Hala Hassan
The novel begins with the protagonist Edmond Dantes, a handsome young sailor who is about to be married to his beautiful fiancée, Mercedes. Dantes is also soon to be made the captain of a ship and thus the future for him seems very promising. His success stirs jealousy in many of his mates and thus wins him enemies too. Dantes’s good times come to an end when, on the day of the wedding, he is falsely accused of treason and arrested. Despite his innocence he spends fourteen years in prison without trial for a crime he never committed. At the prison Dantes befriends Abbe Faria a learned and wise priest. Abbe Faria who teaches him numerous languages and sciences, tells him of an enormous treasure on the island on Monte Cristo. The Abbe eventually dies and Dantes then places himself in the bag after replacing the Abbe’s body. The bag is thrown into the sea, and is later rescued by Italian smugglers. The rest of the story deals with how Edmond Dantes carries out his plans for revenge. With the help of the new found fortune and after adapting various disguises he avenges all those who wronged him and deprived him of his good fortune.
The story is set in the early 19th century mainly in Italy and Paris. The historical aspects which are fundamental elements of the book such as The Revolution, post napoleon rule etc are all vital to the story. When the story begins, Napoleon Bonaparte is in exile in the Isle of Elba and is later restored to power. Another historical aspect seen in the book is the conflict between the Royalists and The Bonapartists.
Third person mode of narration is used. The count of Monte Cristo being a romantic historical novel focuses on adventure, action, heroism and love.
The Count of Monte Cristo is an intriguing adventure novel. It is also a story about jealousy, betrayal, endurance, revenge and hope. The story gets us hooked as we come to know Dantes’s ultimate plan and keeps us wondering how exactly he will get justice. Each and every character of the book is well described and captures the attention of the reader. The introduction of some characters in the beginning of the story might seem unimportant, but as we read on, we find they are integral to the plot. The story ends with the moral that good always triumphs over evil. A plot consisting of fourteen years of long imprisonment, a miraculous escape from the prison and the carefully planned revenge makes this novel a well crafted work .An enjoyable read for children and adults alike.
