Description:
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Robin Buss (1939–2006) was a writer and translator who worked for the Independent on Sunday and as television critic for the Times Educational Supplement. He was also the translator of a number of volumes for Penguin Classics.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
The Count of Monte Cristo
By Alexandre DumasPenguin Books
Copyright ©2003 Alexandre DumasAll right reserved.
ISBN: 0140449264
Chapter One
Chapter I
ON FEBRUARY 24, 1815, the watchtower at Marseilles signaled the arrival of the three-master Pharaon, coming from Smyrna, Trieste and Naples.
The quay was soon covered with the usual crowd of curious onlookers, for the arrival of a ship is always a great event in Marseilles, especially when, like the Pharaon, it has been built, rigged and laden in the city and belongs to a local shipowner.
Meanwhile the vessel was approaching the harbor under topsails, jib and foresail, but so slowly and with such an air of melancholy that the onlookers, instinctively sensing misfortune, began to wonder what accident could have happened on board. However, the experienced seamen among them saw that if there had been an accident, it could not have happened to the ship herself, for she had every appearance of being under perfect control. Standing beside the pilot, who was preparing to steer the Pharaon through the narrow entrance of the harbor, was a young man who, with vigilant eyes and rapid gestures, watched every movement of the ship and repeated each of the pilot's orders.
The vague anxiety hovering over the crowd affected one man so much that he could not wait until the ship entered the harbor: he leaped into a small boat and ordered the boatman to row him out to meet the Pharaon.
When he saw this man coming toward him, the young sailor left his post beside the pilot and walked over to the side of the ship, holding his hat in his hand. He was a tall, slender young man, no more than twenty years old, with dark eyes and hair as black as ebony. His whole manner gave evidence of that calmness and resolution peculiar to those who have been accustomed to facing danger ever since their childhood.
"Ah, it's you, Dantès!" cried the man in the boat. "What's happened? Why does everything look so gloomy on board?"
"A great misfortune, Monsieur Morrel!" replied the young man. "We lost our brave Captain Leclère off Civitavecchia."
"What about the cargo?" asked the shipowner eagerly.
"It arrived safely, Monsieur Morrel, and I think you'll be satisfied on that score, but poor Captain Leclère-"
"What happened to him?" asked the shipowner, visibly relieved.
"He died of brain fever, in horrible agony. He's now at rest off the Isle of II Giglio, sewed up in his hammock with one cannon ball at his head and another at his feet." The young man smiled sadly and added, "How ironic-he waged war against the English for ten long years and then died in his bed like anyone else."
"Well, we're all mortal," said the shipowner, "and the old must make way for the young, otherwise there would be no promotion."
As they were passing the Round Tower, the young sailor called out, "Make ready to lower topsails, foresail and jib!" The order was executed as smartly as on board a man-of-war. "Lower away and brail all!" At this last order all the sails were lowered and the ship's speed became almost imperceptible.
"And now, if you'd like to come aboard, Monsieur Morrel," said Dantès, seeing the shipowner's impatience, "you can talk to your purser, Monsieur Danglars, who's just coming out of his cabin. He can give you all the information you want. As for myself, I must look after the anchoring and dress the ship in mourning."
The shipowner did not wait to be invited twice. He grasped the line which Dantès threw to him and, with an agility that would have done credit to a sailor, climbed up the ladder attached to the ship's side. Dantès returned to his duties, while Danglars came out to meet Monsieur Morrel. The purser was a man of twenty-five or twenty-six with a rather melancholy face, obsequious to his superiors and arrogant to his subordinates. He was as much disliked by the crew as Edmond Dantès was liked by them.
"Well, Monsieur Morrel," said Danglars, "I suppose you've heard about our misfortune."
"Yes, I have. Poor Captain Leclère! He was a brave and honorable man."
"And an excellent seaman, too, grown old between the sky and the water, as a man should be when he's entrusted with the interests of such an important firm as Morrel and Son."
"But," said the shipowner, watching Dantès preparing to drop anchor, "it seems to me a man doesn't have to be old to do his work well, Danglars. Our friend Edmond there doesn't look as though he needs advice from anyone."
"Yes," said Danglars, casting Dantès a glance full of hatred, "he's young and he has no doubts about anything. As soon as the captain was dead he took command without consulting anyone, and he made us lose a day and a half at the Isle of Elba instead of coming straight back to Marseilles."
"As for taking command," said the shipowner, "it was his duty as first mate, but he was wrong to waste a day and a half at the Isle of Elba, unless the ship needed some sort of repairs."
"The ship was as sound as I am and as I hope you are, Monsieur Morrel. Wasting that day and a half was nothing but a whim of his; he just wanted to go ashore for a while, that's all."
"Dantès," said Morrel, turning toward the young man, "come here, please."
"Excuse me, sir, I'll be with you in a moment," said Dantès. Then, turning to the crew, he called out, "Let go!" The anchor dropped immediately and the chain rattled noisily. Dantès walked over to Morrel.
"I wanted to ask you why you stopped at the Isle of Elba."
"It was to carry out an order from Captain Leclère. As he was dying he gave me a package to deliver to Marshal Bertrand there."
"Did you see him, Edmond?"
"Yes."
Morrel looked around and drew Dantès off to one side. "How is the emperor?" he asked eagerly.
"He's well, as far as I could tell. He came into the marshal's room while I was there."
"Did you talk to him?"
"No, he talked to me," said Dantès, smiling.
"What did he say?"
"He asked me about the ship, when it had left for Marseilles, what route it had taken and what cargo it was carrying. I think that if the ship had been empty and I had been its owner he would have tried to buy it from me, but I told him I was only the first mate and that it belonged to the firm of Morrel and Son. 'I know that firm,' he said. 'The Morrels have been shipowners for generations and there was a Morrel in my regiment when I was garrisoned at Valence.' "
"That's true!" exclaimed Morrel, delighted. "It was Policar Morrel, my uncle. He later became a captain." Then, giving Dantès a friendly tap on the shoulder, he said, "You were quite right to follow Captain Leclère's instructions and stop at the Isle of Elba, although you might get into trouble if it became known that you gave the marshal a package and spoke to the emperor."
