Falsely accused of treason, Edmond Dantes is arrested on his wedding night and imprisoned in the grim island fortress of Chateau d’If. After staging a dramatic escape he sets out to discover the fabuouls treasure on the island of Monte Cristo and uses it to exact revenge on those responsible for his incarceration.
The sensational narrative of intrigue, betrayal, escape and triumphant revenge moves at a cracking pace. Dumas’ novels present a powerful conflict between good and evil embodied in an epic saga of rich diversity that is complicated by the hero’s ultimate doscomfort with the hubristic implications of his own actions. A novel of enormous tension and excitement, The Count of Monte Cristo is also a tale of obsession and revenge, with Dantes, believing himself to be an Angel of Providence, pursuing his vengeance to the bitter end before realising that he himself is a victim of fate.
Frequently imitated but rarely surpassed, Dumas is one of the best known French writers and a master of ripping yarns full of fearless heroes, poisonous ladies and swashbuckling adventurers. His other novels include The Three Musketeers and The Man in the Iron Mask, which have sold millions of copies and have been made into countless TV and film adaptations.