Dear Reader,
This week’s news article is a book review, courtesy of Librarian, Jessica Davies.
Genre: Adventure
If you like this book, then I humbly recommend:
- War & Peace by Leo Tolstoy
- Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
- Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Currently available at the Russell Library in the New Release section.
Overview: An epic adventure. A story of love, betrayal and redemption. This grand novel opens in 1815 Marseille, the Pharaon, a three-masted ship, arrives in port from Italy.
Our protagonist is nineteen-year-old Edmond Dantes, a well-adept sailor and first mate aboard the Pharaon, Dantes seems to have it all. He is engaged to his beautiful fiancé, Mercedes, about to become Captain of the Pharaon, and deeply liked and admired by his peers.
Jealousy lurks near, as crew-mates and so-called friends of Dante’s secretly plot to destroy him. Danglars envies Dantes’ early career success; Fernand Mondego is in love with Dante’s fiancé and covets their relationship, and Caderousse claims that Edmond is simply luckier in life than he deserves.
After Edmond helps carry out a favor for his deceased captain on their last voyage, the aforementioned trio pen a letter accusing Dantes of treason, claiming that he is a Bonapartist Sympathizer. On his wedding day is arrested for his alleged crimes.
Edmond is sentenced to life imprisonment on the small island fortress known as Chateau d’If, a gruesome prison where only the most dangerous political prisoners are kept. While in prison, Dantes befriends Abbe Faria, a fellow prisoner and priest, who teaches him history, science, philosophy, languages, turning him into a well-educated man. Before Faria dies, he bequeaths Edmond a large sum of buried treasure hidden beneath the island of Monte Cristo. Fario also helps Edmond to realize the wrongdoers who betrayed him. The tides quickly turn, as Edmond narrowly escapes the Chateau d’If, and in the duration of the novel we witness Edmond’s sweet revenge.
My thoughts: I would sell my soul to read this novel for the first time again. This book is, at present, my favorite read, ever.
“Life is a storm, my young friend. You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes. You must look into that storm and shout as you did in Rome. Do your worst, for I will do mine! Then the fates will know you as we know you.”
Please do not be deterred by the length of this novel. Each page and chapter are crucial in the telling of this story, the depiction of characters and timelines. I would be lying if I said that, at first glance, I was undaunted by the enormity of the book. But, it won’t take long for you to quickly fall in love with the Count’s slave, Haydee, or want to join Albert at the Carnival in Rome, befriend smuggler Jacopo, and win the respect of The Count of Monte Cristo and priest Faria.
Finally, if not a bragging point to your fellow comrades, for completing such a monumental piece of literature – you will indeed walk away grinning ear to ear at such a magnificent ending.
‘All human wisdom is contained in these two words — “Wait” and “Hope.”’
Jessica awarded this book 5 out of 5 stars.
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Happy Reading, Until Next Time,
The Library Ladies