"How could it get me into trouble?" asked Dantès. "I don't even know what was in the package, and the emperor only asked me the same questions he would have asked any other newcomer. But excuse me for a moment, sir; I see the health and customs officers coming on board."
Danglars stepped up as the young man walked away. "Well," he said, "he seems to have given you some good reasons for his stopover."
"He gave me excellent reasons, Monsieur Danglars."
"That's good; it's always painful to see a friend fail to do his duty."
"Dantès did his duty well," replied the shipowner. "It was Captain Leclère, who ordered the stopover."
"Speaking of Captain Leclère, didn't Dantès give you a letter from him?"
"No. Was there one?"
"I thought Captain Leclère gave him a letter along with the package."
"What package, Danglars?"
"Why, the one Dantès delivered to the Isle of Elba."
"How do you know he delivered a package there?"
Danglars flushed. "The captain's door was ajar when I was passing by," he said, "and I saw him give Dantès a package and a letter."
"He didn't say anything to me about it, but if he has the letter I'm sure he'll give it to me."
Danglars was silent for a moment, then he said, "Monsieur Morrel, please don't mention it to Dantès; I must have been mistaken."
Just then Dantès returned and Danglars walked away.
"Well, Dantès, have you finished now?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then will you come to dinner with us?"
"Please excuse me, Monsieur Morrel, but I think I owe my first visit to my father. Just the same, I'm grateful for the honor of your invitation."
"You're right, Dantès. You're a good son. But we'll be expecting you after you've visited your father."
"Excuse me again, Monsieur Morrel, but after that first visit there's another one that's equally important to me."
"Oh, yes; I was forgetting that there's someone who must be waiting for you as impatiently as your father-the beautiful Mercédès. You're a lucky man, Edmond, and you have a very pretty mistress."
"She's not my mistress, sir," said the young sailor gravely. "She's my fiancée."
"That's sometimes the same thing," said Morrel, laughing.
"Not with us, sir," replied Dantès.
"Well, I won't keep you any longer; you've taken care of my affairs so well that I want to give you as much time as possible to take care of your own. Do you have anything else to tell me?"
"No."
"Didn't Captain Leclère give you a letter for me before he died?"
"He was unable to write, sir. But that reminds me that I must ask you for two weeks' leave."
"To get married?"
"First of all; and then to go to Paris."
"Very well, take as long as you like, Dantès. It will take at least six weeks to unload the cargo, and we won't be ready to put to sea again before another three months or so. But in three months you'll have to be here. The Pharaon," continued the shipowner, patting the young sailor on the shoulder, "can't leave without her captain."
"Without her captain!" cried Dantès, his eyes flashing with joy. "Do you really intend to make me captain of the Pharaon?"
"If I were alone, my dear Dantès, I'd shake your hand and say, 'It's done.' But I have a partner, and you know the Italian proverb, 'He who has a partner has a master.' The thing is at least half done, though, since you already have one vote out of two. Leave it to me to get you the other one; I'll do my best."
"Oh, Monsieur Morrel!" cried Dantès, grasping the ship-owner's hand with tears in his eyes. "I thank you in the name of my father and of Mercédès."
"That's all right, Edmond. Go see your father, go see Mercedes, then come back to see me."
"Don't you want me to take you ashore?"
"No, thanks; I'll stay on board and look over the accounts with Danglars. Were you satisfied with him during the trip?"
"That depends on how you mean the question, sir. If you're asking me if I was satisfied with him as a comrade, the answer is no; I think he's disliked me ever since the day we had a little quarrel and I was foolish enough to suggest that we stop for ten minutes at the Isle of Monte Cristo to settle it, a suggestion which I was wrong to make and which he was right to refuse. But if you're speaking of him as a purser, I think there's nothing to be said against him and that you'll be quite satisfied with the way he's done his work."
"If you were captain of the Pharaon, would you be glad to keep him?"
"Whether I'm captain or first mate, Monsieur Morrel," replied Dantès. "I'll always have great respect for those who have the confidence of my shipowners."
"Good, good, Dantès! I see you're a fine young man in every way. But don't let me hold you back any longer-I can see how anxious you are to leave."
"May I take your skiff?"
"Certainly."
"Good-bye, Monsieur Morrel, and thank you from the bottom of my heart."
The young sailor leaped into the skiff and sat down in the stern, giving orders to be rowed to the Canebière. Smiling, the shipowner watched him until he saw him jump ashore, after which he was immediately swallowed up in the crowd. When he turned around, Morrel saw Danglars standing behind him, also following the young sailor's movements. But there was a great difference in the expression of the two men as they both watched Edmond Dantès.
-
From the Paperback edition.
Continues...
Excerpted from The Count of Monte Cristoby Alexandre Dumas Copyright ©2003 by Alexandre Dumas. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Reviews:
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
The most delightful book I have ever read. I am surprised that Alexander Dumas isn't more famous, and that his books aren't as praised as they should be!
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book
This was a good book you should definitely read it. Very good novel. Long but good movie was great. Good job
5.0 out of 5 stars There’s a reason it’s a classic!
Great read! Complex but also relatively easy to follow. Learned a few new words, lol. The ending was so satisfying! Everyone got what they deserved, the good ones, the not so good ones and the evil ones.
