   #copyright

The Count of Monte Cristo

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Novels

   CAPTION: Title The Count of Monte Cristo

   Cover of Penguin Classics (Robin Buss) translation

   ‎
   Penguin (Robin Buss Translation)
     Author   Alexandre Dumas, père
    Country   France
    Language  French
    Genre(s)  Historical, Adventure
   Publisher  Chapman and Hall
    Released  1844-1846
   Media type Print ( Hardback & Paperback)
     Pages    2 vol.
      ISBN    NA

   The Count of Monte Cristo (French: Le Comte de Monte-Cristo) is an
   adventure novel by Alexandre Dumas, père. It is often considered, along
   with The Three Musketeers, as Dumas' best work, and is frequently
   included on lists of the best novels of all time. The writing of the
   work was completed in 1844. Like many of his novels, it is expanded
   from the plot outlines suggested by his collaborating ghostwriter
   Auguste Maquet.

   The story takes place in France, Italy, and islands in the
   Mediterranean during the historical events of 1815– 1838 (from just
   before the Hundred Days through the reign of Louis-Philippe of France).
   It is primarily concerned with themes of justice, vengeance, mercy, and
   forgiveness, and is told in the style of an adventure story.

   Dumas got the idea for The Count of Monte Cristo from a true story,
   which he found in a memoir written by a man named Jacques Peuchet.
   Peuchet related the story of a shoemaker named Pierre Picaud, who was
   living in Paris in 1807. Picaud was engaged to marry a rich woman, but
   four jealous friends falsely accused him of being a spy for England. He
   was imprisoned for seven years. During his imprisonment a dying fellow
   prisoner bequeathed him a treasure hidden in Milan. When Picaud was
   released in 1814, he took possession of the treasure, returned under
   another name to Paris and spent ten years plotting his successful
   revenge against his former friends.

Plot summary

   Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

   Edmond Dantès, a 19-year-old sailor aboard the ship Pharaon, returns
   home to Marseille. He is excited to be reunited with his family and
   friends, and eager to marry his fiancée, the Catalan beauty Mercédès.
   He is also proud of his recent promotion to captain. At the same time,
   he is saddened by the recent death of his friend Captain Leclère, his
   predecessor.

   Captain Leclére, a supporter of the now exiled Napoléon, had charged
   Dantès on his deathbed to deliver a package to former Grand Marshal
   Maréchal Bertrand, who had been exiled to the isle of Elba. During the
   Pharaon's stop at Elba, Dantès spoke to Napoléon himself, who asked the
   sailor to deliver a confidential letter to a man in Paris.

   Edmond's good fortune inspires jealousy in those close to him. His
   promotion to captain offends the ship's purser, Danglars; his windfall
   stuns his neighbour, the impoverished tailor Caderousse; his
   relationship with Mercédès inspires the jealousy of her cousin Fernand
   Mondego, who wants Mercédès for his own. Danglars writes an anonymous
   letter to the crown prosecutor accusing Dantès of being a Bonapartist,
   that is, a traitor to the Royalists who are in power. Inflaming his
   jealousy, he instigates Fernand to send the letter, while Caderousse
   looks on in a drunken stupor.

   Villefort, the deputy crown prosecutor in Marseille, assumes the duty
   of investigating the matter on Dantès' wedding day and on the day of
   his own betrothal to Renee de Saint-Meran; he indeed finds an
   incriminating letter. Dantès knows nothing of its contents, only that
   he was asked to deliver it. Although at first sympathetic to Dantès'
   case, when Villefort questions Dantes as to where and to whom the
   letter was to be delivered, he discovers to his horror that it is
   addressed to his own father, Noirtier de Villefort.

   Due to the political climate created by the restoration of King Louis
   XVIII, Villefort wants to distance himself from his Bonapartist father.
   The deputy crown prosecutor burns the letter, which has the potential
   to fatally hinder his success. Although Villefort would rather not
   imprison an innocent man, he ultimately chooses to save his political
   career rather than properly exercise justice and condemns Dantès to
   life imprisonment in the island prison of the Château d'If, using his
   knowledge of the letter's contents to advance himself and his career at
   the court of Louis XVIII.

