Set at a time of political turmoil in France, with Napoleon in exile,Edmond Dantes is an ambitious young sailor with prospects, and a beautiful fiance, Mercedes. Three people conspire against him to ruin his life, one wants his girl, another his position. He is banished to the notorious Chateau d'If, and is believed by his friends to be dead.
In prison he meets the Abbe Faria, who becomes his teacher, and together they plan to escape. Edmond escapes with a treasure map 14 years later, claims the fortune, and becomes the mysterious Count of Monte Cristo, bent on getting revenge against those who wronged him. With his new found fortune he effortlessly penetrates the highest levels of society, and unrecognisable to his enemies, he now befriends them.
The revenge comes slow and sweet, as he plots the downfall of his enemies. He is ruthless, deliberate and unrelenting, and appears to know everyones dark secrets, although we don't always know how he knows.
There are many sub characters and subplots that are not in the movie versions of the story. There are some genuinely good characters whose path to love is blocked, and he is in the background pulling the strings to work the situation for those he loves. He is also pulling the strings on those he is out to get.
He refers to himself as providence, as he takes the archetype role of flawed hero avenger, and wreaks his awful vengeance. He mysteriously appears everywhere, and knows everything, and uses it. He is karma incarnate.
The society and manners of the time are brilliantly evoked by the beautiful writing of Alexandre Dumas. As the words leap from the page into your imagination, you see the characters, you hear their words, and feel their emotions.
Most of all, you feel for Edmond Dantes. Will revenge bring him some measure of satisfaction, and make him happy? Or, will he be forever unable to forgive, and be happy. In some respects his life is our life, as you hope for some measure
of transformation in his experience that you can apply to your own.
Will he reunite with his beautiful fiance, now married to one of his enemies? Can he get revenge, and be forgiven by her?