E is for — Edmond Dantes from Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo
I’ve always been a fan of Alexandre Dumas’ adventure novels — The Three Musketeers, which I wrote about last year with D’Artagnan; The Man in the Iron Mask; and this year’s entry, The Count of Monte Cristo.
Edmond Dantes is a fascinating character. He is the hero of the story, but as the Count of Monte Cristo, his actions in the name of vengeance could easily be described as villainous. He manipulates everyone around him and destroys the lives of three men. Yet who could blame him, when these three men so thoroughly destroyed his, in the past?
Edmond had everything to live for. He’d just returned from a successful sea voyage, he’d been given the captaincy of a ship, and he was about to marry his beloved fiancée. Three men wrongfully condemned him as a traitor, and he was sentenced, without trial, to life in prison in the grim Chateau d’If.
Thoughts of revenge sustain him during his grueling imprisonment and fuel his daring escape. Edmond discovers, though, that vengeance can leave a bitter taste, and it’s not only the guilty who suffer as a result of his actions.
The Count of Monte Cristo has been adapted into numerous movies, TV shows, and even a comic book series. I enjoyed the 1975 movie with Richard Chamberlain as Dantes, though I wish it had stuck to the original ending from the book. The 2002 version with Jim Caviezel is on my to-be-watched list.
Photo Credit: http://www.mooviees.com
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
© Lori L. MacLaughlin and Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams, 2015. All rights reserved.
Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams 
I loved that book.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Me, too. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Interesting characters is the stuff of great fiction.
J.L. Campbell – The Character Depot | A-Z Challenge Co-Host
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s so true!
LikeLike
Yes~! Oh my god yes!!! I loved Edmond. The only thing that frustrated me was him not getting his sweet complete revenge at the end. I was so sad. I wanted to see them all pay. All of them!! Granted, I read an abridged version (sadly) so maybe I missed something more satisfying.
N J Magas, author
LikeLiked by 1 person
He’s a great character. I don’t know how the abridged version compares to the original. It would be interesting to find out.
LikeLike
It’s on my TBR list…. I’m going to be working through that thing in the afterlife, too. 😦
LikeLiked by 1 person
I really loved The Count of Monte Cristo with Jim. I have yet to read the book and see the original movie.
Elizabeth Mueller
AtoZ 2015
My Little Pony
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ll have to watch that version soon.
LikeLike
I haven’t read the book, though I’d like to. I’ve seen the 2002 movie version, and it’s really good, I think.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Another vote for that movie version. I definitely have to see it.
LikeLike
Have to plead ignorance again! We have a set of Dumas sitting on our shelves, a left-over from my husband’s youth, but the print is so small and the paper so thin that I’ve never been tempted. Maybe someday……
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha, ha, yes, they may take some getting through… but a Dumas set — I’d love that.
LikeLike
If you weren’t so far away you could have them!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha, ha, believe me, I would love to be in Scotland if I could.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This book is on my TBR list. I haven’t seen any film versions, but I love Jim Caviezel as an actor so I’m sure it would be worthwhile. If you haven’t seen him in the movie Frequency, you should.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I haven’t seen Frequency yet, but it’s on my long to-be-watched list.
LikeLiked by 1 person