Escape to riches

   While in prison, Dantès slowly sinks into despair and finally looks to
   God for salvation. After years of solitary confinement in a small,
   fetid dungeon, Dantès loses all hope and contemplates suicide by means
   of starving himself. His will to live is restored, however, by faint
   sounds of digging. Dantès soon begins his own tunnel to reach that of
   his fellow prisoner, the Abbé Faria, an Italian priest whose escape
   tunnel has strayed in the wrong direction. The two prisoners eventually
   connect and quickly become inseparable friends.

   The old man, a gifted scholar as well as a priest, provides Edmond with
   a comprehensive education in subjects including languages, history,
   economics, philosophy, and mathematics. Edmond also learns the manners
   of polite society, growing in confidence and sophistication. Aside from
   the lessons, the two discuss Edmond's betrayal and piece together the
   events that placed the young man in his brutal predicament.

   Both men continue to work assiduously on their tunnel, but the elderly
   and infirm Faria does not survive to see its completion. Knowing that
   he would soon die, Faria confides in Dantès the location of a great
   cache of treasure on the Italian islet of Monte Cristo.

   After his mentor dies, Dantès uses the opportunity to escape. He moves
   Faria's body into his own cell and then slips into Faria's body bag. To
   Dantès surprise, instead of carrying him to the burial ground, as he
   had expected, the prison guards attach a cannonball to Edmond's feet
   and throw him into the sea. Edmond plummets, fearfully, from the cliff
   side, crashing into the cold Mediterranean Sea.

   Remarkably, and with the help of a sailor's training, Dantès frees
   himself and swims toward a nearby island. A great storm rages, and
   Edmond is nearly drowned. The next day, Edmond discovers a shipwreck
   from the previous evening's storm. Cleverly, Dantès flags down a
   passing ship and pretends to be its sole survivor. He boards the new
   vessel and quickly realizes that his comrades are actually a group of
   smugglers. After months of gaining their trust and respect, Edmond
   suggests the isle of Monte Cristo as an ideal location to trade
   smuggled goods. Once on the islet, Edmond feigns an injury, asking to
   be left behind until the crew can return to pick him up. Although
   reluctant to leave Edmond, the crew departs. Dantès, alone on the
   island, is free to search for his hidden treasure.

   Edmond's sufferings have had a profound effect on him and even changed
   his physical appearance--to the extent that even his closest friends
   and former associates would not recognize him. Intellectually, his
   studies with the Abbé give him a much greater depth and breadth of
   knowledge, and his wealth grants him access to the highest levels of
   society. Perhaps the greatest change to Dantès is psychological. His
   betrayal by men whom he had trusted removes the naiveté of his
   idealistic youth and replaces it with the cynicism of bitter
   experience.

Revenge

   Ten years after his return to Marseilles, Dantès puts into action his
   plan for revenge. He reinvents himself as the Count of Monte Cristo, a
   mysterious, fabulously rich aristocrat. He surfaces first in Rome,
   where he becomes acquainted with Franz d'Epinay, a young aristocrat,
   and Albert de Morcerf, Mercédès's and Mondego's son. He subsequently
   moves to Paris, where he becomes the sensation of the city. Due to his
   knowledge and rhetorical power, even his enemies find him charming, and
   because of his status, they all want to be his friend.

   Travelling in disguise under the alias of the Abbe Busoni, Monte Cristo
   first meets Caderousse, living in poverty, supposedly being punished by
   God for his jealousy and cowardice in not acting to save Dantes.
   Playing on Caderousse's greed, Monte Cristo learns about what has
   happened since his arrest, and how his other enemies have all become
   wealthy and prosperous. Since Caderousse has already been punished
   somewhat, Monte Cristo gives him a diamond that can be either a chance
   to redeem himself, or a trap that will lead his greed to ruin him.
   Caderousse's greed leads him into murder, until Monte Cristo frees him
   and gives him another chance at redemption. He does not take it, and
   becomes a career criminal. Caderousse's greed is the death of him when
   he is murdered by a confederate while trying to rob Monte Cristo's
   house.

