The Count of Monte Cristo

About this book

On the eve of his wedding and promotion, young sailor Edmond Dantès is betrayed and condemned to the Château d'If. Years later he escapes with knowledge of a hidden fortune and returns to Parisian society as the wealthy Count of Monte Cristo, moving among the men who destroyed his life. Dumas builds a plot of disguises, delayed revelations, and elaborate reward and punishment across French society high and low. The novel is vast, melodramatic, and irresistible, a fantasy of agency for anyone who has felt powerless against injustice. Friendship, love, and mercy complicate the count's design, making this more than a simple revenge tale.