Dec. 2: The Count of Monte Cristo

Minutes: 45

Pages: 70

Summary: Maximilian meets his secret love, Valentine de Villefort, Villefort’s daughter from his first marriage. Valentine laments: her father neglects her, her stepmother despises her, and she has a fiance she does not want to marry. Maximilian makes Valentine promise not to settle by marrying Franz d’Epinay, despite her father’s strong desire to see them together. The 2 are nearly an impossible match; Maximilian is far too poor to be appropriate for Valentine (Villefort seems to hate the entire Morrel family). The Count of Monte Cristo arrives at the Villefort home, and reminds Madame de Villefort that they have met once before, in Italy. She recalls he had been hailed as a great doctor because he had saved two lives and asks about his knowledge of chemistry, particularly that of poisons. He describes to her the method he used to make himself immune to poison and about the potion used to revive Edwar; helpful in small doses, deadly otherwise. In response to Madame de Villefort’s hints, Monte Cristo offers to send her a vial of the potion the next day.

Reflection: His plot thickens

Nov. 27: The Count of Monte Cristo

Minutes: 45

Pages: 70

Summary:

Reflection:

Nov. 25: The Count of Monte Cristo

Minutes: 45

Pages: 70

Summary:

Reflection:

Nov. 23: The Count of Monte Cristo

Minutes: 45

Pages: 70

Summary: Maximilian meets his secret love, Valentine de Villefort, Villefort’s daughter from his first marriage. Valentine laments: her father neglects her, her stepmother despises her, and she has a fiance she does not want to marry. Maximilian makes Valentine promise not to settle by marrying Franz d’Epinay, despite her father’s strong desire to see them together. The 2 are nearly an impossible match; Maximilian is far too poor to be appropriate for Valentine (Villefort seems to hate the entire Morrel family). The Count of Monte Cristo arrives at the Villefort home, and reminds Madame de Villefort that they have met once before, in Italy. She recalls he had been hailed as a great doctor because he had saved two lives and asks about his knowledge of chemistry, particularly that of poisons. He describes to her the method he used to make himself immune to poison and about the potion used to revive Edwar; helpful in small doses, deadly otherwise. In response to Madame de Villefort’s hints, Monte Cristo offers to send her a vial of the potion the next day.

Reflection: His plot thickens

Nov. 20: The Count of Monte Cristo

Minutes: 45

Pages: 70

Summary: Monte Cristo sets up a beautiful, young, Greek slave of his in a separate apartment and tells her she is free to leave at anytime, yet she decides to stay with him. Monte Cristo pays a visit to Maximilian Morrel (the son of his former captain), who is staying with his sister, Julie, who is now married. Their house is filled with a sense of bliss, love, and serenity that overwhelms Monte Cristo with emotion, so he comments on the uncommon happiness of this household and Emmanuel (Julie's husband) and Julie tell him of the angelic benefactor who once saved them. They show Monte Cristo the proof of this angel and lament that they have never identified their benefactor. Monte Cristo pretends to guess that the benefactor might have been an Englishman he once knew who did not believe in true gratitude but performed many generous actions, but Maximilian admits that his father has a more superstitious theory regarding their savior: he believes that their benefactor was Edmond Dantès, acting from beyond the grave causing Monte Cristo to become overwhelmed, and he leaves abruptly and awkwardly.

Reflection: We see a side of the Count that I almost thought was buried away forever. He shows that, despite his extraordinary intelligence and demeanor, he is still human.

Nov. 18: The Count of Monte Cristo

Minutes: 45

Pages: 70

Summary: Knowing that Villefort's wife will be borrowing the horses the next day, Monte Cristo arranges for the horses to become wild while they pass by his house. As the runaway horses go by, bearing the panic-stricken Madame de Villefort and her son, Edward, Ali (the mute) lassos them easily, saving mother and son. Edward passes out from fear, and Monte Cristo uses a special potent elixir to revive him. Villefort visits Monte Cristo in order to thank him for saving his wife and son. Monte Cristo engages Villefort in a conversation about justice. Villefort reveals that his father, Noirtier has been paralyzed by a stroke.

Reflection: His scheme's depth, to me, reveals the tremendous intelligence of Dumas himself. A multifaceted and intricate story is hard to make be cohesive, yet it all makes perfect sense.

