Providence, I am thee.
Written: Feb 26 '03 (Updated Feb 26 '03)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Adventure and suspense enough to satisfy any appetite for intrigue
Cons: A few chapters contained laborious details, but even those were necessary for the plot.
The Bottom Line: Dumas' classic contains adventure and suspense enough to satisfy any appetite for intrigue; it's eye candy for the mind.
|
|
|
| inkedfingers's Full Review: Count of Monte Cristo |
A novel writer must in and of himself be extraordinarily talented-- to be able to create a vast number of characters, each with their own personality, way of life, idiosyncrasies, and flaws. Alexandre Dumas breaks the "classic" mold in composing The Count of Monte Cristo.
From the very beginning, The Count of Monte Cristo is psychologically moving and enticing, pulling the reader forward. An innocent man is shamefully condemned to prison. The crook himself is honored and deceitfully gains the innocent's reward. A beautiful bride is pain-stakingly abandoned. So many questions are posed just within the first few chapters, one is compelled to read on.
Ah... when such a man as Edmond Dantes is wrongfully condemned to prison, ignorant of his fault, innocently wasting years of his life-- upon his escape he believes himself the guider of providence in revenging his perpetrators. Thus he takes on countless personas avenging those whom avenged him. It is through providence alone though, that the Count finally realizes even he does not control the mind and hand of God.
The book is not at all a short read. I have read Jane Eyre in 3 days, and The Maestro in a week, but it took me weeks to finish this one. There is just so much for one's mind to consume. Though the book is easy to understand and not so difficult to follow.
The only flaw in the book, which, after having read it in it's entirety no longer appears a flaw, was the incessant details and laborious facts surrounding events. At the time, reading through the countless chapters, they seemed nonsensical. As I look back now, I realize the plot had to be developed in such a way.
I do recommend reading the entire Count of Monte Cristo within a short span time. I began this novel more than once and upon returning to the novel, I undeniably forgot certain events. Because the plot is so intricately woven, it is almost required that one remember circumstances in the first quarter of the book to understand the ending. Constantly Dumas is weaving plots and circumstances together that one would think impossible to be related.
As far as the character development, there are a few characters which could have been expounded upon, (ie: Franz, Albert, Mercedez in the end.) Nevertheless, these minor details do not take away from the novel as a whole.
What one concept could I speak that would make all readers bound to the bookstore and buy a copy for themselves? I have thought upon providing the reader with a short summary, but surely you can read that in one of the other scores of reviews. This book is, no doubt, definitely worth reading and adding to your own collection of books. So you don't like the old classics, eh? Well this one was worth hanging around. It is an cataclysmic adventure, breaking the mold and definitely spell-binding readers for years to come.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
inkedfingers
|
|
Member: Carli
Location: TX
Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
May you live every day of your life.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2008 Shopping.com, Inc.