5.0 out of 5 stars ♥ This book is so wonderful!! ♥
ALL THE FREAKING FEELS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I never in a million years would have thought I would love this book! I never thought I would like something like this book. I never thought I would fall in love with Dantes! I never thought I would have so much anger, sadness, despair and happiness in this book! I never thought, did I!*********SOME SPOILERS**********Edmond Dantes was a wonderful man of 19-years-old. He had a woman he loved and was going to marry named Mercedes. A loving father. And he was going to be captain of the wonderful ship, Pharaon.The the jealous b*stards or just b*stards in general ruined life for Dantes.1. Danglars2. Fernand3. VillefortI hate these men with such a passion I just wanted someone to kill their evil selves.All of the jerks had a hand in putting Dantes in prison for 14 effing years! Yeah! For what? For NOTHING!Dantes was in such despair he was going to starve himself to death. I can't even!Then one night Dantes hears a scratching sound and soon realizes someone is tunneling. Dantes decides to tunnel as well. At some point the two of them tunnel to each other. Dantes gets to meet Abbe Faria, the mad man (so they say) in the cell next door. Abbe Faria thinks he's tunneling out to freedom but he made a miscalculation. But Dantes and Abbe devise a new plan and this takes some years to do all of this tunneling. But the Abbe is old and sick and having seizures. He's not going to be able to make it so Dantes waits with him. He is like another father figure to Dantes. And who in the hell but Dantes would wait and not leave his friend. Because Dantes is good and kind and loving.Abbe Faria is also the one that opens Dantes eyes to who the culprits were that put him in jail. Poor Dantes couldn't see this at the time and he couldn't read what we were reading so he had no clue. Abbe Faria also tells Dantes about tons of gold and jewels that he has hidden on the island of Monte Cristo. He makes Dantes remember everything about getting there and where to find the treasure.Unfortunately, Abbe Faria dies and it was so sad. Dantes was so grief stricken over his friend. Dantes decided to leave then as he had nothing else to stay for and he put himself in Abbe Faria's place all wrapped up waiting to be buried. Well, he doesn't actually get buried but thrown out to sea and luckily Dantes managed to save himself.We go on to read of the tale of how Dantes get to Monte Cristo and soon he is beyond rich and he is so smart and reading to get IT DONE!And Dantes doesn't just run off and kill people. He's smart. He tears down their houses, their world without them knowing who he is until the bitter end. And all of the riches they acquired while he rotted in jail was disgusting. Anyway, some people did die but that's of little importance.Dantes is also kind to all of the people that were kind to him or tried to help him while he was in jail. He's such a wonderful person. Yes, I know I keep saying that. He helps Morrel and his family when they were about to lose everything. They even lost the Pharaon but Dantes brings him a new one without Morrel even knowing where the ship came from. Dantes gave them money. He helped the family even after Morrel was gone. I cried and cried at his generosity.And to sit and read of all the plans and all of the people crumble.The only person to recognize Dantes, even with his disguises, was Mercedes. But she went and married freaking Fernand and had a kid. Dantes was friends with Mercedes son but things could never be good for them again. And it's so, so sad for so many involved.Oh, and Dantes called himself "Sinbad the Sailor" and "The Count of Monte Cristo." Of course I guess if you own a rock and gold and jewels and many other things, you can call yourself anything you want! :-)I can't sit here and go on and on about the book. It's freaking 1276 pages! I'm not that good of a reviewer to tell you something good about that many pages. Just know. . . THIS BOOK is freaking AWESOME! If you have been debating on reading it and afraid of it's size, who cares, just read it. I mean you can take two months or however long to enjoy Dantes and his adventures, but don't let the "tome" bother you. It's not boring at all! NOT ONE BIT!I give it all the stars!Sail on dear, Dantes! ♥
5.0 out of 5 stars Good buy
prompt delivery in great condition
4.0 out of 5 stars When the cold dish of revenge meets the white heat of Fate
I have been curious to read this massive novel for many years. Having read other books at least as long if not longer (‘War and Peace’, ‘Les Miserables’, ‘In Search of Lost Time’), the only excuse for my procrastination was the reputation the book has been given over time as a genre novel, a tale of revenge (there are hundreds of those by now, many influenced by ‘Monte Cristo’ itself), an adventure novel. This reputation was not entirely deserved and I knew that the novel transcended genre, so the question was when was I ready to devote the necessary time to tackle it?The premise of the novel is well known to anyone who has either read an abridged version or watched one of the many TV and film adaptations; a young sailor, Edmond Dantes, has everything going for him. He has just been promoted as the new captain of the vessel he has served, he is engaged to a beautiful and devoted young woman named Mercedes, his aging father is devoted to him, and he is on excellent terms with his employer and his family. However, there are a few people who are envious of his good life enough to take advantage of an opportunity to take him down. Fernand Mondego has been in love with Mercedes almost as long as Edmond; he is single-minded in his obsession with her enough to sabotage the upcoming marriage. Fernand comes in contact with another mate on the ship, Denglars, a bitter man who is envious of Edmond’s promotion, resentful of serving a man who, in his mind, has no qualities that make him superior to Denglars.On his way back to Marseilles, Edmond is tasked with delivering a package to Elba, home of Napoleon Bonaparte’s exile, and picking up a letter, contents unknown to Edmond. This gives Fernand and Denglars the perfect opportunity to frame Edmond. He is arrested and brought to the deputy crown prosecutor, Villefort, who opens the letter, seeing that it was from Napoleon to his own father, a Bonaparte supporter. Villefort burns the letter in front of Edmond and says he may go. Rather than setting him free, Villefort orders Edmond to be taken away to prison, suppressing the knowledge of his father’s association with Napoleon and preserving his own reputation.Without a trial or any kind of explanation, Edmond is taken to the Chateau d’If, an island prison analogous to the American Alcatraz, locked in a dungeon cell and left there. Driven to despair, he unsuccessfully tries to kill himself, finally resigned to live this subterranean existence. After a few years, he hears some hammering and digging and finally meets his next-door prison neighbor, an older man named Abbe Faria. The Abbe has been digging in the wrong direction, coming up in Edmond’s cell. They reach a mutual decision to start digging in the right direction. During this time, the Abbe, a political prisoner thought to be mad by his captors, tutors Edmond on reading, writing, languages, sciences, giving him a thorough education on a variety