The Count of Monte Cristo/Alexandre Dumas

The Count of Monte Cristo was my favorite novel.

Edmond Dantès' epic adventure and revenge became the standard by which all adventure novels, thrillers, and detective novels read after him were compared.

I had read this novel dozens of times, so I thought I knew it very well.

But one day... I realized that the story I knew of The Count of Monte Cristo was a simplified, edited version for children.

for example

After Edmond Dantès escapes from the prison island, he accumulates wealth because he discovers hidden treasures. However, Alexandre Dumas used the treasure as seed money to start a business for Edmond, and the business did well, writing in detail how he accumulated a huge amount of wealth. In other words, Dantes records in detail the process of acquiring assets through real estate speculation, diamond smuggling and black trading, and even drug trafficking. Perhaps the editor who planned the children's novel deleted that part because he thought it was not good for children's emotions.

So, was the count's love affairs leniently overlooked?

It is said that Dumas had romantic relationships with numerous women both before and after his marriage, and the names of the women officially mentioned amount to 40.

The hero of his own life's masterpiece would be the author's persona. Therefore, even a three-year-old child can guess that Dumas's views on women and love were expressed through the Count.

 

So, after much thought, I decided to read the original.

Since I don't know any French, I got the English translation of the Penguin version.

But when I saw the enormous thickness of the book, I immediately gave up reading.

 

In fact, even Dumas said that he did not have time to read this novel he wrote, so he did not read it until just before his death.

And when he realized that his death was near, he finished reading his book and said this.

“Hmm.. well written.. this book is a masterpiece.”

Done