I assumed I read this when I was younger but maybe it was abridged, or a kids’ version, or I saw a movie. So for years even though it kept popping up I deferred reading it again because I couldn’t shake the assumption that it was just a serious version of The Princess Bride.
In some ways it is, but in baser terms it’s jumped straight to the top of my ‘best novels’ list. I feel like I’ve acquired lives – good and evil – that were’t mine, and there were half a dozen moments when I got chills because of the grandeur of a scene. Revenge. Faith. Love. Wealth. Technology. Newspapers. Philosophy. Napolean. All these. It’s 1,200 pages long.
By the end, I was reflecting on the earlier chapters in the same way you might remember the day you first met someone. At the curtain call, you’re told that all human knowledge can be summarised in just two words. I wait and hope for you to read this book.
You can get your copy of The Count of Monte Cristo on Amazon (US) or Amazon.co.uk