The Count of Monte Cristo (Regents Illustrated Classics, Level D)

This is the quintessential book about revenge!

Edmond Dantes has everything going for him - a promising career and the hand of the girl he loves. Yet things go disastrously wrong when he is set up - accused of being a Bonapartist he is sent to Chateau D'If...a prison on an island with no chance of release, and not even being told of what he is being charged.

At first first it seems he will go mad, yet he is befriended by the Abbe Faria, who is thought to be mad. The Abbe teaches Edmond about a myriad of subjects, and informing him of a secret treasure. When the Abbe dies (14 years after Edmond's arrival at the prison), Edmond siezes the opportunity to escape and, after locating the treasure, sets out on a patient, complex, course for revenge against those who had ruined his life.

Ever since I first read The Three Musketeers, I have been a fan of Alexandre Dumas, but never had a chance to read this book. I'm glad I finally had this opportunity as it's well worth the time, and I highly recommend reading The Count Of Monte Cristo.

This review is for the Abridged Puffin Classics version, ISBN: 0-140-37353-5.

This version has been abridged not so much for adults as for young readers. It is now appropriate for ages 13-15, I would say, or for advanced ESL learners.

The abridgment reads naturally and flows well. Extraneous plot elements that Robin Waterfield decided to leave out have been completely left out, meaning that, at least as far as I was able to detect, no vestigial traces of the original plot lingering about to confuse you.

All the much-ballyhooed references to lesbianism and drugs in Dumas's original have, it need hardly be said, been deleted. Also, Dantes doesn't curse God so much in this one (in the dungeon scene, I mean).

I've been reading this book on and off for 4 years! Just finished the other night. Some parts are real page turners and others are slowwww. All in and all a fantastic story, great writing, and intriguing historical context! Only disappointment was the ending...seemed like Dumas just ran out of creative steam in the last chapter.

I can't tell you the number of times that I have read The Count of Monte Cristo. I have studied several translations and many abridgments. Although nothing is a truly adequate substitution for the unabridged version, this the by far the best that I have read. The story flows nicely, and unlike some abridgments, there is not the feeling of having missed something. The major details and plot lines are all present, and the characters are as genuine as in the unabridged versions. I would highly recommend this abridgment over the others on the market.

This book is outstanding. I receved it without delay or any other problems. It is also in good condition.