes into a run of good luck when his job performance gets him promoted to ship captain, which means he can proceed with his planned marriage to the lovely Mercedes. (In the book, Fernand is neither an old friend of Edmond's nor nobility, but he is in love with Mercedes.) At his betrothal feast on the eve of his wedding, Edmond is accused by jealous friends of being a Bonapartist, but the circumstantial evidence actually implicates others who would prefer to remain unkown. Edmond, therefore, is found "guilty" and tossed in prison to make sure the story does not come to light.

Edmond spends a little time going crazy, not having any idea what has really happened to him, and eventually he connects with a fellow prisoner who is working to escape. The educated priest begins to teach Edmond as they dig their way out, and Dantes starts to formulate plans of revenge on those who have wronged him. Before they manage to escape the priest dies, but not before confiding in Edmond the location of a secret treasure. Our intrepid hero pulls a bait-and-switch to get himself out of prison, and is picked up by a smuggler's ship. He manages to get himself dropped off on the barren rock that is the island of Monte Cristo, and there discovers the fabulous treasure bequeathed him by the priest. Picked up once more by the smugglers he returns to his home to find his father dead, his friends suspiciously wealthy and titled, his former boss nearly bankrupt, and his fiancee vanished. Let the fun begin!

The newly-created and very mysterious Count of Monte Cristo sets a series of events in motion including rescuing his former boss and starting the downfall of Fernand Mondego (now the Count de Morcerf, having distinguished himself in the army in what turn out to be shady circumstances) and the former ship's purser, Danglars (now Baron Danglars, having made a fortune in banking and speculation). Subplots abound, as well as costumes and secret identities. Marriages are arranged and broken up, suicide is threatened regularly (it's very French, evidently), and everybody's looking to make another few francs. Monte Cristo targets Albert de Morcerf, son of Fernand Mondego and Edmond's former fiancee, Mercedes (who, ironically, is the only person to even come close to recognizing the "Count").

In the end, all wrong-doers are punished, the correct young couples are happily matched up, and the good receive their just reward. The Count of Monte Cristo discovers that Mercedes has suffered as the wife of Fernand, having believed Edmond was dead all these years. He forgives her and gives a final assist to her and Albert after she leaves Fernand in disgrace. He then goes on with his own life, recognizing that he might be allowed a second chance at happiness (though not with Mercedes - sorry, all you romantics out there!). His final message to the truly noble friends he has found is this:

"... [Here] is the secret of my conduct toward you: there is neither happiness nor unhappiness in this world; there is only the comparison of one state with another. Only a man who has felt ultimate despair is capable of feeling ultimate bliss...
"Live, then, and be happy, beloved children of my heart, and never forget that, until the day God deigns to reveal the future to man, the sum of all human wisdom will be contained in these two words: Wait and hope."



Response:
The book is a fascinating example of the serial novels that were written at the time. Chapters would be published separately in a weekly or monthly newspaper. The set-up of the book made more sense to me when I remembered how it was written - since for the most part each chapter focuses on one subplot and set of people. It's also interesting to watch Edmond's progression, from victim, to rescuing angel, to avenging destroyer and implacable "hand of God", to redeemed and forgiving man. The book would make a much better mini-series than single movie - there are so many events and adventures and personality shifts that one two-hour block really can't do it justice.

The final message is a bit disingenuous - "Wait and hope" is a philosophy that can only loosely be applied to the Count of Monte Cristo. True, he waited a long time to be released from prison, waited again to take his revenge, and waited for final resolution with all the involved parties. "Wait" could be seen as an expression of Edmond Dantes' eventual faith in and reliance on God - a key element seems to be that he is constantly occupied even as he "waits" for the purposes of God to be fulfilled: learning, studying, traveling, etc. His trust evolves into an active faith. Similarly, the version of "hope" expressed in this book seems to be about as far from passive as it's possible to get. Monte Cristo constantly plans and nudges and prepares - he may advocate "hope", but this hope is liberally mixed with the belief that the greatest results come when people take a hand and make constant efforts on their own behalf.

I don't know that I'm ready to tackle the original, unabridged (1400+ pages) version, or even the regular abridged (800+) version - my student abridged (530) version was a quicker read than I would have expected, and had plenty of action and enough philosophy to make it a good lesson. The translation will probably make a difference, too. I liked it!