Nov. 16: The Count of Monte Cristo

Minutes: 45

Pages: 70

Summary: Monte Cristo now engages in a clever, complex ruse to win the good graces of the Danglars and Villefort families; He instructs his mute servant to purchase Danglars’s two most beautiful horses for twice their price, knowing that these horses actually belong to Madame Danglars. With these two horses attached to his coach, Monte Cristo then visits Danglars at home in order to open an unlimited credit account with him, an act that astonishes and humbles Danglars, who is now a banker. Madame Danglars is told that her horses have been sold, and she sees them attached to Monte Cristo’s carriage. She becomes enraged with her husband for selling them. Monte Cristo excuses himself from the scene. Later that evening, Monte Cristo, in a gallant gesture, returns the horses as a gift.

Reflection: If it wasn't evident before, Dantes' transformation into the Count is incredible. Monte Cristo and Dantes are different enough to be different people.

Nov. 13: The Count of Monte Cristo

Minutes: 45

Pages: 70

Summary: Franz and Morcef, while at the inn, hear a story from the inn keeper. It is one of a criminal named Vampa, but Franz and Morcef are skeptcal. The inn keeper begins on a tale of Vampa's origins in order to convince them: Vampa was a shepherd who fell in love with a shepherdess named Teresa, and, due to odd circumstances, harbored a criminal named Cucumetto despite there being a bounty on the man's head. Later, there was party and Teresa desired a costume of one of the patrons, so Vampa burned down their house and took it in the panic. After this, a man named Sinbad the Sailor asked him for directions and, when he gave it to him, was re-payed with 2 small jewels. When he arrived to bring Teresa her costume, he found her being kidnapped, so Vampa killed the man, only later realizing that it was Cucumetto. So, donning Cucumetto's clothes, he demands to be made leader of what were once Cucumetto's bandit's.

Reflection: As the reader it is always interesting to learn something about a character when the people that are hearing it don't discern it's meaning. Knowing more than the characters in a book is quite interesting.

Nov. 11: The Count of Monte Cristo

Minutes: 45

Pages: 70

Summary: Ten years later, Baron Franz d’Epinay visits Monte Cristo and discovers that there are men there under the employ of Sinbad the Sailor (Dantes), and Franz is invited to Sinbad's "palace" where he is astonished by the magnificent decor, food, and treasure there; all the while, Dantes' is sharing with him hallucinogenic drugs and Franz has a trip. He wakes up the next morning and can't find the entrance to the palace despite his best efforts and wonders if the man, who expounded on his philanthropic jouneys, was even real as he heads to Rome to meet Viscount Albert de Morcerf, (the son of Fernand Mondego, who is now known as the Count de Morcerf) who is a friend of his, and they plan on attending a carnival but arrive late and they can't secure a couch which is required to enjoy the festival, so they stay at an inn.

Reflection: Dantes' philanthropy, and his skillful employment of drugs, are evidence of his amazingly eccentric and brilliant nature. His grotto, his apparently endless skill set, and the fact that he has a dumb (tongueless) servant solidify his place in the history of books as one of the most fantastic and developed character ever.

Nov. 9: The Count of Monte Cristo

Minutes: 45

Pages: 70

Summary: Still as the Rep, he heads to Morrel and Sons to "collect the debt" which, for the first time in his life Morrel is unable to pay, but this is followed by worse news: the ship that would bring the cargo and earn him the money he needed had just gone down. Dantes hears all this and extends the time for collection by 3 months and pulls Morrel's daughter Julie aside and makes her promise to follow any instructions she receives from a man calling himself “Sinbad the Sailor". Three months later, in the nick of time (Morrel was planing n taking his life to avoid the embarrassment of not being able to pay the debt) Julie bursts in with a bag that has all of his debt notes marked as "paid" and a diamond marked as Julie's dowry. They hear an uproar outside as a ship, identical to the one that sank, arrives in port bearing the same cargo as the original, this all while a mysterious yacht leaves the harbor.

Reflection: Dantes' money has given him the desire to be as selfless as possible, helping those who need it and the like, except in one regard: His revenge. No doubt it is of no comparison the joy giving brings to the hatred for the men that ruined his life. This consuming need for vengeance will undoubtedly ruin his life.