   He meets Danglars, now a banker, dazzles him with his seemingly endless
   wealth, eventually persuades him to extend him six million francs
   credit, and withdraws nine hundred thousand. The Count manipulates the
   bond market and quickly destroys a large portion of Danglars' fortune.
   After a few months, all Danglars is left with is a good reputation and
   five million francs he is about to repay to a hospital. The Count asks
   for the five million to fulfill their credit agreement. Danglars'
   reputation is ruined. He must either default to the Count or default to
   the hospital. He chooses the latter, giving the Count the five million
   francs in exchange for a note for six million francs. Danglars flees to
   Rome to redeem the note for cash and live in anonymous prosperity. But
   he is intercepted by the Count's agent, the celebrated bandit Luigi
   Vampa, and starved into giving up all but 50,000 francs. Dantés
   confronts Danglars, leaving him shattered but alive.

   Monte Cristo owns a Greek slave, Haydée. Her noble father, Ali Pasha,
   the ruler of Janina, had implicitly trusted Fernand, only to be
   betrayed by him in a war. After his death, she and her mother were sold
   into slavery. The Count manipulates Danglars into researching the
   event, which is published in a newspaper. As a result, Fernand is
   brought to trial for his crimes. Haydée testifies against him, and
   Fernand is disgraced.

   Mercédès had married Fernand and borne him a son, Albert. She alone
   recognizes Monte Cristo. When Albert blames Monte Cristo for his
   father's downfall and publically challenges him to a duel, she goes
   secretly to Monte Cristo and begs him to spare her son. During this
   interview, she learns the entire truth about why Edmond Dantes had been
   arrested and imprisoned, and later to save both Monte Cristo and Albert
   reveals the truth to Albert, which causes Albert to make a public
   apology to Monte Cristo. Albert and Mercédès disown Fernand, who
   subsequently commits suicide. The mother and son depart to build a new
   life free of disgrace, he to Africa as a soldier to rebuild his life
   and honour under a new family name given to him by his mother and she
   to a solitary life back in Marseilles.

   Last to feel Monte Cristo's vengeance is Villefort. Villefort's family
   is divided. Valentine, his daughter by his first wife, stands to
   inherit the entire fortune of her grandfather and of her mother's
   parents (the Saint-Mérans), while his second wife, Heloise, seeks the
   fortune for her son Edward. Monte Cristo is aware of Heloise's
   intentions, and "innocently" introduces her to the technique of poison.
   Heloise fatally poisons the Saint-Mérans, so that Valentine gets their
   inheritance. Then she attempts to murder Valentine's grandfather,
   Nortier, but his servant accidentally drinks the poisonous draught and
   dies. Nortier is coincidentally saved from a second attempt when he
   disinherits Valentine as a ploy to stop Villefort from forcing
   Valentine to marry Franz d'Epinay. Heloise then targets Valentine, so
   that Edward would get her fortune.

   Meanwhile, Monte Cristo haunts Villefort with his past affair with
   Danglars' wife and the son they had. Years before, Mme. Danglars bore a
   child by Villefort, at a house in Auteuil. Villefort had buried the
   child, thinking it was stillborn. However, the boy was rescued from his
   grave and raised by Bertuccio, an enemy of Villefort who attempted to
   kill the judge on the night of his child's birth. Monte Cristo, whose
   servant Bertuccio now is, and who now owns the house in Auteuil, is
   able to use them against Villefort. As a grown man, the son enters
   Paris in disguise as Prince Andrea Cavalcanti (hiddenly sponsored by
   the Count), and cons Danglers into betrothing his daughter. Caderousse
   blackmails Andrea, threatening to reveal his past, and Andrea murders
   Caderousse. Andrea is arrested, and about to be prosecuted by
   Villefort.

   After Monte Cristo learns that a dear friend of his is in love with
   Valentine, he saves her by making it appear as though Heloise's plan to
   poison Valentine has succeeded and that Valentine is dead (although
   actually in a drugged sleep caused by a mixture of hashish and opium
   prepared by Monte Cristo). Villefort learns from Noirtier that Heloise
   is a murderer. Villefort confronts Heloise, giving her the choice of a
   public execution or suicide. Then he goes off to Andrea's trial. There,
   Andrea reveals that he is Villefort's son, and rescued after Villefort
   buried him alive. Villefort flees the court, feels he is as guilty as
   his wife, and rushes home to stop her suicide. He finds she has
   poisoned herself and "taken her son with her." Dantés confronts
   Villefort. Villefort shows Dantés his dead wife and son, and becomes
   insane. Dantés tries to resuscitate Edward, fails, and is remorseful
   that his revenge has gone too far.

