Monte Cristo Serial Reader

Sorry for being a bit late! I’ve been reading on time but have been on vacation (not France this time sadly) and haven’t had good internet, so I’m going to do a batch.

Summary:

Monte Cristo starts his plan to get in with the elite of Paris. He buys the nicest two horses of Paris from Danglars, and then goes to Danglars house, where Danglars is confused about the Count being able to open an unlimited amount of credit. The Count explains and it impresses Danglars.

The horses are Madam Danglar’s horses and she gets mad when she finds out they are sold, and the Count returns them. Madame de Villefort borrows them the next day with her son. The Count has the horses become wild and Ali settle them down, and uses an elixir to save her son.

Villefort visits the Count the next day to thank him and they talk about Justice. It’s a tense conversation. We find out Nortier, Villefort’s father, has become paralyzed.

The Count then goes to Haydee. He tells her she is free, but she says she would like to stay with him. There is some mention of Haydee’s birth and how she’s not supposed to tell people.

Thoughts:

Sped through those because it’s a lot

I really respect Dumas’s need to make everything complicated. There probably was a simpler was to have the Count have his moment with Villefort than have him buy two horses and then resell them back, but it’s all about a big plan for him.

There was a lot of talk about slavery in this chapter, and clearly showing Dumas’ pro slavery position. This is something I noticed in his novel Georges which I read over the hiatus. Dumas is anti racist (ish, like, that is a stretch to say but he’s very much like, being mixed does not mean I am less than others.) but is somewhat pro slavery? It’s very interesting to read, but shown here with how he talks about Ali. It really shows the unique position of Dumas where he has grown up mixed in this very racist society of 1800s France, but has still some level of connection to the French elite. At least from what I’ve read. It’s one of those things that does make this book tough to read today but I think it’s better to acknowledge it than ignore it.

I remembered Haydee being much younger than 19-20 as well? I think that’s just that they met when she was still a child. I did not realize how much I did like Haydee as a character until this reread.

The whole conversation with Villefort and The Count is amazing though I recommend reading through it! I highlighted two of my favorite moments

‘What I am saying, Monsieur, is that your eyes are fixed on the social organization of nations, which means that you only see the mechanism and not the sublime worker who operates it.

Summary:

Backstory about Bertuccio. Bertuccio’s brother was killed and Villefort, the crown prosecutor, refused to do anything about it saying it was “natural”. So Bertuccio plans to kill him, and goes into his house. So he “kills” Villefort but after sees that Villefort was trying to bury a box that had a baby in it. Bertuccio drops the baby off at an orphanage with half a handkerchief that says “HM” but his brothers wife makes him take the baby back and they raise the baby, and the child is terrible and annoying. Bertuccio also saw the Caderousse money exchange with the Abbe from the other side.

Bertuccio is at Caderousse’s inn after they agree to sell the jewel to a jeweler, but while the Jeweler is staying overnight the Jeweler is killed by Caderousse and his wife and Caderousse’s wife also dies by gunshot. Bertuccio is accused of this as he is covered in blood. But the Abbe writers a letter telling of the situation with the jewel selling, Saving Bertuccio and condemning Caderousse to life in the galleys. The Abbe then sends Bertuccio to work for the Count and give up smuggling. We also learn that Bertuccio’s sister in law died due to her adoptive son. Both the Count and Bertuccio agree they should have returned the son to Villefort’s wife, and that the whole family is cursed. Haydee arrives at the end.

Thoughts:

Catching up so just doing the Bertuccio backstory chapters. I swear I remember this being revealed at like the end but also I’m sure we will learn more about these events. I would say this backstory chapter wayyyyy beats the Luigi Vampa backstory which was annoying to get through 🙄 and less plot relevant over all

I will say Dumas’ has a knack for writing a backstory that like, I can never tell what’s gonna happen next. What is this guy thinking 😭

I did end up thinking about like, the cultural change of nature vs nurture. Because the idea is that Villefort was such an awful guy his son was also just naturally evil? Though they do include that Bertuccio’s sister in law spoiled him. It is a little funny to have just an extremely evil irredeemable child haha that doesn’t really show up in modern stories.

“Unfortunately a proverb says that redheads are either all good or all bad; it was right in Benedetto’s case: he was all bad from childhood on. Admittedly, his mother’s sweet nature also encouraged his natural bent.”

This bit did make me laugh.

I do find Haydee an interesting character and her mystique at the part of the story is really well done. Just how she will appear for a few moments and is so shelter/hidden away is very cinematic.