of subjects. Edmond suddenly has a will to live and, with the Abbe’s questioning, figures out who betrayed him and why.After fourteen years they are making progress on their tunnel when the Abbe has a seizure and dies. Edmond moves the body of Faria to his cell, covered in blankets and puts himself in the shroud meant for Faria. He thinks he’ll be buried somewhere on the island and be able to dig himself out but instead, weighted by a cannonball, he is thrown off the cliff into the waves below. Luckily, he has a knife and can cut himself out of the shroud, breaking the surface and making his way toward the nearest spot of land. After encountering smugglers and thinking of a plausible story, he joins the band long enough to locate Monte Cristo and finds the treasure, which is indeed enough riches to make him immensely wealthy.Between the well-rounded education from Faria and the fortune that is now his, Edmond starts a new life for himself as the wealthy Count of Monte Cristo. During the next ten years he not only establishes a new life and lifestyle for himself as the Count but tracks down what has happened to his betrayers. During these years he adopts various aliases aside from the Count: Sinbad the Sailor, a wealthy British philanthropist named Lord Wilmore, a chief clerk from a British banking firm., and Abbe Busoni, a priest.Under the various aliases he is able to track down what happened to his betrayers. His fiancé, Mercedes, worn down by Fernand’s persistence and convinced that Edmond was dead, married Fernand and had a child, Albert, now grown, and befriended by the Count. Fernand achieved a high rank in the army, and bought a title of Count for himself. Denglars became a wealthy banker, and Villefort became a chief prosecutor, now with a grown daughter, Valentine, and taking care of his aged father, the Bonapartist, who has had a stroke and can only communicate through a series of eye blinks.Unlike my earlier impression of this book, there are no swashbuckling sword fights like any that characterized ‘The Three Musketeers’. The Count doesn’t kill anyone. He becomes a self-appointed Agent of Karma, finding people and evidence from these people’s past lives and sins, manipulating these events so that the public knowledge of their misdeeds is what dooms them. Edmond Dantes becomes a virtual superhero, traveling massive distances at lightning speeds, changing swiftly from one disguise to another.The Count does seem to possess godlike powers. It seems he has also acquired a knowledge of various poisons and dosages, so that he can administer enough of a drug to make it appear that the person is dead, whereas he can resurrect her later. I suppose Dumas thought that Shakespeare got away with something like it in ‘Romeo and Juliet’, why shouldn’t he?As I said, unlike earlier impressions, this is not the kind of adventure novel with swordplay. What it does have is a serial poisoner, a lesbian couple, cross dressing, hashish hallucination, and many other aspects that render it not suitable for children. The Robin Buss translation is very straightforward, flowing and fast moving. Much like ‘War and Peace’, which is also very readable, the main hurdle which is worth surmounting is its intimidating length and its varied gallery of characters and aliases.With each triumph over one of his conspirators, the Count reveals his true identity as Edmond Dantes. He wants his victims to know that Dantes not only did not die but that he was able to administer justice in the end. Where the Count’s god-like powers end is in not being able to control the actions of peripheral characters so that innocent people die. His single-minded obsession grows beyond his control.What Dumas has written is an epic melodrama, probably more akin to a great opera than one of the other great French 19th century novels written by authors such as Balzac, Flaubert, and Zola. Those authors created stories that were more relatable to the average reader, one that led a life less dramatic than most of the characters in ‘The Count of Monte Cristo. Yet even the most ordinary reader sometimes wants to live vicariously through big lives with grand gestures. It is for this reader that Dumas has written.
5.0 out of 5 stars just wow
Never thought I would enjoy a classic so much. I would recommend this book to everyone in the whole entire world.
Great read
Half way through the book and I am thoroughly enjoying it.
Excellent book
Excellent book with many good notes and commentaries. Thanks a lot for making it accessible to everyone.
Satisfaction
Book delivered promptlyPrime worth every penny
حاله الكتاب
الكتاب وصلني بحاله ممتازة عدى بعض العفطات الخفيفة غير كذا زين
Perfect
This story is wonderful. A great read. Such a thick book. Penguin classics editions are always worth buying.Highly recommended for anyone who loves a story rich in adventure, emotion, and complexity.
Visit the Penguin Classics Store
The Count of Monte Cristo (Penguin Classics)
AED8024
Quantity:
Order today to get by 7-14 business days
Delivery fee of AED 20. Free for orders above AED 200.
Imported From: United States
At BOLO, we work hard to ensure the products you receive are new, genuine, and sourced from reputable suppliers.
BOLO is not an authorized or official retailer for most brands, nor are we affiliated with manufacturers unless specifically stated on a product page. Instead, we source verified sellers, authorized distributors or directly from the manufacturer.
Each product undergoes thorough inspection and verification at our consolidation and fulfilment centers to ensure it meets our strict authenticity and quality standards before being shipped and delivered to you.
If you ever have concerns regarding the authenticity of a product purchased from us, please contact Bolo Support. We will review your inquiry promptly and, if necessary, provide documentation verifying authenticity or offer a suitable resolution.
Your trust is our top priority, and we are committed to maintaining transparency and integrity in every transaction.
All product information, images, descriptions, and reviews originate from the manufacturer or from trusted sellers overseas. BOLO is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an authorized retailer for most brands listed on our website unless stated otherwise.
While we strive to display accurate information, variations in packaging, labeling, instructions, or formulation may occasionally occur due to regional differences or supplier updates. For detailed or manufacturer-specific information, please contact the brand directly or reach out to BOLO Support for assistance.
Unless otherwise stated, all prices displayed on the product page include applicable taxes and import duties.
BOLO operates in accordance with the laws and regulations of United Arab Emirates. Any items found to be restricted or prohibited for sale within the UAE will be cancelled prior to shipment. We take proactive measures to ensure that only products permitted for sale in United Arab Emirates are listed on our website.
All items are shipped by air, and any products classified as “Dangerous Goods (DG)” under IATA regulations will be removed from the order and cancelled.
All orders are processed manually, and we make every effort to process them promptly once confirmed. Products cancelled due to the above reasons will be permanently removed from listings across the website.