Redemption

   Matters, however, are more complicated than Dantès had anticipated. His
   efforts to destroy his enemies and reward the few who had stood by him
   become horribly intertwined. This problem reaches its zenith when
   Edmond learns that Maximilien Morrel, the son of one of his steadfast
   friends, is in love with Valentine de Villefort, and soon thereafter
   that the child Edward de Villefort has been poisoned by his mother.
   These tragic complications, especially the latter, cause Dantès to
   question his role as an agent of a vengeful God. This temporarily
   deters him from his course of action. During this period of doubt, he
   comes to terms with his own humanity and is finally able to forgive
   both his enemies and himself. It is only when he is sure that his cause
   is just and his conscience is clear, that he can fulfill his plan.

   Maximillien Morrel is distraught because he believes his true love,
   Valentine, to be dead. He contemplates suicide after witnessing her
   funeral. Monte Cristo reveals himself to be the person who rescued Mr.
   Morrel from suicide years earlier. Maximillien is grateful and is
   persuaded by Monte Cristo to delay his suicide for a month. A month
   later, on the island of Monte Cristo, the count presents Valentine to
   Maximillien and reveals that he saved her from the poison attempt.
   Monte Cristo then leaves the island and sends Jacopo to deliver a
   letter to them which reveals that he has bequeathed much of his
   treasure to Maximillien. Haydée offers Edmond a new love and life. The
   two leave together, seemingly to begin anew.

Characters

   There are a large number of characters in this book, and the importance
   of many of the characters is not immediately obvious. Furthermore, the
   characters' fates are often so inter-woven that their stories overlap
   significantly.

Edmond Dantès and his aliases

     * Edmond Dantès — Dantès is ruggedly handsome and initially an
       experienced, generally well-liked sailor who seems to have
       everything going for him, including a beautiful fiancée (Mercédès)
       and an impending promotion to ship's captain. After transforming
       into the Count of Monte Cristo, his original name is only revealed
       to each of his main enemies as each revenge is completed, often
       driving his already weakened victims into despair.

     * Number 34 — When a new governor arrives at the Château d'If early
       in Dantès's, he does not feel it worth his time to learn the names
       of all the prisoners, instead choosing to refer to them by the
       numbers of their cells. Thus, Dantès is called Number 34 during his
       imprisonment.

     * Count of Monte Cristo — The persona that Edmond assumes when he
       escapes from his incarceration and while he carries out his
       dreadful vengeance. This persona is marked by a pale countenance
       and a smile which can be diabolical or angelic. Educated and
       mysterious, this alias is trusted in Paris and fascinates the
       people.

     * Lord Wilmore — The English persona in which Dantès performs
       seemingly random acts of generosity. The Englishman is eccentric
       and refuses to speak French. This eccentric man, in his kindness,
       is almost the opposite of the Count of Monte Cristo and accordingly
       the two are supposed to be enemies.

     * Sinbad the Sailor — The persona that Edmond assumes when he saves
       the vicount Albert de Morcerf (son of his biggest enemy who married
       his love Mercedes) in Rome. (Sinbad the sailor is the common
       English translation of the original French Simbad le marin.)

     * Abbé Busoni — The persona that Edmond puts forth when he needs deep
       trust from others because the name itself demands respect via
       religious authority.

