The Count of Monte Cristo Take Three

I appreciate a good bit of Schadenfreude more than most.  Although I absolutely indulge in the pleasure for sports or trifling matters, there is nothing comforting in vengeance or "joy in damage" as to people's lives.  However, it can make for a rip-roaring story.

I finished part two of our assigned reading for the Count of Monte Cristo for my book club this weekend.  My first few posts inspired me to comment on the greater morality play I anticipated as well as some thoughts on Edmund Dantes as he transitioned from innocent youth to the vengeful Count.  This second section of reading, which took me through 3/4 of the book, displayed only the Count in all his vengeful glory.

The transformation is complete and the Count of Monte Cristo begins his intricate dismantling of the lives of those who have wronged him.  He is cold, calculating and fantastic.  For much of this section, his plans are executed to perfection and he displays how much intricate planning can be accomplished when money supplies are unending.  But, as I approached the later portions of this section, the control begins to slip.

Here comes the inevitable parade of innocent victims, collateral damage and all other symptoms of overreaching so common to the human condition.  He is boldly paving the road of danger so well articulated by Yoda. Anger, fear, hatred, suffering.  They are all on display.

Edmund Dantes, even as the Count, is losing himself yet again.



There are certainly characters who deserve much of what they get.  Villefort, for one, continues to worship his own self even to the ruin of the rest of his family.  His dedication to his political office and reputation is beyond anything that has (yet) led to much sympathy.  There are also those who have been led to suffer needlessly and those who are being involved for no other crime than that they are related to the offenders or are even servants in the home.  This is where control proves tough.

Clearly, the story has taken on a heavy tint of gray.

Even the descriptions of the Count indicate that his anger has manifested itself physically.  For example, this description:

"His forehead was marked with the line that indicates the constant presence of bitter thoughts; he had the fiery eyes that seem to penetrate to the very soul, and the haughty and disdainful upper lip that gives to the words it utters a peculiar character that impresses them on the minds of those to whom they are addressed."

I found it fascinating that the Count, as opposed to Edmund Dantes, appears a different person yet again and part of it is from inner-turmoil.  Combined with 14 years of time, the physical- and demeanor-changes impacted by his scars have rendered believable his ability to remain unknown to everyone he meets.

I have not had occasion to change my thoughts on the story as expressed in my previous post and it appears to be playing out as I thought it would.  I believe my initial thoughts as much now as before and eagerly anticipate how Dumas will finish the tale and the Count's inevitable unraveling.

So, instead of further revisit my thoughts on the morality play, I will simply turn to the amazing quality of this work.  I have found some fantastic passages and descriptions.  I had known of Dumas as an author famous for his adventurous tales, but I did not know how wonderful he was as a wordsmith.  I just love how this book is written.  Although it does fall into the all-too-familiar "life or death" love-story dialogue of the time, Dumas really shines as a writer.  The list of quotes below are just a few of the ones that really grabbed me.  There are too many to extract them all.

Quotes

- ... misfortune is needed to bring to light the treasures of the human intellect.  Compression is needed to explode gunpowder. Captivity has brought my mental faculties to a focus; and you are well aware that from the collision of clouds electricity is produced - from electricity, lightning, from lighting, illumination.

- Still, from an artificial civilization have originated wants, vices, and false tastes, which occasionally become so powerful as to stifle within us all good feelings, and ultimately to lead us into guilt and wickedness.

- Be happy, noble heart, be blessed for all the good thou hast done and wilt do hereafter, and let my gratitude remain in obscurity like your good deeds.

- "...and now," said the unknown, "farewell kindness, humanity, and gratitude! Farewell to all the feelings that expand the heart!  I have been heaven's substitute to recompense the good - now the god of vengeance yields to me his power to punish the wicked!"

- ...but the count exercised over him also the ascendancy a strong mind always acquires over a mind less domineering.

- ... punctilious exactitude.

- ... and I have always observed, that the devil most obstinate to be expelled is a secret.

- But so it is; a woman will often, from mere willfulness, prefer that which is dangerous to that which is safe.  Therefore, in my opinion, my dear baron, the best and easiest way is to leave them to their fancies, and allow them to act as they please, and then, if any mischief follows, why, at least they have no one to blame but themselves.

- After every action requiring exertion, it is conscience that saves us, for it supplies us with a thousand good excuses, of which we alone are judges; and these reasons, howsoever excellent in producing sleep, would avail us but very little before a tribunal, when we were tried for our lives. (just fantastic!)

- Madame de Vellefort listened with avidity to these appalling maxims and horrible paradoxes, delivered by the count with that ironical simplicity which was peculiar to him.

- Your history is quite a romance, and the world, which delights in romances in yellow covers, strangely mistrusts those which are bound in living parchment, even though they be gilded like yourself.

- The count listened with satisfaction to this tale of wounded self-love and defeated ambition.

- Madame Danglers was suffering from that nervous irritability which women frequently cannot account for even to themselves; or that, as Debray had guessed, she had experienced some secret agitation that she would not acknowledge to any one.

- If one's lot is cast among fools, it is necessary to study folly.

- "Come magistrate," said M. d'Avrigny, "show yourself a man; as an interpreter of the law, do honor to your profession by sacrificing your selfish interests to it."

I am thinking about making a push to finish the book before the next meeting (June 8), but will let it simmer for now.  This is a real page-turner and one I cannot wait to continue.