The Count of Monte Cristo

| 4.47 | 1,266,851 ratings and reviews

Recommended by Ryan Holiday, Sol Orwell, Chris Kutarna, and 3 others. See all reviews

Ranked #1 in Revenge, Ranked #3 in France — see more rankings.

Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantes is confined to the grim fortress of If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and he becomes determined not only to escape, but also to unearth the treasure and use it to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration. Dumas’ epic tale of suffering and retribution, inspired by a real-life case of wrongful imprisonment, was a huge popular success when it was first serialized in the 1840s.

Robin Buss’s lively English translation is complete and... more
Buy on Amazon

Reviews and Recommendations

We've comprehensively compiled reviews of The Count of Monte Cristo from the world's leading experts.

Ryan Holiday AuthorI thought I’d read this book before but clearly they gave me some sort of children’s version. Because the one I’d read as a kid wasn’t a 1,200 page epic of some of the most brilliant, beautiful and complicated storytelling ever put to paper. What a book! When I typed out my notes (and quotes) after finishing this book, it ran some 3,000 words. I was riveted from cover to cover. I enjoyed all the stuff I missed as a kid: the Counts struggle with his faith in light of what was done to him, the Hundred Days of Napoleon’s return, his rants against technology, the criticism of newspapers, the... (Source)

Sol Orwell I have to go with Count of Monte Cristo. An unparalleled revenge story. (Source)

Chris Kutarna The Count of Monte Cristo it is about revenge and the cost of revenge. Being careful what you wish for. The other theme is about riches and wealth and what is truly valuable. (Source)

Rankings by Category

The Count of Monte Cristo is ranked in the following categories:

Similar Books

If you like The Count of Monte Cristo, check out these similar top-rated books:

Learn: What makes Shortform summaries the best in the world?

Learn More