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Ramblings and Reflections
- The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
- Recently, I watched the PBS series based on Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo. First, I recommend it to those who have read the book and to those who have not. Second, the series stayed true to the overall themes of the book. Lastly, it gave me an opportunity to reflect on why it remains one of my favorite books.
- The plot of the story is well-known. Edmond Dantès is unjustly convicted and sentenced to a notorious prison off the French coast, accused of sedition against the French royalty. While imprisoned—
- Nope. I will not include spoiler alerts, though this tale is over 150 years old. There may be someone who comes across this post and reads it for the first time. Instead, I will focus on what attracted me to this story and why it still delivers satisfaction.
- There were parts of this story that made me uncomfortable. Especially around slavery and women. Edmond Dantès is refreshingly an imperfect protagonist. I’m not sure the novel provides any heroes in the book. Readers will discover sympathetic characters. Particularly Abbé Faria, who fails to receive justice but refuses to surrender his spirit to captivity.
- What appealed—appeals—to me is the plot’s endless pursuit of justice. A person wrongly convicted gains their freedom. But they also successfully achieve revenge. Yes. I admit it. How Edmond Dantès tracks down each one of enemies and subverts their vicious schemes is delightful. He does it slowly and with deliberation. Emblematic of the slow, tortuous demise they intended for him.
- In these trying times when justice is a myth, I appreciate a story where evil people are punished. Not by the authorities or the legal system, but by their own selfish greed. It took decades, but Edmond Dantès achieved his goal.
- When will the innocent receive justice? Don’t know. Life has never been equitable or fair, but I never stop working to be my best and help others when possible.
- “There is neither happiness nor misery in the world, there is only the comparison of one state with another, nothing more. He who has felt the deepest grief is best able to experience supreme happiness.”