Desh Saxena
@deshps16
The Count of Monte Cristo Book · 2014 · ★★★★★ I just finished The Count of Monte Cristo, and Edmond Dantès' arc in this book is, in my opinion, better than Rand al'Thor's in approximately 10% of the word count(I also just finished wheel of time). This book kept me hooked and was extremely satisfying. However, it’s not a 5-star read for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the middle third dragged a little—the setup took me about two months to get through, while I got through the first and final thirds in a matter of hours. Secondly, I found the ending too happy; I would have preferred it if the Count’s transformation had gone fully Walter White/Paul Atreides. I feel this was due to the book needing wide public acceptance. For this reason, I still prefer The Picture of Dorian Gray, where Oscar Wilde fully commits to the character arc.(1) https://nook.social/content/a7a7e80c-a99e-43d4-a18c-805eca87cedc
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Desh Saxena
@deshps16
(2) Now for the positives—this is a revenge plot, and each character is so well fleshed out in terms of motivation and what they value most in life. This interpretation is my own, so feel free to disagree, but the way I saw it was Caderousse was driven by jealousy of everyone getting the better of him; Fernand was driven by his love for Mercedes; Danglars was driven by money and greed; and Villefort was driven by his reputation. I liked that the Count was seen as a god, a savior; I just wish Dumas had leaned into it more. The prose style is excellent, the dialogue is grandiose, the scenes are climactic, and the story is epic. Every setup has its resolution; it is truly a masterpiece. Ultimately, the only reason it’s not a 5-star read is due to personal preference. 4.75 stars.
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