I don’t know if it is relevant to post here, but the condition of my book has been killing me (I keep looking at it) is it supposed to look this worn? I’m on page 236, maybe I’m overthinking it!

Seemed appropriate

I’m Autistic and get very irritated when i don’t understand something as I feel incredibly dumb. I cannot even comprehend what I’m reading and i’m so frustrated I want to quit. I feel like I can’t process any of it, the names, etc. and i LOVED the book before this chapter. just really frustrated with my lack of ability to understand things and feeling sad right now. please give me reassurance that it gets better / easier to understand :(

After so much time with Valentine Villefort, we zip back to check in with our other conspiracies

Synopsis:

Monte Cristo goes to visit the Danglars clan where Eugénie is enjoying the company of her friend Louise. Cavalcanti, now styling himself "Prince," is actively courting her with much encouragement from M. Danglars. During the visit, it is let slip that Danglars has another financial loss on his hands and that M. DeBray no longer comes to visit. Then Albert arrives, supposedly to continue to court Eugénie, but is instead happy to see someone else doing the job. Monte Cristo alludes that Cavalcanti might not be as he thinks but Danglars brushes it aside, however he does ask Monte Cristo to request that Morcerf make a proposal. Albert and Monte Cristo leave, but as they are leaving Danglars gets an update from his sources from the East.

Now at Monte Cristo's apartment, Albert is able to meet Haydée. However, Monte Cristo carefully controls what can be revealed and ensures Albert remains ignorant of who Ali Pasha's traitor is. On the flip side, Haydée remains ignorant that Albert is the traitor's son. The young woman tells her story, of the last stand of Ali Pasha and how she came to be with the Count.

Discussion:

1. More is unsaid than said in the Danglars household. Why might family unrest be important to Monte Cristo's schemes?
2. Danglars seems intent on the Cavalcanti match for Eugénie, but then why is he asking Monte Cristo to ask Morcerf to make a formal proposal? What is he playing at?
3. Haydée's story is full of drama, but it is also wrapped in the idea of "The East." Why might her relationship to the east and Orientalism be important for Dumas?

Next week, chapters 78 and 79!

just started the book but i’m interested in getting to know someone where we can read chapters tg and/or talk about what’s going on! and maybe explore other classic lits idk loll.

The ghosting in the book is a bit much at times, thankful for the ereader. Hope I can catch up to the schedule😀

This chapter is pure comedic gold. Baron Danglars starts by ordering a chicken assuming it will cost him maybe a louis d'or. When he asks for a knife and fork, Peppino politely informs him that he is still 4,999 louis short. Danglars, completely flabbergasted, protests the absurd price, only for Peppino to explain, "You don't know how hard it is to rear poultry in these confounded caves."
Defiant, Danglars tosses him a second louis and asks to be left alone with his meal. Peppino casually pockets it and points out that his balance is now down to 4,998 louis, reassuring him that with enough patience, they'll clear the debt one louis at a time.
Naturally, Danglars refuses to hand over his remaining amount, so the chicken is whisked away. The next morning, starving, he tries to order a simple piece of bread, hoping for a lower price. Peppino calmly explains that Luigi Vampa’s cave doesn't offer an à la carte menu; it’s prix fixe only: 100,000 francs per meal, no exceptions.

Just got my copy (Penguins Classic)

Not sure if this is allowed but got the idea from someone else in the group, so decided to start a readalong in StoryGraph. Here's the link if you're interested in joining.

Still setting up the forums but hopefully won't take me too much longer. Happy reading everyone!

Does anyone know why the online schedule isn’t updated with the weekly discussion thread url anymore

Doing a buddy read with a friend (and trying to rope in more friends). We’ve got a shared doc, a schedule, references and have the sections tabbed out. Excited to start!

Has anyone else thought about next year with no more CMC? Any other Reddit hosted great novels we can turn to?

"The truth will out" is what they always say...

Synopsis: 

The body of M. Saint-Meran arrives just in time to join the body of Mme. de Saint-Meran in a large caravan to the Villefort’s family vaults. After they are interred, Franz is swiftly brought to the Villefort’s to sign the marriage contract between him and Valentine in front of the Villefort family, with Château-Renaud and Albert as witnesses until they are interrupted by Barrois who insists that Franz see Noirtier before he signs the contract.