Similar suggestions by Bolo
More from this brand
Similar items from “War & Military”
Share with
Or share with link
https://www.bolo.ae/products/U0140449264
Visit the Penguin Classics Store
The Count of Monte Cristo (Penguin Classics)
AED8024
Quantity:
Order today to get by 7-14 business days
Delivery fee of AED 20. Free for orders above AED 200.
Imported From: United States
At BOLO, we work hard to ensure the products you receive are new, genuine, and sourced from reputable suppliers.
BOLO is not an authorized or official retailer for most brands, nor are we affiliated with manufacturers unless specifically stated on a product page. Instead, we source verified sellers, authorized distributors or directly from the manufacturer.
Each product undergoes thorough inspection and verification at our consolidation and fulfilment centers to ensure it meets our strict authenticity and quality standards before being shipped and delivered to you.
If you ever have concerns regarding the authenticity of a product purchased from us, please contact Bolo Support. We will review your inquiry promptly and, if necessary, provide documentation verifying authenticity or offer a suitable resolution.
Your trust is our top priority, and we are committed to maintaining transparency and integrity in every transaction.
All product information, images, descriptions, and reviews originate from the manufacturer or from trusted sellers overseas. BOLO is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an authorized retailer for most brands listed on our website unless stated otherwise.
While we strive to display accurate information, variations in packaging, labeling, instructions, or formulation may occasionally occur due to regional differences or supplier updates. For detailed or manufacturer-specific information, please contact the brand directly or reach out to BOLO Support for assistance.
Unless otherwise stated, all prices displayed on the product page include applicable taxes and import duties.
BOLO operates in accordance with the laws and regulations of United Arab Emirates. Any items found to be restricted or prohibited for sale within the UAE will be cancelled prior to shipment. We take proactive measures to ensure that only products permitted for sale in United Arab Emirates are listed on our website.
All items are shipped by air, and any products classified as “Dangerous Goods (DG)” under IATA regulations will be removed from the order and cancelled.
All orders are processed manually, and we make every effort to process them promptly once confirmed. Products cancelled due to the above reasons will be permanently removed from listings across the website.
Description:
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Robin Buss (1939–2006) was a writer and translator who worked for the Independent on Sunday and as television critic for the Times Educational Supplement. He was also the translator of a number of volumes for Penguin Classics.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
The Count of Monte Cristo
By Alexandre DumasPenguin Books
Copyright ©2003 Alexandre DumasAll right reserved.
ISBN: 0140449264
Chapter One
Chapter I
ON FEBRUARY 24, 1815, the watchtower at Marseilles signaled the arrival of the three-master Pharaon, coming from Smyrna, Trieste and Naples.
The quay was soon covered with the usual crowd of curious onlookers, for the arrival of a ship is always a great event in Marseilles, especially when, like the Pharaon, it has been built, rigged and laden in the city and belongs to a local shipowner.
Meanwhile the vessel was approaching the harbor under topsails, jib and foresail, but so slowly and with such an air of melancholy that the onlookers, instinctively sensing misfortune, began to wonder what accident could have happened on board. However, the experienced seamen among them saw that if there had been an accident, it could not have happened to the ship herself, for she had every appearance of being under perfect control. Standing beside the pilot, who was preparing to steer the Pharaon through the narrow entrance of the harbor, was a young man who, with vigilant eyes and rapid gestures, watched every movement of the ship and repeated each of the pilot's orders.
The vague anxiety hovering over the crowd affected one man so much that he could not wait until the ship entered the harbor: he leaped into a small boat and ordered the boatman to row him out to meet the Pharaon.
When he saw this man coming toward him, the young sailor left his post beside the pilot and walked over to the side of the ship, holding his hat in his hand. He was a tall, slender young man, no more than twenty years old, with dark eyes and hair as black as ebony. His whole manner gave evidence of that calmness and resolution peculiar to those who have been accustomed to facing danger ever since their childhood.
"Ah, it's you, Dantès!" cried the man in the boat. "What's happened? Why does everything look so gloomy on board?"
"A great misfortune, Monsieur Morrel!" replied the young man. "We lost our brave Captain Leclère off Civitavecchia."
"What about the cargo?" asked the shipowner eagerly.
"It arrived safely, Monsieur Morrel, and I think you'll be satisfied on that score, but poor Captain Leclère-"
"What happened to him?" asked the shipowner, visibly relieved.
"He died of brain fever, in horrible agony. He's now at rest off the Isle of II Giglio, sewed up in his hammock with one cannon ball at his head and another at his feet." The young man smiled sadly and added, "How ironic-he waged war against the English for ten long years and then died in his bed like anyone else."
"Well, we're all mortal," said the shipowner, "and the old must make way for the young, otherwise there would be no promotion."
As they were passing the Round Tower, the young sailor called out, "Make ready to lower topsails, foresail and jib!" The order was executed as smartly as on board a man-of-war. "Lower away and brail all!" At this last order all the sails were lowered and the ship's speed became almost imperceptible.
"And now, if you'd like to come aboard, Monsieur Morrel," said Dantès, seeing the shipowner's impatience, "you can talk to your purser, Monsieur Danglars, who's just coming out of his cabin. He can give you all the information you want. As for myself, I must look after the anchoring and dress the ship in mourning."
The shipowner did not wait to be invited twice. He grasped the line which Dantès threw to him and, with an agility that would have done credit to a sailor, climbed up the ladder attached to the ship's side. Dantès returned to his duties, while Danglars came out to meet Monsieur Morrel. The purser was a man of twenty-five or twenty-six with a rather melancholy face, obsequious to his superiors and arrogant to his subordinates. He was as much disliked by the crew as Edmond Dantès was liked by them.
"Well, Monsieur Morrel," said Danglars, "I suppose you've heard about our misfortune."
"Yes, I have. Poor Captain Leclère! He was a brave and honorable man."
"And an excellent seaman, too, grown old between the sky and the water, as a man should be when he's entrusted with the interests of such an important firm as Morrel and Son."
"But," said the shipowner, watching Dantès preparing to drop anchor, "it seems to me a man doesn't have to be old to do his work well, Danglars. Our friend Edmond there doesn't look as though he needs advice from anyone."
