Reading The Count of Monte Cristo For The First Time: The Ultimate Guide

NOTE: This article about The Count of Monte Cristo is spoiler-free! I mention certain chapters, key locations and sections of the book, for the sake of context, but there’s no mention of any events that aren’t featured on the back-cover blurb. You can safely read this post without ruining your reading experience of the novel.

The Count of Monte Cristo, or Le Comte de Monte-Cristo as is the original French title, is a lengthy novel by Alexandre Dumas. The book contains one of the most epic literary tales of adventure, romance and revenge, following the life of the protagonist Edmond Dantès.

“All human wisdom is contained in these two words — Wait and Hope”
― Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo

One of my dearest teenage memories is reading The Count of Monte Cristo for the first time during summer break. It was on our list of mandatory books for the next school year, along with a bunch of other 18th and 19th century classics. I had no prior knowledge of the story, the author or the length of the book — our teacher didn’t inform us there was an abridged version. So when I went to my local library (a good habit for sustainable reading) and picked up a 1980’s edition of the novel, split in two hard cover tomes, all making up over 1200 pages with a few illustrations in-between, I was rightfully a little intimidated.

I packed my bags to visit my grandparents at their village for a few days and took the novel with me. Then I started reading. The Count of Monte Cristo captivated me from the very first pages. I spent countless hours not taking a minute’s break from this incredible book, my vision got so blurry one evening my grandma had to cut cold cucumber slices for me to put on my eyes for relief 😅

If you’re an avid reader, you’ve surely seen this book mentioned numerous times on many “best books of all time” lists. But maybe you haven’t read many classics, prefer a different genre or simply you’re put off by the length of the novel. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered: I’ve compiled a number of tips that will hopefully motivate you to finally start the book or pick it up again from your ‘did not finish’ pile.

Let’s get reading!

Why You Should Read The Count Of Monte Cristo?

If you’re going to start reading The Count of Monte Cristo, get ready for:

• An exciting page-turner that keeps you engaged and wanting more and more.
• Complex and morally ambiguous characters to love and hate.
• A satisfying and unpredictable story with many layers.
• The pride of finishing one of the longest and best classics ever written.

Reading through The Count of Monte Cristo you’ll encounter many moments scattered throughout the story that seem like nothing, but in the end everything connects. As a reader, there are few things more satisfying about a mysterious story than having even the tiniest things have great consequences. Every small detail is a vital ingredient in a complex plot and character development, resulting in a timeless classic like no other.

The Length and Structure of The Count of Monte Cristo

One of the first considerations when approaching a lengthy novel like The Count of Monte Cristo is its sheer size. It’s simply a big chonker, there’s no ignoring it. With over 1,200 pages in some unabridged editions, the book can look pretty scary to readers who are used to shorter works. However, it’s important to remember that the length of a book does not necessarily determine its difficulty.

In fact, The Count of Monte Cristo is so captivating and readable, that once you get into it it’ll be impossible to put down. I originally read the book in about a week and my eyes were not happy about it. 😀

The novel is divided into numerous chapters, each with its own subplots and character developments.

Fun fact: the book was originally published by Dumas as serialized chapters in a French newspaper. That’s why so many chapters kind of read like their own self-contained mini-story and end with a cliffhanger that keeps you flipping the pages.

I find that this structure helps to break up the story into digestible sections. The unabridged version of The Count of Monte Cristo contains 118 chapters. Additionally, the chapters are relatively short so it’s pretty easy to read from section to section in one sitting.

Is The Count of Monte Cristo a Challenging Read?

Despite being very long, I belive the novel is actually quite easy to read fast.

Other than the sheer size of it, another aspect that may influence the percecived readability of the novel is the language and writing style used by Alexandre Dumas. The book has been translated into numerous languages over the years. While most translations aim to capture the essence of the original work, some readers may find the language and vocabulary to be archaic or challenging.

However, I find that the plot is so mesmerizing and captivating that it’s very difficult to put down once you get into it.

And how you read The Count of Monte Cristo is a matter of your mindset too. Don’t approach the book as if you would a contemporary novel. The writing style reflects the time period during which it was written, so you may need to adjust your expectations to immerse yourself in the historical context.

Once you become acclimated to the French names, historical speech patterns and writing style, you can fully appreciate the richness and beauty of Dumas’ prose.

Reader experiences and perspectives

I should note that individual experiences with reading The Count of Monte Cristo can vary widely. I’ve spent countless hours reading Goodreads reviews of the novel and even though this is my favorite book of all time, some of the one and two star reviews are making valid points.

The truth is, what one reader may find enthralling, another may find challenging. Some people relish in the complexity of the plot: they love the depth of the characters, the slow build-up towards a satisfying payoff, and the intricacies of the writing style. Others may struggle to keep track of the numerous subplots and side characters.

Who the heck is Luigi Vampa??

Ultimately, it all boild down to your preferences, prior reading experiences, and commitment to tackling a lengthy and complex literary work. While it may require more time and concentration compared to shorter novels, I find that the rewards of completing The Count of Monte Cristo are well worth the effort.

How to annotate The Count of Monte Cristo

On your first read I would suggest devouring the book in the best way that suits you. But if you’re someone who enjoy annotating and dog-earing your favorite moments, get ready with some book tabs and highlighters because there’s a lot to love here.