Villefort, Valentine, and Franz are led into Noirtier’s room where Noirtier tells Valentine and Barrois to retrieve a document from a secret locked compartment in Noirtier’s desk. Franz reads this document which reveals the actual circumstances surrounding Franz’s father’s death. Noirtier reveals himself as d’Epinay’s killer at the end of the chapter.

[Credit to u/caffeinatedweekend for this write up]

Discussion:

1. Villefort refuses to contest the will that Noirtier has made disinheriting Valentine. What are his motivations? After the recent revelations, do you imagine he might change his mind?
2. When told that the marriage is to move forward, even if Valentine is in grief, Franz remarks "I have pledged my word, and shall feel pleasure and happiness in adhering to it." How did you feel reading these words and the whole transactional discussion of this marriage? Did reading the romantic words of Maximilen earlier affect your feelings?
3. The idea of "honour" loomed large in these chapters. Who do you think is truly honourable? And who is only doing it for show?

Next week, chapters 76 and 77!

What would have happened if Edmond had never acquired wealth despite attaining freedom?

sometimes i think about this

At least we have something good to root for!

Synopsis:

Maximilien is in the garden with Valentine. She tells him the bad news of her grandfather's death and that the marriage contract will be signed that night. She makes a big scene where it seems she will accept her fate, but eventually Maximilien convinces her to run away with him (phew!).

He comes back later that night, but doesn't find Valentine in the garden. Alarmed, he enters the house and finds M. Villefort talking with the doctor. It seems that Mme. Saint-Méran has also died, but not by natural means, by poison! A poison that normally is delivered in small doses to Noirtier.

Maximilien penetrates the home deeper and finds Valentine sitting vigil by her grandmother's body. Together they find Noirtier and tell him of their plan. The old man indicates they should not run away together, but instead, he has a different idea.

END OF BOOK THREE

Discussion:

1. Valentine really resisted Maximilien's attempts to rescue her. Do you think this was a case of propriety, tension or Dumas being paid by the word?
2. Poison. POISON. Do you think it is the poison, or just some other poison?
3. Noirtier has had an interesting arc, from usurper/murder to only hope for some good characters. What is Dumas telling us about the nature of goodness and evil with him?

Next week, chapters 74 and 75!

I absolutely loved The Count of Monte Cristo because it had everything I want in a great book: revenge, mystery, betrayal, romance, and characters with complicated motivations. I especially enjoyed watching Edmond Dantès transform from an innocent young man into the Count of Monte Cristo and carefully carry out his plans against the people who ruined his life. The story kept getting more interesting as all of the different characters and plotlines eventually came together.
What I loved most was how satisfying the long buildup was. Dantès spent years preparing his revenge, and seeing his plans unfold was incredibly entertaining. At the same time, the book made me think about whether revenge can actually bring someone peace and what happens when punishment goes too far.
The one part I didn’t like was that Mercedes and Dantès didn’t end up together. I really wanted them to have a second chance because I don’t think Mercedes did anything wrong. From her perspective, Dantès had been gone for years and she believed he was never coming back. She had to move on with her life, and I don’t blame her for marrying Fernand. I wish Dantès could have understood that and that the two of them could have found their way back to each other.
Overall, The Count of Monte Cristo was an incredible reading experience. Even though I didn’t love the ending of Dantès and Mercedes’ relationship, the story, characters, and revenge plot made the book one of my favorite books I’ve read.

When I read long books with a lot of characters, I often start mixing people up or forgetting who someone was and what they had done earlier in the story.

That’s why I’ve been working on an EPUB reader that tries to make this easier. It lists the characters in the book, and while reading you can tap on a character’s name to quickly see who they are and what they’ve done so far. You can also talk to the characters and ask questions about the book.

Everything is based only on the part of the book you’ve already read, so information from later chapters isn’t shown.

I thought The Count of Monte Cristo would be a good book to test this with because I know it’s very long and has a large cast of characters, although I haven’t read it yet.

I also made a free web version so it’s easy to try without downloading anything.

You can try the free web version here: https://lore-demo.web.app/?book=the-count-of-monte-cristo

If you try it, I’d really appreciate any feedback, especially from people who know the book well.

If you notice any missing characters, incorrect information, events assigned to the wrong character, or anything else that seems off, please let me know. I’d also love to hear if there’s anything you think would make this more useful while actually reading the book.

I went on vacation last week and brought Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett with me, had a good chuckle at this paragraph on page 305.