The Count of Monte Cristo
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Key Facts
full title · The Count of Monte Cristo (Le Comte de Monte-Cristo, in the original French)
author · Alexandre Dumas
type of work · Novel
genre · Adventure; Romantic novel; moralistic tale
language · French
time and place written · 1844, France
date of first publication · Published serially from August 1844 until January 1846
publisher · Le Journal des Débats
narrator · The novel is narrated by an anonymous voice.
point of view · The narrator speaks in the third person, focusing almost entirely on outward action and behavior rather than delving into the psychological realities of the characters.
tone · The narrator is detached from the story, relating the events as they happen.
tense · Present
setting (time) · The novel takes place during the years following the fall of Napoleon’s empire. The story begins in 1815 and ends in 1844.
setting (place) · Though most of the action takes place in Paris, key scenes are also set in Marseilles, Rome, Monte Cristo, Greece, and Constantinople.
protagonist · Edmond Dantès
major conflict · Unjustly imprisoned, Dantès’s seeks to punish those responsible for his incarceration; as the vengeful Count of Monte Cristo, he struggles to transcend his human nature and act as an agent of divine retribution.
rising action · In prison, Dantès meets Abbé Faria, who unravels the mystery of Dantès’s downfall; Dantès vows to spend his fortune on an obsessive quest to reward those who have been kind to him and to punish those who have harmed him; Dantès visits Caderousse and confirms the details of the events leading up to his incarceration; Dantès eases himself into the lives of those responsible for his time in prison.
climax · Dantès slowly brings complete devastation upon Caderousse, Fernand, Villefort, and Danglars.
falling action · Dantès enables the blissful union of Maximilian Morrel and Val-entine Villefort; Dantès finally opens himself to emotions other than gratitude and vengeance and admits his love for Haydée.
themes · The limits of human justice; relative versus absolute happiness; love versus alienation
motifs · Names; suicide; politics
symbols · The sea; the red silk purse; the elixir
foreshadowing · Abbé Faria’s apology to Dantès; the painting of Mercédès looking out to sea suggests her undying love for Dantès.
Sultan of Monte Cristo-The Sequel
by keitht7, July 15, 2012
The Sultan of Monte Cristo is a return to the great classic writing of
the late 19th century.Written as a sequel to the long time loved and
treasured adventure novel The Count of Monte Cristo,Sultan of
Monte Cristo pays great tribute to the original by remaining full of
intrigue and adding more seductive romance with the harem of the
Sultan.
The many exploites of the Sultan leaves you wondering how could
this astonishing work of literary art be so captivating while keeping
to the ... Read more→
13 out of 53 people found this helpful
0WARNING!!!!!
by KingSize4, May 02, 2013
This for the full version if your not reading the full version this will get you even more confused than the book does. The Count of Monte Christo is a good book but not when your confused about the Plot i'm in the middle of reading it and think the spark notes really help.