"Yes," said Danglars, casting Dantès a glance full of hatred, "he's young and he has no doubts about anything. As soon as the captain was dead he took command without consulting anyone, and he made us lose a day and a half at the Isle of Elba instead of coming straight back to Marseilles."
"As for taking command," said the shipowner, "it was his duty as first mate, but he was wrong to waste a day and a half at the Isle of Elba, unless the ship needed some sort of repairs."
"The ship was as sound as I am and as I hope you are, Monsieur Morrel. Wasting that day and a half was nothing but a whim of his; he just wanted to go ashore for a while, that's all."
"Dantès," said Morrel, turning toward the young man, "come here, please."
"Excuse me, sir, I'll be with you in a moment," said Dantès. Then, turning to the crew, he called out, "Let go!" The anchor dropped immediately and the chain rattled noisily. Dantès walked over to Morrel.
"I wanted to ask you why you stopped at the Isle of Elba."
"It was to carry out an order from Captain Leclère. As he was dying he gave me a package to deliver to Marshal Bertrand there."
"Did you see him, Edmond?"
"Yes."
Morrel looked around and drew Dantès off to one side. "How is the emperor?" he asked eagerly.
"He's well, as far as I could tell. He came into the marshal's room while I was there."
"Did you talk to him?"
"No, he talked to me," said Dantès, smiling.
"What did he say?"
"He asked me about the ship, when it had left for Marseilles, what route it had taken and what cargo it was carrying. I think that if the ship had been empty and I had been its owner he would have tried to buy it from me, but I told him I was only the first mate and that it belonged to the firm of Morrel and Son. 'I know that firm,' he said. 'The Morrels have been shipowners for generations and there was a Morrel in my regiment when I was garrisoned at Valence.' "
"That's true!" exclaimed Morrel, delighted. "It was Policar Morrel, my uncle. He later became a captain." Then, giving Dantès a friendly tap on the shoulder, he said, "You were quite right to follow Captain Leclère's instructions and stop at the Isle of Elba, although you might get into trouble if it became known that you gave the marshal a package and spoke to the emperor."
"How could it get me into trouble?" asked Dantès. "I don't even know what was in the package, and the emperor only asked me the same questions he would have asked any other newcomer. But excuse me for a moment, sir; I see the health and customs officers coming on board."
Danglars stepped up as the young man walked away. "Well," he said, "he seems to have given you some good reasons for his stopover."
"He gave me excellent reasons, Monsieur Danglars."
"That's good; it's always painful to see a friend fail to do his duty."
"Dantès did his duty well," replied the shipowner. "It was Captain Leclère, who ordered the stopover."
"Speaking of Captain Leclère, didn't Dantès give you a letter from him?"
"No. Was there one?"
"I thought Captain Leclère gave him a letter along with the package."
"What package, Danglars?"
"Why, the one Dantès delivered to the Isle of Elba."
"How do you know he delivered a package there?"
Danglars flushed. "The captain's door was ajar when I was passing by," he said, "and I saw him give Dantès a package and a letter."
"He didn't say anything to me about it, but if he has the letter I'm sure he'll give it to me."
Danglars was silent for a moment, then he said, "Monsieur Morrel, please don't mention it to Dantès; I must have been mistaken."
Just then Dantès returned and Danglars walked away.
"Well, Dantès, have you finished now?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then will you come to dinner with us?"
"Please excuse me, Monsieur Morrel, but I think I owe my first visit to my father. Just the same, I'm grateful for the honor of your invitation."
"You're right, Dantès. You're a good son. But we'll be expecting you after you've visited your father."
"Excuse me again, Monsieur Morrel, but after that first visit there's another one that's equally important to me."
"Oh, yes; I was forgetting that there's someone who must be waiting for you as impatiently as your father-the beautiful Mercédès. You're a lucky man, Edmond, and you have a very pretty mistress."
"She's not my mistress, sir," said the young sailor gravely. "She's my fiancée."
"That's sometimes the same thing," said Morrel, laughing.
"Not with us, sir," replied Dantès.
"Well, I won't keep you any longer; you've taken care of my affairs so well that I want to give you as much time as possible to take care of your own. Do you have anything else to tell me?"
"No."
"Didn't Captain Leclère give you a letter for me before he died?"
"He was unable to write, sir. But that reminds me that I must ask you for two weeks' leave."
"To get married?"
"First of all; and then to go to Paris."
"Very well, take as long as you like, Dantès. It will take at least six weeks to unload the cargo, and we won't be ready to put to sea again before another three months or so. But in three months you'll have to be here. The Pharaon," continued the shipowner, patting the young sailor on the shoulder, "can't leave without her captain."
"Without her captain!" cried Dantès, his eyes flashing with joy. "Do you really intend to make me captain of the Pharaon?"
"If I were alone, my dear Dantès, I'd shake your hand and say, 'It's done.' But I have a partner, and you know the Italian proverb, 'He who has a partner has a master.' The thing is at least half done, though, since you already have one vote out of two. Leave it to me to get you the other one; I'll do my best."
"Oh, Monsieur Morrel!" cried Dantès, grasping the ship-owner's hand with tears in his eyes. "I thank you in the name of my father and of Mercédès."
"That's all right, Edmond. Go see your father, go see Mercedes, then come back to see me."
"Don't you want me to take you ashore?"
"No, thanks; I'll stay on board and look over the accounts with Danglars. Were you satisfied with him during the trip?"
"That depends on how you mean the question, sir. If you're asking me if I was satisfied with him as a comrade, the answer is no; I think he's disliked me ever since the day we had a little quarrel and I was foolish enough to suggest that we stop for ten minutes at the Isle of Monte Cristo to settle it, a suggestion which I was wrong to make and which he was right to refuse. But if you're speaking of him as a purser, I think there's nothing to be said against him and that you'll be quite satisfied with the way he's done his work."
"If you were captain of the Pharaon, would you be glad to keep him?"