Dantès's allies

     * Abbé Faria — Italian priest and sage; befriends Edmond while both
       are prisoners in the Chateau d'If, and reveals the secret of the
       island of Monte Cristo to Edmond. Becomes the surrogate father of
       Edmond, while imprisoned, digging a tunnel to freedom he educates
       Edmond in languages, and all the current sciences (including
       chemistry which comes to his aid greatly during his revenge plan)
       and is the figurative father of the Count of Monte Cristo.
     * Bertuccio — The Count of Monte Cristo's steward and very loyal
       servant; in the count's own words, Bertuccio "knows no
       impossibility" and is sure of never being dismissed from the
       count's service because, as the count states, the count will "never
       find anyone better." He had declared vendetta against Monsieur de
       Villefort, for refusal to avenge Bertuccio's brother's murder.
       Before ever meeting Edmond, he stabs Villefort, believing him to be
       dead, but becomes involved in Villefort's personal life by rescuing
       his illegitimate newborn, later named Benedetto by Bertuccio.
     * Luigi Vampa — Italian bandit and fugitive; owes much to the Count
       of Monte Cristo, and is instrumental in many of the Count's plans.
     * Haydée — Daughter of Ali Pasha is eventually bought by the Count of
       Monte Cristo from a Sultan. Even though she was purchased as a
       slave, Monte Cristo treats her with the utmost respect. She lives
       in seclusion by her own choice, but is usually very aware of
       everything that is happening outside. She usually goes to local
       operas accompanied by the Count. At the trial of Fernand Mondego,
       she provides the key evidence required to convict Fernand of
       treason. She is deeply in love with the Count of Monte Cristo, and
       although he feels he is too old for her, he eventually
       reciprocates.
     * Ali — Monte Cristo's Nubian slave, a mute (his tongue had been cut
       out as part of his punishment for intruding into the harem of the
       Bey of Tunis; his hand and head had also been scheduled to be cut
       off, but the count bargained with the Bey for Ali's life). He is
       completely loyal and utterly devoted to the count and is trusted by
       him completely. Ali is also a master of horses.
     * Baptistin — Monte Cristo's valet-de-chambre. Although only in Monte
       Cristo's service for little more than a year, he has become the
       number three man in the count's household and seems to have proven
       himself completely trustworthy and loyal.

Morcerf family

     * Mercédès — (née: Herrera) The fiancée of Edmond Dantès at the
       beginning of the story, she marries Fernand Mondego while Dantès is
       imprisoned. It must be noted this is not out of her love for
       Fernand, but for her desire to have companionship. So, Dantes
       actually remains her true love. After marrying Mondego she is
       presumably rejected by Dantès. This complicates matters as her love
       for him is evident. But, at the end of the story, Monte Cristo
       comes to realize, that it is Haydee he loves. He has a respect for
       Mercedes, but leaves her to live her life in Marseille, where he
       bought the house in which he lived as a young man.
     * Fernand Mondego — Later known as the Count de Morcerf. He is also
       in love with Mercédès and will do anything to get her. He is
       overall a representation of evil, as he lies and betrays throughout
       his life for his own personal gain. But, when confronted by his
       nefarious acts, disgraced in public and abandoned by his wife and
       son, he commits suicide.
     * Albert de Morcerf — Son of Mercédès and the Count de Morcerf.
       Befriends Monte Cristo in Rome; viewed by Monte Cristo as the son
       that should have been his with Mercédès. At the end, he realizes
       his father's faults and, along with his mother, Mercédès, abandons
       him and his name.

Danglars family

     * Baron Danglars — Initially the purser on the same ship on which
       Dantès served as first mate, he longs to be wealthy and powerful
       and becomes jealous of Dantès for his favour with M. Morrel. He
       also developed a grudge against Dantes who, having Morrel's trust,
       told the shipowner about Danglars' dishonest accounting. The source
       of his wealth is not clear but is possibly due to unscrupulous
       financial dealings. His intelligence is only evident where money is
       concerned; otherwise he is a member of the nouveau riche with only
       superficial good taste (he cannot even tell the difference between
       original paintings and copies) and no true family feelings.
     * Madame Danglars — Was independently wealthy before marrying
       Danglars. With help from her close friend (and presumed lover)
       Lucien Debray, Madame Danglars invests the money of Danglars and is
       able to amass over a million francs for her own disposal.
     * Eugénie Danglars — The daughter of Danglars engaged to Albert de
       Morcerf but who would rather stay unwed. She is presented as a
       lesbian and the connotations at this and her running away with
       another girl were considered scandalous.