Nov. 6: The Count of Monte Cristo

Minutes: 45

Pages: 70

Summary: Next, as the Thomas and French rep, he heads to the Chateau D'if under the guise of purchasing all stock in Morrel and Sons, the company of his former captain, from the head of the prison at full price, and while there he claims he was a former student of Faria to gain access to his file, but actually he checks his own file and he pockets the letter of accusation written by Danglars and delivered by Fernand, and confirms the fact that Villefort ordered him locked away for life.

Reflection: To Be Continued...

Nov. 4: The Count of Monte Cristo

Minutes: 45

Pages: 70

Summary: Dantes, now with tremendous wealth, takes on 3 alter egos to successfully carry out his mission; First, an Abbe Bussoni, Second, a representative of the investment firm Thomas and French, and Third as "Sinbad the Sailor". "Bussoni" visits Caderousse, the third man that was involved in the plot against Dantes, under the guise of carrying out Dantes' final wishes. He learns about what became of Danglers, Fernand, and Mercedes, and Caderousse reveals that they hd schemed agianst him, solidifying what Faria had said.

Reflection: I'm going to continue this on another log

Oct. 30: The Count of Monte Cristo

Minutes: 45

Pages: 70

Summary: He manages to cut himself free and makes his way for an island, from which he gains passage on a smuggler ship. He befriends the crew and bides his time for his chance to visit the island of Monte Cristo, the location of the treasure. When the ship lands there, he feigns injury and tells them to return in a week. He finds the treasure due to his incredible ingenuity and it is even grander than he had imagined; he fills his pockets and after being picked up by the smugglers and reaching a port, purchases one ship and crew for a friend (Jacapo), on the condition that he sail to Marseilles and get news of Louis Dantes (his father) and Mercedes and return to Monte Cristo, and a yacht for himself with a secret compartment which he fills with treasure after returning to the island. When Jacapo meets him there, he informs Dantes that Louis Dantes is dead and Mercedes has disappeared. Dantes barely contains his emotion and sails for Marseilles.

Reflection: His imprisonment is portrayed as death by Dumas, whereas his escape is portrayed as a rebirth or resurrection. And the topic of hope is touched when Dantes contemplates the treasure's reality and how the hope for it was keeping him going.

Oct. 28: The Count of Monte Cristo

Minutes: 45

Pages: 70

Summary: The following day, Faria begins talking about a "hidden treasure", and Dantes begins to question his sanity; however, Faria won Edmond over by recounting a the tale behind the treasure: The treasure once belonged to the Spada family, the wealthiest family in Italy. In the fifteenth century, Caesar Spada hid the treasure on the uninhabited island of Monte Cristo, hoping to keep it out of the hands of a murderous, thieving pope. Due to a mishap, however, the location of the treasure remained a secret even from the family. While he was in the employ of the Spada family, he stumbled upon a map of sorts with ink revealed by smoke. Faria explains that Spada left all he had to him, so the treasure actually belongs to him. adding that it also belongs to Dantès, who has become his "son" over the course of the past two years and Faria shows Dantès the piece of paper that reveals the treasure’s location and he insists Dantes comit it to memory. The next night, Faria dies and Dantes is in agony, but he is hit with an amazing idea: He will hide Faria's body in the tunnel and he will sew himself into the shroud meant for the abbe; when the guards take out the bag, they will be taking out Dantes. He brings a makeshift shovel/knife to dig himself out when they bury him, however they don't bury prisoners; they tie a cannon ball to their legs and hurl them off the cliff into the water.

Reflection: What is so amazing is that Dantes didn't befriend Faria for the treasures location. They were true friends. That is why he revealed the treasure's location to Dantes.

Oct. 26: The Count of Monte Cristo

Minutes: 45

Pages: 70

Summary: Dantes in prison first turned to god, then to wrath at his misfortune, and then decides to kill himself using starvation, but before he dies, he hears a scratching on the other side of his wall. He breaks a dish and uses the chip to scrape away and meet the scraper halfway. Soon, the man breaks through; his name is Abbe Faria and Dantes is amazingly glad to have company, but Faria less so thinking he was going to be free at the end of the tunnel he was digging. Faria turns out to be a genius, having among other things, fashioned paper, writing utensils, and dug a 50 foot tunnel with handmade tools. The men began talking and after hearing Dantes' life story, he discerns that Fernand and Danglers were behind his being held in the prison and he also knew of the relationshp between Noirtier and Villefort seeing as the Abbe and Noirtier were acquainted in the past. Upon hearing these things, Dantes, who never pondered them before, now set his heart on escape and ultimately revenge. Since they had so much time, the abbe taught Dantes nearly everything that there was to be taught, and Dantes learned very well, his memory still fresh. Faria comes up with another plan, but before they can leave, the abbe has a fit and is paralyzed on half of his body and he can't escape.

