r/AReadingOfMonteCristo

It might be a good idea to know this Count guy... I guess we can keep him around.

Synopsis:

Franz gets some bad news. Albert has been abducted! The mysterious woman was actually a bandit in disguise! They are demanding a ransom! And the amount is more than Franz can pay!

Thinking quickly, he goes to the Count and asks for help. While the Count could easily pay it, he instead chooses to confront Luigi Vampa. Together, Franz and MC travel to the catacombs of St. Sebastian and tell Vampa to release Albert. The whole scene has a relaxed air, with MC and Vampa conversing as respected equals. Albert is unharmed and they return to the hotel safely. The Count and Albert shake hands and MC can't help but let a shudder escape at his touch.

The next day, MC asks for the favour to be returned by Albert in the form of opening the doors of Parisian high society to him. They agree to meet in 3 months at a precise time. Franz shakes MC's hand and it is cold like a "corpse."

MC takes his leave and Franz expresses worry about their new acquaintance. He finally reveals all of the many things he has witnessed related to MC that might make him seem a shady character. Albert, however, dismisses these concerns and is even more committed to meeting the man again at the appointed time.

Discussion:

1. You have now encountered the famous Luigi Vampa. What is your impression of him?
2. Franz witnesses some interesting details about the Count in these chapters. How is your picture of him evolving?
3. What is your impression of the 2 young men as their Roman escapade concludes?
4. MC has managed to get an invite to Parisian society. How would you rate his plan? Lucky? Or ingenius?

Next week, chapters 39 and 40!

I tells ya, it's the truth, it happened to a friend of a friend of mine...

Synopsis:

Albert has some of his friends over as he awaits the arrival of the Count of Monte Cristo. The friends delight in their privilege while Albert builds anticipation for the arrival of his new acquaintance.

The Count arrives perfectly on time. The men get to know each other. The Count, for his part, spends some time illuminating his character, with reference to his servants, foreignness, chemical prowess, wealth and international connections. In exchange, the Count learns that he is in the company of Maximilien Morrel, M. Morrel's son and that Albert also knows Baron Danglars.

Discussion:

1. Compare Albert to the other young men in this scene. Dumas spends a lot of time on their conversation and the setting, what do you think he has tried to show us?
2. The Count is making a big deal about his foreign origin and foreign connections. What purpose is this serving in his grand scheme?
3. The Count was surprised to see Maximilien Morrel and then dropped the name "Thomson and French" to bait a reaction. This must be unplanned. Why do you think he did this?
4. Do you find the yarn the Count is spinning to be believable? Should our young men be more skeptical of this mysterious stranger? And why aren't they?

Next week, chapters 41 and 42!

Just finished my journey with The Count of Minte-Cristo. I can't wait to discuss it. It was beautiful. No words can describe how high i feel after everything what happened to our beloved (and not so much) characters. This is the the book i will come back to. I'm heartbroken, hopefull and blow away

Where I can find "The count of monte cristo" - penguin classic version in a affordable range under 700rs ? I looked at Amazon, Flipkart and other site they all are out of stock.