From the Publisher
The Count of Monte-Cristo was inspired by an
anecdote from the Parisian police archives, a pearl of a story,
Dumas called it, ''A rough, shapeless pearl, of no value, waiting
for its jeweller''. Edmond Dantè''s betrayal, his incarceration in
the fortress-prison of If, his search for Abbé Faria''s hidden
treasure, and his reappearance, now fabulously rich, as the
brooding, Byronic and vengeful Count of Monte-Cristo - these are
the bare outlines of a book which Thackeray, for one, found
impossible to put down. Dumas set his magnificent novel of
L''action et l''amour in nineteenth-century metropolitan Paris with
interludes in Marseilles and Rome. In it he gave free rein to the
sensational - hashish-smoking, vampirism and sex - and to his
interest in travel, classical myth, the orient, human psychology
and disguises. The Count of Monte-Cristo (1844-46)
is one of the great popular novels of all time, and a landmark in
the development of modern popular fiction.
From the Jacket
Now A Major Motion Picture Starring Jim Caviezel, Guy Pearce
and Richard Harris
The Count of Monte-Cristo was inspired by an anecdote from
the Parisian police archives, a pearl of a story, Dumas called it,
"A rough, shapeless pearl, of no value, waiting for its jeweller".
Edmond Dantè's betrayal, his incarceration in the fortress-prison
of If, his search for Abbé Faria's hidden treasure, and his
reappearance, now fabulously rich, as the brooding, Byronic and
vengeful Count of Monte-Cristo - these are the bare outlines of a
book which Thackeray, for one, found impossible to put down. Dumas
set his magnificent novel of L'action et l'amour in
nineteenth-century metropolitan Paris with interludes in Marseilles
and Rome. In it he gave free rein to the sensational -
hashish-smoking, vampirism and sex - and to his interest in travel,
classical myth, the orient, human psychology and disguises.
This enduringly popular tale of love and vengence in the
post-napoleonic era is now a Major Motion Picture from Spyglass
Entertainment starring Jim Cavizel, Guy Pearce and Richard Harris.
With its non-stop adventure, intrigue and excitement, now it is the
perfect occasion to rediscover one of the greatest popular novels
of all time.
About the Author
Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870)-author of more than ninety plays and
many novels-was well-known in Parisian society and was a
contemporary of Victor Hugo. After the success of The Count of
Monte Cristo, Dumas dumped his entire fortune into his own
Chateau de Monte Cristo-and was then forced to flee to
Belgium to escape his creditors. He died penniless but optimistic,
saying of death, "I shall tell her a story, and she will be kind to
me."