Reflection: The relationship of the two men is an amazing one. They were both satisfied by their positions, that of teacher and student, but also as friends. Alone, they were both above average people, but together they were something much better. Also, Faria’s deduction about the truth behind Dantes’s downfall is the first major turning point in Dantes’s development, as it is in this moment that Dantes begins his transformation from a happy, innocent, and loving man into a vengeful and miserable one. That Dantes is unable to fathom his enemies’ treachery himself indicates the extent of his initial innocence.

Oct. 23: The Count of Monte Cristo

Minutes: 45

Pages: 70

Summary: Dantes, taken to the prison island of Chateau D'if, is innocent and confused; he is a very simple-minded person and doesn't even have a thought in his mind about being betrayed. Villefort, after seeing Mercedes, feels agonizing regret for the life he had ruined, but he still had a desire to help his father and keep his own name clean, so he told his father that a man of his description was suspected as being a conspirator with Napoleon, so he shaves his beard, changing his appearance. Having read the letter Napoleon wrote to his father, he was aware of a plan for a return of the Bonaparte era, so he rushed to King Louis XVIII and warned him. Even though Napoleon did return to power, Villefort gained great respect since he was the only person to warn the King. With Bonaparte back in power, Bonapartism is no longer illegal, and therefore Dantes wouldn't be guilty even if his "crimes" were legitimate; so his former captain, Monsieur Morrel, begins his work on his release by going to Villefort multiple times. Since Danglars is unaware that Villefort has any personal reasons to keep Dantes imprisoned, he assumes he will soon be free and moves to Madrid to avoid being damaged by any acts of vengeance.

Reflection: I already wrote enough i think

Oct. 21: The Count of Monte Cristo

Minutes: 45

Pages: 70

Summary: The plot to cause Dantes demise couldn't go as far as to kill him (Mercedes said she would commit suicide if Dantes were to die) so Fernand convinced them to have him imprisoned instead. A letter was drafted by Danglars informing the public prosecutor that Dantès is bearing a letter from Napoleon to the Bonapartist Committee in Paris. After having mailed the letter, and during Edmond and Mercedes betrothal feast, guards come a seize Dantes, who is unaware of anything wrong he has done. However, Dantes seems to have gotten a lucky break when a man named Villefort enters the picture. Dantes, being his open and normal self, proceeds to nearly win Villefort over, but Dantes mentions the name of the recipient the letter he was given is addressed to. The man, named Noirtier, happens to be Villefort's father, and to spare himself any embarrassment of having his father exposed as a supporter of Napoleon, he to joins the scheme to cause Dantes' demise

Reflection: The frequent examples of indecencies and the saving of face are a testament to the imperfections inherent in having man rule over man. The power to silence and rid ones life goes along with having responsibility in society. And man will misuse it as long as long as such power is in his control.

Oct. 19: The Count of Monte Cristo

Okay, i read this book on days other than the 3 times a week we need to blog so i'll just average it out.

Minutes: 45

Pages: 70

Summary: Edmond Dantes is a sailor and a good leader, devoted to his fiancee and father (who is aging), and is able to overlook his dislike of Danglars, Caderousse, and Fernand and treats them with civility. He's loyal to his loved ones and sees the best in everyone. Danglars (who was watching his father before he left on a voyage), Caderousse (his rival for the job of captaining his ship), and Fernand (his rival for his fiancee's attention) have convinced themselves that, despite his kind acts, that he is arrogant, and, Fernand feels he is the only obstacle between him and Mercedes (Dantes' fiancee). The three decide to engineer his demise.

Reflection: Alexander Dumas wrote in many things to contrast Dantes from his three "enemies". Dantes is talked about as being liked by all those under him on his ship. Despite his obvious kindness, the three decide in their minds he is horrible.