"Whether I'm captain or first mate, Monsieur Morrel," replied Dantès. "I'll always have great respect for those who have the confidence of my shipowners."
"Good, good, Dantès! I see you're a fine young man in every way. But don't let me hold you back any longer-I can see how anxious you are to leave."
"May I take your skiff?"
"Certainly."
"Good-bye, Monsieur Morrel, and thank you from the bottom of my heart."
The young sailor leaped into the skiff and sat down in the stern, giving orders to be rowed to the Canebière. Smiling, the shipowner watched him until he saw him jump ashore, after which he was immediately swallowed up in the crowd. When he turned around, Morrel saw Danglars standing behind him, also following the young sailor's movements. But there was a great difference in the expression of the two men as they both watched Edmond Dantès.
-
From the Paperback edition.
Continues...
Excerpted from The Count of Monte Cristoby Alexandre Dumas Copyright ©2003 by Alexandre Dumas. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Reviews:
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
The most delightful book I have ever read. I am surprised that Alexander Dumas isn't more famous, and that his books aren't as praised as they should be!
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book
This was a good book you should definitely read it. Very good novel. Long but good movie was great. Good job
5.0 out of 5 stars There’s a reason it’s a classic!
Great read! Complex but also relatively easy to follow. Learned a few new words, lol. The ending was so satisfying! Everyone got what they deserved, the good ones, the not so good ones and the evil ones.
5.0 out of 5 stars ♥ This book is so wonderful!! ♥
ALL THE FREAKING FEELS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I never in a million years would have thought I would love this book! I never thought I would like something like this book. I never thought I would fall in love with Dantes! I never thought I would have so much anger, sadness, despair and happiness in this book! I never thought, did I!*********SOME SPOILERS**********Edmond Dantes was a wonderful man of 19-years-old. He had a woman he loved and was going to marry named Mercedes. A loving father. And he was going to be captain of the wonderful ship, Pharaon.The the jealous b*stards or just b*stards in general ruined life for Dantes.1. Danglars2. Fernand3. VillefortI hate these men with such a passion I just wanted someone to kill their evil selves.All of the jerks had a hand in putting Dantes in prison for 14 effing years! Yeah! For what? For NOTHING!Dantes was in such despair he was going to starve himself to death. I can't even!Then one night Dantes hears a scratching sound and soon realizes someone is tunneling. Dantes decides to tunnel as well. At some point the two of them tunnel to each other. Dantes gets to meet Abbe Faria, the mad man (so they say) in the cell next door. Abbe Faria thinks he's tunneling out to freedom but he made a miscalculation. But Dantes and Abbe devise a new plan and this takes some years to do all of this tunneling. But the Abbe is old and sick and having seizures. He's not going to be able to make it so Dantes waits with him. He is like another father figure to Dantes. And who in the hell but Dantes would wait and not leave his friend. Because Dantes is good and kind and loving.Abbe Faria is also the one that opens Dantes eyes to who the culprits were that put him in jail. Poor Dantes couldn't see this at the time and he couldn't read what we were reading so he had no clue. Abbe Faria also tells Dantes about tons of gold and jewels that he has hidden on the island of Monte Cristo. He makes Dantes remember everything about getting there and where to find the treasure.Unfortunately, Abbe Faria dies and it was so sad. Dantes was so grief stricken over his friend. Dantes decided to leave then as he had nothing else to stay for and he put himself in Abbe Faria's place all wrapped up waiting to be buried. Well, he doesn't actually get buried but thrown out to sea and luckily Dantes managed to save himself.We go on to read of the tale of how Dantes get to Monte Cristo and soon he is beyond rich and he is so smart and reading to get IT DONE!And Dantes doesn't just run off and kill people. He's smart. He tears down their houses, their world without them knowing who he is until the bitter end. And all of the riches they acquired while he rotted in jail was disgusting. Anyway, some people did die but that's of little importance.Dantes is also kind to all of the people that were kind to him or tried to help him while he was in jail. He's such a wonderful person. Yes, I know I keep saying that. He helps Morrel and his family when they were about to lose everything. They even lost the Pharaon but Dantes brings him a new one without Morrel even knowing where the ship came from. Dantes gave them money. He helped the family even after Morrel was gone. I cried and cried at his generosity.And to sit and read of all the plans and all of the people crumble.The only person to recognize Dantes, even with his disguises, was Mercedes. But she went and married freaking Fernand and had a kid. Dantes was friends with Mercedes son but things could never be good for them again. And it's so, so sad for so many involved.Oh, and Dantes called himself "Sinbad the Sailor" and "The Count of Monte Cristo." Of course I guess if you own a rock and gold and jewels and many other things, you can call yourself anything you want! :-)I can't sit here and go on and on about the book. It's freaking 1276 pages! I'm not that good of a reviewer to tell you something good about that many pages. Just know. . . THIS BOOK is freaking AWESOME! If you have been debating on reading it and afraid of it's size, who cares, just read it. I mean you can take two months or however long to enjoy Dantes and his adventures, but don't let the "tome" bother you. It's not boring at all! NOT ONE BIT!I give it all the stars!Sail on dear, Dantes! ♥
5.0 out of 5 stars Good buy
prompt delivery in great condition
4.0 out of 5 stars When the cold dish of revenge meets the white heat of Fate