I suggest setting up an annotation system that includes at least the following:

• Character descriptions: There are a lot of characters that appear all throughout the story, some of which disappear for many chapters, only to play a pivotal role later on.
• Major plot points: Dumas weaves a tangled web of events, some of which take hundreds of pages until they’re brought up again. If you don’t want to miss out on any of the details, it’s best to highlight pivotal moments to keep tabs on.
• Favorite moments and quotes: Get ready with a lot of tabs because you’re sure to find many witty lines, paragraphs on morality, love and wisdom to mark down.

The 2 Sections Of The Novel Where Readers Quit

The Count of Monte Cristo is one of those chunky books that some readers struggle getting all the way through. I fell in love with the book almost instantly and had no issue reading 300 pages a day, but that’s not everyone’s experience. During my research, I concluded that there are two main sections of the novel, that trip up readers and cause them to give up on finishing this must-read classic:

1. The opening chapters

The beginning of the book, from chapters I to chapter XV in an unabridged version, is the first critical part of the story where a lot of readers give up on The Count of Monte Cristo. The main reason is the intro is very heavy with exposition. In fact, it consists almost entirely of moments setting up plot lines, characters and mysteries that get resolved much later down the line.

How to get through the intro section without DNF-ing the book:

Personally, I enjoy these chapters, but I can see why people quit here: it’s about 100 pages worth of nothing more than worldbuilding. But that’s the thing. The story could probably work if we have a couple of longer chapters that set up the plot into motion more concisely and then we jump straight into what everyone points out as the best part of the book — the Château d’If years. But if you want to get through these without feeling like they’re a drag you must get curious:

• Get to know the main characters: Throughout the novel you’ll be following a large set of characters, each with their quirks and motivations. These first chapters are the best way to get to know how each of them thinks and what drives them to take the actions they do.
• Play detective and highlight future references: While annotating the book on a re-read, I loved highlighting moments of foreshadowing that had direct consequences and payoff in future chapters. It’s immensely satisfying how everything is so well connected. If you’re reading for the first time, stay vigilant and see if you can spot all the little hints of things to come.
• Immerse yourself in 1800’s Marseille: The Count of Monte Cristo is set during one of the most interesting eras of French history and has a lot of references to real historical events and figures. During the first chapters you learn a lot about the culture and political situation in the country, which impacts some of the major plot lines of the story.

2. The Italian affair

As I was reading different takes on why people stopped reading The Count of Monte Cristo, a lot of people mentioned they got whiplash from the narrative switch in chapters 31 and onwards. This is the section where I, as someone who always cites this book as my all-time-favorite, also struggled getting through. Without major spoilers, the story suddenly takes us on seemingly a completely different journey and for a while feels like you’re reading a new story altogether. A lot of people also cite these chapters as “filler” content that can be easily cut off without much consequence to the overarching plot.

Here’s how to survive the “filler” chapters:

• Get familiar with the new characters: Just like in the beginning of the book, this narrative switch brings forth some new characters, who are pivotal until the very last chapter of the book. The shift in perspective marks the transition from one identity to another. The story takes place over multiple decades and locations, and the characters, much like real people, change in almost unrecognizable ways at times.
• Remember the context of how the book was first published: If you didn’t know, Dumas originally wrote The Count of Monte Cristo as an episodic story, published serially in a newspaper between August 1844 and January 1846. Allegedly, he was paid for his work by wordcount, so unsurprisingly he did what he could to drag out certain sections. Take this as an opportunity to spend a longer time enjoying this adventure, because you’ll be left craving more once the story inevitably ends.
• The setup for a master plan: One of the best things about The Count of Monte Cristo is how even the smallest details make sense and have a payoff in the end. At first you might be confused why you should care now that things have changed so much, but trust me, there’s a reason for all the events and as you keep reading you’ll find out why they’re important 😉

Photo by Anastasia Zhenina on Unsplash

General advice for reading longer classics

I want to mention a few key takeaways for reading not just The Count of Monte Cristo, but also other bulkier books and historical fiction classics:

1. Set aside time and be patient with the book: Reading is a slow, solitary activity that requires focus and patience. You won’t get through 1000+ pages in a day, so be prepared to invest time into reading this long book. Depending on your pace and free time, it can take from a little less than a week to months to get through the entire story. An unabridged version of the novel is anywhere between 850 to ‎‎1270 pages long. If you read an average of 50 pages a day, it can take anywhere from 17 to 25 days to finish the book.
2. Find a reading buddy: Even if you don’t have an irl friend to commit to reading The Count of Monte Cristo together, there are online reading clubs, social media groups and forums you can visit to find other readers ready to join you on this literary adventure.
3. Don’t give up (but don’t force yourself either): As I already mentioned, there are a couple of sections that can kind of drag, especially if you’re not used to reading these kinds of books. Alexandre Dumas’ writing is exciting, energetic, witty and very well-paced. If the story is dragging for you, stay open-minded and curious about the journey, you can find joy in the way the author pens the whole narrative.
   But if you’re really forcing yourself to get into it and it’s just not doing it for you, perhaps it’s better to put it down, at least for the moment. Maybe you’re not ready for such a long, complex historical story just yet, or maybe it’s just not the genre for you. Either way, before anything else reading should be enjoyable, so there’s no need to spend time on a book that isn’t right for you.

Are you ready to finally start reading The Count of Monte Cristo? If you are, please get back to me with your opinion 😃 I’m obsessed with this book and I’d be happy to convert at least one reader into falling for this classic. I’m definitely tempted to ignore everything else on my TBR and jump back into another re-read of this spectacular novel.