I am a day behind shhh but I’m going to do two chapters at once.

Summary:

The count meets with the Notary to discuss the house he is going to live in and the Notary finds it strange it’s in Auteuil, but the Count is fine with it, even though he has not seen it before. Bertuccio is there and acts strangely about being in Auteuil. The Count overpays the Notary for his services.

Thoughts:

Short chapter, but I didn’t remember the stuff with Bertuccio starting this early. I love just how far the Count has planned in advance in terms of getting his revenge even in his house choice

“Monte Cristo said in the tone of voice adopted by Louis XIV to speak the celebrated words: ‘I was almost made to wait!’”

Also this bit made me laugh

June 28th - XVLIII

Summary:

The count and Bertuccio go to the house and Bertuccio is acting very strangely. It’s revealed that the man who owned the house before had a daughter who was married to Villefort. As they walk through the courtyard Bertuccio lets it slip to the Court that he has killed someone in this garden. The Count makes him tell the full story.

Thoughts:

I’m very excited for the wackiest set of events to concur in the remainder of the book.

I love how funny Dumas’ writing is as well, just how Bertuccio is avoiding talking about what happened to him in the house and how he makes the sign of the cross before entering the house is just sooooo well done I’m giggling.

“I knew you to be sombre and I knew that you were always mulling over some old tale of a vendetta; and in Italy I forgave you that, because in Italy such things are acceptable. However, in France people usually consider murder to be in very poor taste: there are gendarmes to look after it, judges to condemn it and scaffolds to avenge it.’”

This part made me laugh too and I just know people 200 years ago were also laughing their asses off about this too.

Summary:

The count is at Albert’s house and they are chatting, the Count tells some interesting stories about his past and they talk about the Count’s slaves. It’s noted that they are free now because they are in France and the Count says they are free to go but they stay with him. The Count takes a special interest in Maximillian Morrell and his family.

The count then talks to just Albert, and they point out a painting of his mother and father. The count talks to Albert’s father and it’s a little strange, but only on the counts side, but then Albert’s mother shows up and it’s reallyyyyy weird. The count leaves

Thoughts:

The Mercedes painting!!

“It showed a young woman of twenty-five or twenty-six, dark in colouring, her burning eyes veiled beneath languorous lids. She was wearing the picturesque costume of a Catalan fisherwoman, with a red-and-black bodice and her hair held back with gold pins. She was looking at the sea, so that her elegant figure was outlined against the two blues, of the sky and the waves.”

This is going to come back. I wonder if The Count was immediately able to recognize that the painting was about him. It was also very interesting to see the Count recognize these people and how they acted around him. This is kind of a trope I don’t see that often, this sort of double fake identity where the audience knows more than the characters on multiple levels it’s great.

And the moment with Mercedes at the end is absolute gold, especially with Albert’s dad there.

I don’t really have much to say about the first chapter except I’m in desperate need of the family tree again now that everyone’s kids have shown up oof.

“There is a letter to prove it, in the possession of Franz, signed by me with a postscript by Luigi Vampa.”

we are BACK!! Forgot about this right?

Chapter summary:

3 months after Albert leaves Rome it’s the day he arranged to meet up with the Count. His friends are there including Chateau-Renaud, Lucien, Beauchamp, and Maximillen Morrell. We find out Albert went out to dinner with Danglars and is betrothed. The Count arrives exactly on time and says he has never been to Paris before (LOL) and also has a bit of a strange moment with Morrell.

Thoughts:

First of all welcome back!! Bet you forgot about me. I did end up doing a little hiatus reading (The Black Count and Georges) though I didn’t post about it. I might still make a post about them? They were very interesting and I’m already making connections from just this chapter.

Feels good to be back, we are at my favorite part of the book where the Count is in Paris. I can already see the pieces coming together with the friend group and the marriages and mentions of Danglars . .

“I am a foreigner, and so much one that this is the first time I have been in Paris. Consequently, I know absolutely nothing of French manners,”

This quote made me laugh as well. Dumas is not known for his subtly 😭

(Or has been here for a month, but I’ve been too busy to even sit down)

But I want to read some background text on Dumas, another Dumas novel (Three musketeers for sure) and review some movie/tv show/manga adaptations.

So I’m opening the box for suggestions, any movies I should check out? Or Dumas background knowledge stuff?