I have been curious to read this massive novel for many years. Having read other books at least as long if not longer (‘War and Peace’, ‘Les Miserables’, ‘In Search of Lost Time’), the only excuse for my procrastination was the reputation the book has been given over time as a genre novel, a tale of revenge (there are hundreds of those by now, many influenced by ‘Monte Cristo’ itself), an adventure novel. This reputation was not entirely deserved and I knew that the novel transcended genre, so the question was when was I ready to devote the necessary time to tackle it?The premise of the novel is well known to anyone who has either read an abridged version or watched one of the many TV and film adaptations; a young sailor, Edmond Dantes, has everything going for him. He has just been promoted as the new captain of the vessel he has served, he is engaged to a beautiful and devoted young woman named Mercedes, his aging father is devoted to him, and he is on excellent terms with his employer and his family. However, there are a few people who are envious of his good life enough to take advantage of an opportunity to take him down. Fernand Mondego has been in love with Mercedes almost as long as Edmond; he is single-minded in his obsession with her enough to sabotage the upcoming marriage. Fernand comes in contact with another mate on the ship, Denglars, a bitter man who is envious of Edmond’s promotion, resentful of serving a man who, in his mind, has no qualities that make him superior to Denglars.On his way back to Marseilles, Edmond is tasked with delivering a package to Elba, home of Napoleon Bonaparte’s exile, and picking up a letter, contents unknown to Edmond. This gives Fernand and Denglars the perfect opportunity to frame Edmond. He is arrested and brought to the deputy crown prosecutor, Villefort, who opens the letter, seeing that it was from Napoleon to his own father, a Bonaparte supporter. Villefort burns the letter in front of Edmond and says he may go. Rather than setting him free, Villefort orders Edmond to be taken away to prison, suppressing the knowledge of his father’s association with Napoleon and preserving his own reputation.Without a trial or any kind of explanation, Edmond is taken to the Chateau d’If, an island prison analogous to the American Alcatraz, locked in a dungeon cell and left there. Driven to despair, he unsuccessfully tries to kill himself, finally resigned to live this subterranean existence. After a few years, he hears some hammering and digging and finally meets his next-door prison neighbor, an older man named Abbe Faria. The Abbe has been digging in the wrong direction, coming up in Edmond’s cell. They reach a mutual decision to start digging in the right direction. During this time, the Abbe, a political prisoner thought to be mad by his captors, tutors Edmond on reading, writing, languages, sciences, giving him a thorough education on a variety of subjects. Edmond suddenly has a will to live and, with the Abbe’s questioning, figures out who betrayed him and why.After fourteen years they are making progress on their tunnel when the Abbe has a seizure and dies. Edmond moves the body of Faria to his cell, covered in blankets and puts himself in the shroud meant for Faria. He thinks he’ll be buried somewhere on the island and be able to dig himself out but instead, weighted by a cannonball, he is thrown off the cliff into the waves below. Luckily, he has a knife and can cut himself out of the shroud, breaking the surface and making his way toward the nearest spot of land. After encountering smugglers and thinking of a plausible story, he joins the band long enough to locate Monte Cristo and finds the treasure, which is indeed enough riches to make him immensely wealthy.Between the well-rounded education from Faria and the fortune that is now his, Edmond starts a new life for himself as the wealthy Count of Monte Cristo. During the next ten years he not only establishes a new life and lifestyle for himself as the Count but tracks down what has happened to his betrayers. During these years he adopts various aliases aside from the Count: Sinbad the Sailor, a wealthy British philanthropist named Lord Wilmore, a chief clerk from a British banking firm., and Abbe Busoni, a priest.Under the various aliases he is able to track down what happened to his betrayers. His fiancé, Mercedes, worn down by Fernand’s persistence and convinced that Edmond was dead, married Fernand and had a child, Albert, now grown, and befriended by the Count. Fernand achieved a high rank in the army, and bought a title of Count for himself. Denglars became a wealthy banker, and Villefort became a chief prosecutor, now with a grown daughter, Valentine, and taking care of his aged father, the Bonapartist, who has had a stroke and can only communicate through a series of eye blinks.Unlike my earlier impression of this book, there are no swashbuckling sword fights like any that characterized ‘The Three Musketeers’. The Count doesn’t kill anyone. He becomes a self-appointed Agent of Karma, finding people and evidence from these people’s past lives and sins, manipulating these events so that the public knowledge of their misdeeds is what dooms them. Edmond Dantes becomes a virtual superhero, traveling massive distances at lightning speeds, changing swiftly from one disguise to another.The Count does seem to possess godlike powers. It seems he has also acquired a knowledge of various poisons and dosages, so that he can administer enough of a drug to make it appear that the person is dead, whereas he can resurrect her later. I suppose Dumas thought that Shakespeare got away with something like it in ‘Romeo and Juliet’, why shouldn’t he?As I said, unlike earlier impressions, this is not the kind of adventure novel with swordplay. What it does have is a serial poisoner, a lesbian couple, cross dressing, hashish hallucination, and many other aspects that render it not suitable for children. The Robin Buss translation is very straightforward, flowing and fast moving. Much like ‘War and Peace’, which is also very readable, the main hurdle which is worth surmounting is its intimidating length and its varied gallery of characters and aliases.With each triumph over one of his conspirators, the Count reveals his true identity as Edmond Dantes. He wants his victims to know that Dantes not only did not die but that he was able to administer justice in the end. Where the Count’s god-like powers end is in not being able to control the actions of peripheral characters so that innocent people die. His single-minded obsession grows beyond his control.What Dumas has written is an epic melodrama, probably more akin to a great opera than one of the other great French 19th century novels written by authors such as Balzac, Flaubert, and Zola. Those authors created stories that were more relatable to the average reader, one that led a life less dramatic than most of the characters in ‘The Count of Monte Cristo. Yet even the most ordinary reader sometimes wants to live vicariously through big lives with grand gestures. It is for this reader that Dumas has written.
5.0 out of 5 stars just wow
Never thought I would enjoy a classic so much. I would recommend this book to everyone in the whole entire world.
Great read
Half way through the book and I am thoroughly enjoying it.
Excellent book
Excellent book with many good notes and commentaries. Thanks a lot for making it accessible to everyone.
Satisfaction
Book delivered promptlyPrime worth every penny
حاله الكتاب
الكتاب وصلني بحاله ممتازة عدى بعض العفطات الخفيفة غير كذا زين
Perfect
This story is wonderful. A great read. Such a thick book. Penguin classics editions are always worth buying.Highly recommended for anyone who loves a story rich in adventure, emotion, and complexity.
Similar suggestions by Bolo
More from this brand
Similar items from “War & Military”
Share with
Or share with link
https://www.bolo.ae/products/U0140449264