Villefort family

     * Gérard de Villefort — A royal prosecutor who has even denounced his
       own father (Noirtier) in order to protect his own career. He is
       responsible for imprisoning Edmond Dantès to save his aspirations
       for his career.
     * Valentine de Villefort — The daughter of Gérard de Villefort, the
       crown prosecutor and enemy of Edmond. She falls in love with
       Maximilien Morrel, is engaged to Baron Franz d'Epinay, is almost
       poisoned by her step-mother, saved once by her grandfather,
       Noirtier, and is finally saved by Dantès. Valentine is the
       quintessential (French, nineteenth century) female: beautiful,
       docile, and loving. The only person she feels that she can confide
       in is her invalid grandfather.
     * Noirtier de Villefort — The father of Gérard de Villefort and
       grandfather of Valentine. After suffering an apoplectic stroke,
       Noirtier becomes mute and a quadriplegic, but can communicate with
       Valentine and his servant Barrois through use of his eyelids and
       eyes. Although utterly dependent on others, he saves Valentine from
       the poison of her step-mother and her undesired marriage to Baron
       Franz d'Epinay. Throughout his life he was a Bonapartist – an
       ardent French Revolutionary. Gérard de Villefort had realized that
       Edmond intended to fulfill his dying captain's last wish by
       conveying a letter from the imprisoned Napoleon to Noirtier, and
       therefore imprisoned Edmond in order to hide that fact, which might
       have hindered Gérard's advancement.
     * Héloïse de Villefort — The murderous second wife of Villefort who
       is motivated to protect and nurture her only son and his
       inheritance.
     * Édouard de Villefort — the only (legitimate) son of Villefort who
       is unfortunately swept up in his mother's greed. (His name is
       sometimes translated as Edward de Villefort.)
     * Benedetto — Illegitimate son of de Villefort and Hermine de
       Nargonne (now Baroness Hermine Danglars); raised by Bertuccio
       (Monte Cristo's servant) and his sister-in-law, Assunta. Murderer
       and thief. Returns to Paris as Andrea Cavalcanti.

Other important characters

     * Gaspard Caderousse — Originally a neighbour and friend of Dantès,
       he witnesses while drunk the writing by Danglars of the
       denunciation of Dantès. After Dantès is arrested, he is too
       cowardly to come forward with the truth. Caderousse is somewhat
       different from the other members of the conspiracy in that it is
       what he does not do, rather than what he actually plans, that leads
       to Dantès' arrest. He moves out of town, becomes an innkeeper,
       falls on hard times, and supplements his income by fencing stolen
       goods from Bertuccio. After his escape from prison, Dantès (and the
       reader) first hear the fates of many of the characters from
       Caderousse. Unlike the other members of the conspiracy, Monte
       Cristo offers Caderousse a chance to redeem himself, but the
       latter's greed proves his undoing.
     * M. Morrel — Edmond Dante's patron and owner of the major Marseille
       shipping firm of Morrell & Son. While a very honest and shrewd
       businessman, he is very fond of Edmond and eager to advance his
       interests. After Edmond is arrested, he tries his hardest to help
       Edmond and is hopeful of Edmond's release whan Napoleon is restored
       to power, but because of his sympathies for the Bonapartist cause
       is forced to back down and abandon all hope after the Hundred Days
       and second Restoration of the monarchy. Between 1825 and 1830, his
       firm undergoes critical financial reverses due to the loss of all
       of his ships at sea, and he is at the point of bankruptcy and
       suicide when Monte Cristo (in the guise of an English clerk from
       the financial firm of Thompson and French) sets events in motion
       which not only save M. Morrel's reputation and honour but also his
       life.
     * Maximilien Morrel — He is the son of Edmond's employer, M. Morrel,
       a captain in the Spahis regiment of the Army stationed in Algiers
       and an Officer of the Legion of Honour. After Edmond's escape and
       the Count of Monte Cristo's debut in Paris, Maximilien becomes a
       very good friend to the Count of Monte Cristo, yet still manages to
       force the Count to change many of his plans, partly by falling in
       love with Valentine de Villefort.
     * Julie Herbault — Daughter of Edmond's patron, M. Morrel, she
       marries Emmanuel Herbault.
     * Emmanuel Herbault — Julie Herbault's husband; he had previously
       worked in M. Morrell's shipping firm and is the brother-in-law of
       Maximilien Morrel and son-in-law of M. Morrel.
     * Baron Franz d'Epinay — A friend of Albert de Morcerf, he is the
       first fiancé of Valentine de Villefort. Franz's father was killed
       in a duel by Monsieur Noirtier de Villefort.
     * Lucien Debray — Secretary to the Minister of the Interior. A friend
       of Albert de Morcerf, and a close friend of Madame Danglars, to
       whom he funnels insider information regarding investments.
     * Beauchamp — A leading journalist and friend of Albert de Morcerf.
     * Le Baron de Château-Renaud — Another friend of Albert de Morcerf.
       Renaud's life was saved in Africa by Maximilien Morrel.

   Spoilers end here.

Publication

   The Count of Monte Cristo was originally published in the Journal des
   Débats in eighteen parts. Publication ran from August 28, 1844 through
   January, 1846. Complete versions of the novel in the original French
   were published throughout the nineteenth century.

