The Count of Monte Cristo

“All human wisdom is contained in these two words - Wait and Hope”

A compelling plot that revolves around a protagonist in achieving a singularly, long-standing and staunched purpose: Revenge. It is from this goal that creates the intricate web of disguise and labyrinthe machinations and manipulations that the Count masterfully executes. Edmond Dantes returns, as the Count of Monte Cristo, after he's been wrongfully imprisoned for 14 years for a belief that he did not have by the people whom he had blindly trusted, and saved by his only company, guide, and teacher in prison, Abbe Faria. No longer the naive young sailor Edmond Dantes once used to be, the Count of Monte Cristo is a calculated man, thirsty for revenge and ensuing his own definition of justice.

One notable characteristic of this book is the development of the protagonist, in how his view transitions from his rosy colored world to a despicable bloodstained world. It truly manifests the gradual process that man undergoes in real life from being a visionary youth full of hopes and dreams, to a more reticent, strategic adult, with experiences of having been burnt from the knowledge that one truly does not understand the world even by a speck, and neither has he unlocked the mysteries of life, by the people who weren't what one thought out to be. Apart from the profound change of character highlighted most clearly, the book is commendable for the theme it upholds until the end: Revenge. The Count ruins, destroys all the lives and relationships of the conspirators (his previous sailor accompanies and a prosecutor named Villefort) he once trusted, leaving no room for mercy as even innocent lives are killed as consequences. From a moral standpoint, the Count may not be justified for his almost cruel vigilante acts. However, the charm lies not solely in contemplation of the morality of the book but simply the adventure it takes you from one twist to another.

Though not a short read, I was not able to realize how fast Ive been reading that before I even realized, I was flipping through the last pages. How the Count had managed to bedazzle the other characters he sought to revenge, and his manipulative acts of 'betrayal' truly astounded me, propelling me to read on. Though he was divisive and orchestrated ominous tragedies for his targets, he was in no way a subject of loathing as the readers are made to sympathize with his thoughts and circumstances. In a way, it was almost pitiful (though at some cases admirable) how the protagonist was solely driven by the sense of revenge for his reason to endure life.

Definitely a must read by anyone looking for a book of adventure wanting to experience a whirlwind of emotions and events.