Alexandre Dumas - The Count of Monte Cristo

A Video Talk

Few novelists have been such master storytellers as was Dumas. This great tale of love, imprisonment, revenge and political intrigue has captivated readers from the first moment it was published. French society, history, landscapes and characters are all brought alive so memorably. The Count of Monte Cristo, with good reason, is one of the best-selling novels of all time. Join me in discussing its author and its brilliance.

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This video is about 60 minutes full of intriguing information.

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“Monte Cristo is said to have been at its first appearance, and for some time subsequently, the most popular book in Europe. Perhaps no novel within a given number of years had so many readers and penetrated into so many different countries.”
― George Saintsbury

A gripping and absorbing story

There are few novelists who can tell a story in such a gripping and absorbing way as Alexandre Dumas. Fascinatingly, he had a collaborating ghost-writer for the book (you can learn his story in this talk), and yet it has all the hallmarks of a classic Dumas novel – adventure, swashbuckling action, revenge and romance.

Since it was first published in 1844, it has remained one of his most popular books, and it spawned an entire tourist industry, as people rushed to the Chateau d’If to see the cell where Edmond Dantes languished for so many years. Just $15, purchase access here.

A larger-than-life personality

Dumas was himself a larger-than-life personality. Incredibly prolific as a novelist, playwright and even author of a cookbook, he indulged in numerous affairs, fathered illegitimate children, spent lavishly, and travelled widely. He coped bravely with the prejudices of the day regarding his mixed-race heritage (his grandmother was an Afro-Caribbean slave). Generous, hospitable, impulsive and humorous, Dumas remains one of the most translated of French authors. Learn more about this fascinating and lovable man.

A brilliant conspiracy story

The Count of Monte Cristo is one of the great thrillers and revenge stories of world literature. It’s a conspiracy story, with a moral at its core – Dantes finds that, when finally achieved, revenge is bitter-sweet. It’s a brilliant historical novel, set in the period of 1815 to 1838 when France was recovering from the Napoleonic era and capitalism was rampant. Discover how Dumas uses politics to comment on the worthiness of his characters. The novel is an examination of prisons (men create many different sorts of prisons for themselves), it’s about corruption in high places, and it concerns the search for identity.

Few novels have been as frequently filmed, adapted, sequelled (there has even been an erotic sequel), and turned into songs and video games. Discover the extraordinary after-life of this book. The Count of Monte Cristo, with good reason, is one of the best-selling novels of all time. Join me in discussing its author and its brilliance.

Just $15, purchase access here.
Purchase the complete Video Talk (just $15 AU)

This Video Talk is a real treat! In it, I reveal intriguing stories about the author to help you understand what prompted this book to be written. I identify the main characters and their roles, analyse the themes behind the story, and describe the influence that the era, lifestyle and circumstances have on the book’s setting. It is illustrated with photographs, paintings, scenes from different film versions and book covers – you’ll have plenty to look at while you listen. Buy it now and receive a link to view your video immediately. Just $15, purchase access here.

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Discuss it with me

This great tale of love, imprisonment, revenge and political intrigue has captivated readers from the first moment it was published. Let’s discuss it here.

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Featured image credit- Jim Caviezel, Guy Pearce, Henry Cavill, and Dagmara Dominczyk, The Count of Monte Cristo, 2002 Touchstone Pictures movie adaptation, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0245844/

Comments (2)

  1. Keryne Rosato

    Hi Susannah, I finished listening to “The Count of Monte Cristo” only yesterday (52 hours!). I deliberately didn’t listen to your Tea with A Book Addict talk on this fabulous book before I had read it as I wanted to be objective. I knew the basic story but I had never actually read the whole book! Firstly, what a master storyteller and secondly what an amazing story from a fertile imagination. The only thing that I couldn’t reconcile was that the Count made Maximillon suffer for a long time before revealing that Valentin was actually alive. I thought this was a little cruel on the part of the Count to someone he loved so dearly. Thoughts?

    Thank you so much for putting this on your list. Next “Ulysses” – I’ve read it before but I am going to listen to it again before I listen to your video talk! Maybe it’s just me, but some novels are more memorable and you ‘get it’ more easily when someone else reads them aloud.

    • Susannah Fullerton

      Keryne, I was so thrilled to read your comments. Isn’t the audio version fabulous – it just makes you appreciate Dumas’ skill as a storyteller even more. Yes, I do agree that the Count was too slow to reveal that Valentin was alive, but I think he learns from such experiences that he is not God and cannot direct everything.
      I am so glad you are getting such value from the Tea with a Book Addict series. I have loved revisiting some of these books.

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