   The most common English translation was originally published in 1846 by
   Chapman and Hall. Most unabridged English editions of the novel,
   including the Modern Library and Oxford World's Classics editions, use
   this translation, although Penguin Classics published a new translation
   by Robin Buss in 1996. Buss' translation updated the language, is more
   accessible to modern readers, and restored content that was modified in
   the 1846 translation (due to Victorian English social restrictions (for
   example, references to Eugénie's lesbian traits and behaviour)) to
   Dumas' actual publication. Other English translations of the unabridged
   work exist, but are rarely seen in print and most borrow from the 1846
   anonymous translation.

   Various abridged translations of the novel are also in print.

Editions

     * ISBN 2-221-06457-7, French language edition
     * ISBN 0-19-283395-2, 1846 translation (Oxford World's Classics)
     * (no ISBN), Copyright 1946 by the McGraw-Hill Book Company (complete
       and unabridged; forward by André Maurois)
     * ISBN 0-14-044926-4, Robin Buss translation (Penguin Classics)
     * ISBN 1-85326-733-3, Wordsworth Classics (complete and unabridged)
     * ISBN 0-375-76030-X, Modern Library Classics (complete and
       unabridged, introduction by Lorenzo Carcaterra)

Homages and adaptations

          See The Count of Monte Cristo (film) for a list of film
          adaptations

     * Alexandre Dumas wrote a set of the three plays that collectively
       told the story of The Count of Monte Cristo: Monte Cristo (1848),
       Le Comte de Morcerf (1851), and Villefort (1851).
     * Lew Wallace went on record that The Count of Monte Cristo was one
       of the chief inspirations for Ben-Hur.
     * Alfred Bester's classic science fiction novel The Stars My
       Destination (1956) is a retelling of much of the plot of The Count
       of Monte Cristo.
     * Jinyong's wuxia novel Requiem of Ling Sing (1963) is widely
       regarded as having a similar plot to The Count of Monte Cristo.
     * The episode of The Simpsons entitled " Revenge is a Dish Best
       Served Three Times" features a segment, "The Count of Monte Fatso",
       starring Homer in the title role.
     * Stephen Fry's novel The Stars' Tennis Balls, retitled Revenge in
       the American printing, is, by his own admission "a straight steal,
       virtually identical in all but period and style to Alexandre Dumas'
       The Count of Monte Cristo".
     * A Malayalam film inspired by this story, Padayottam, was Kerala's
       first 70 mm movie.
     * A critically acclaimed Venezuelan telenovela, La Dueña, is inspired
       by the novel.
     * Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo is an anime series, produced
       in 2004 by GONZO and directed by Mahiro Maeda.
     * Park Chan-wook's 2003 film, Oldboy, and the manga it is based on,
       Oldboy written by Garon Tsuchiya, pays partial homage to The Count
       of Monte Cristo story. For instance, the protagonist is jailed in a
       private cell for a long time period (15 years in the film; 10 in
       the manga). Upon release, the protagonist is given money and new
       clothes, and seeks vengeance upon his captors. A strong theme of
       vengeance and revenge, as in the Monte Cristo story, pervades both
       the manga and the film. Also, in the film, Oh-Dae Su is referred to
       as "the Count of Monte Cristo" in jest.
     * The Film V for Vendetta references the Count of Monte Cristo many
       times

Unofficial sequels

   The next 50 years after the publication of The Count of Monte Cristo
   saw many unofficial sequels written by other authors. Many of these
   were published under Dumas' name, to increase sales.
     * Alfredo Hogan wrote a sequel, The Hand of the Dead, in Portuguese,
       in which Dantès's revenge backfires and his life and fortune are
       forfeit.
     * Jean Charles Du Boys wrote The Countess of Monte Cristo in 1869.
     * Edmund Flagg wrote a three-part set of sequels, beginning with
       Edmond Dantes in 1878.
     * Jules Hippolyte Lermina wrote The Son of Monte Cristo in 1881.
     * Paul Mahalin wrote Mademoiselle Monte-Cristo in 1896.

Trivia

     * As of 2007, Edmond Dantès' fortune would be roughly equivalent to
       about 11 billion dollars, adjusted for inflation.

   Retrieved from "
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Count_of_Monte_Cristo"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