Summary:

Franz goes home sadly to have dinner without Albert, who accepted a different invitation for himself. By 11 Albert is not back, so Franz asks around for him in Rome. Then at the hotel there is a man waiting outside, who has a letter for Franz from Albert, which is asking for Ransom as he had been kidnapped by Luigi Vampa. However, Franz doesn’t have enough money to pay, so he goes to the Count. We find out Peppino is the messenger. Franz asks the count to go communicate with Luigi, because he remembers the conversation he overheard between them. Peppino is willing to help the count and gives them the information on the kidnapping as well as brings them to Albert, who is sleeping in a room full of bandits. The Count explains that Albert and Franz are his friends and should not be kidnapped. They then leave and go to a dance.

Thoughts:

I really do think we are back!!! I loved this chapter. The bandits were good (I don’t think we needed Luigi’s whole backstory to get here though)

I LOVED albert.

““Oh,” said he, “is it you, captain? You should have allowed me to sleep. I had such a delightful dream. I was dancing the galop at Torlonia’s with the Countess G——.” Then he drew his watch from his pocket, that he might see how time sped.

“Half-past one only?” said he. “Why the devil do you rouse me at this hour?”

“To tell you that you are free, your excellency.”

“My dear fellow,” replied Albert, with perfect ease of mind, “remember, for the future, Napoleon’s maxim, ‘Never awaken me but for bad news;’ if you had let me sleep on, I should have finished my galop, and have been grateful to you all my life. So, then, they have paid my ransom?”

He is so unbothered 🙌

And I particularly liked Franz and Albert’s dynamic, such as when Franz is sad because Albert’s out without him 😢

This is the start to the Count’s convoluted plans, which were my favorite part of the book on my last read. Bc why is the Count getting Albert kidnapped to be on his good side. There’s got to be an easier way!!

Summary:

Franz and Albert are meeting the Count of Monte Cristo in his apartment. He offers up a carriage for them to use during their time in Rome, and also summons his servant Bertuccio. Franz recognized Bertuccio from the island of Monte Cristo, and The Count as Sinbad the Sailor. The Count then invited them to an execution of two people, though he notes one of them has been pardoned, Peppino. He pretends not to know the name of this person though Franz remembers the conversation he overheard with Luigi. They speak about revenge and the death penalty. Franz rejects going to the execution at first, but Albert seems more into it, and finally they decide to go. At the execution both men come on stage, but Peppino is pardoned at the last minute. The other prisoner is enraged, but then he is killed. Franz and Albert are horrified, but the Count is triumphant.

Thoughts:

Guys this chapter, I think we are BACK!! What a fun one!!! Such interesting thoughts on vengeance, executions, it’s all relevant to the overall story. We get good insight into the Count’s inner world, foreshadowing OUGH it’s so good

Whenever we get a holy metaphor with Edmond I get so excited too

“The count was erect and triumphant, like the Avenging Angel!”

Plus we get introduced to another character (though I guess we have met him before?) Bertuccio.

And the execution scene at the end was so cool to read, with how the one prisoner turns on the other, and everyone watching. Amazing imagery.

Also loved Albert and Franz here, a specific shoutout to very dumb Albert of course

“How attentively he looked at you.”

“At me?”

“Yes.”

Albert reflected. “Ah,” replied he, sighing, “that is not very surprising; I have been more than a year absent from Paris, and my clothes are of a most antiquated cut; the count takes me for a provincial. The first opportunity you have, undeceive him, I beg, and tell him I am nothing of the kind.””

Summary:

Franz goes to the Colosseum. He overhears a conversation between Sinbad the Sailor and Vampa, about a Shepard who was wrongfully imprisoned. Sinbad offers to buy his freedom and Vampa says he is indebted to him. The next day, Franz and Albert go to the Italian Opera, though Albert does not like the opera as much as Franz. They are sitting with the countess G-. Across the theater sits a young greek woman with the count of Monte Cristo. The Countess G- says she recognizes the pretty girl and that she often comes with the Count of Monte Cristo or sometimes a black slave. Countess G- also thinks that Monte Cristo is a vampire. Later that night, Monte Cristo offers them a carriage for their time in Rome, and Franz realizes it’s the man he met on the island.

Thoughts:

I am still trudging through this part of the book. Please. People defend it in the comments so I can see it’s worth!!!!

But I am glad to see Haydee! I actually really like Haydee despite her story’s ending. I do think she is a extremely interesting character with an interesting arc.

I remember the countess G- as well!! Why is her name like that. I thought it was just my version but it’s in every like description of the book I can find too. And the audio book. Why is she in witness protection