Count of Monte Cristo: Chapter 8

[osprey_archer]

After much waffling and repeated warnings not to do it, I have gone ahead and started reading The Count of Monte Cristo. Somehow none of the warnings were as powerful as the fact that I actually own the book and it has been sitting on my shelf, taking up space and waiting to be read

Comments

[littlerhymes]

The Count of Monte Cristo is a delight, it is Dumas' FINEST. I'm looking forward to your thoughts!

[osprey_archer]

I did not expect such an outpouring of enthusiasm when people heard I was reading this book! This is a pleasant surprise.

[evelyn_b]

So look, I started reading this and now I am CAUGHT UP to Chapter 8 and it's amazing, it's like a silent movie only before there were movies. Dantes is the biggest sweetheart and he's just been THROWN INTO JAIL by an amazing convergence of sneaky bastardy ON HIS WEDDING DAY and I realize that I have no idea what's going to happen in the next 68382 chapters. Poor Dantes! Poor Mercedes! Poor Dantes' dad! Poor drunk guy who didn't sign on for this base treachery but is too drunk and weak-souled to stop it! Poor idiot suitor who shouldn't have been so damn impulsive!

I can't wait to see where this goes, HOPEFULLY NOT just a bunch more dungeons :( :( :(

How much are you planning to read per week?

[osprey_archer]

I think there WERE silent movie versions of this and when I am done reading it I should definitely track at least one down. I know for a fact that was a silent movie of The Three Musketeers - the Douglas Fairbanks version is really famous, but there might be others, actually - people complain about remakes now, but back in the days of the silents people would make like five different versions of the same story just because

[evelyn_b]

Man, if Mercedes marries Danglars out of DESPAIR that would be the worst thing ever, at least her jackass suitor is a guy she knows and likes for some reason. I'm crossing my fingers for STONE-FACED FIDELITY and maybe she can weave a map into some cloth like Penelope only it also helps Dantes escape somehow. Then later if there is REVENGE she can be a voice for mercy, like her name suggests.

BUT LIKE YOU SAID, WE'LL JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE! I really hope Dantes' dad doesn't die of despair :(((( but I guess if he did that would make REVENGE all the more likely :(

[osprey_archer]

If there is anything I have learned about Dumas in these few short chapters it is that he has no use for subtlety AT ALL, so it is 100% likely that Mercedes' name is totally symbolic and she will be the voice for mercy at the end of it.

Hopefully not because she married Danglars out of DESPAIR, though. Although I think we are going to see plenty of DESPAIR on all sides.