Edmond Dantès is unjustly accused of treason on his wedding
day and sent to
Le Château d'If,
an island prison. He meets another prisoner there, finds out why
he was framed, and by whom, and is told of a great treasure left
on the Island of Monte-Cristo. He escapes after fourteen years,
finds the treasure and assumes the title of the Count of
Monte-Cristo. Under this name he exacts revenge on each of the
people involved in his imprisonment.
This is one
of Dumas' best-known novels. It was written in 1845-1846.
It is one of the novels in which
he collaborated with Auguste Maquet.
Look at the
Internet Movie Database's movie listings for a list of
characters.
Oeuvres/Related Works Hogan, Alfredo Possolo: A Mão do Finado - Written in Portuguese (in French Le main de défunt, in English The Hand of the Dead, in German Die Totenhand.) Lermina, Jules Hippolyte: Le Fils de Monte Cristo (The Son of Monte-Cristo) - A continuation of Monte-Cristo and the Countess, and sequel to The Count of Monte-Cristo, available from amazon.com. Mahalin, Paul: Mademoiselle Monte Cristo - Paris, Librairie illustrée, 1896 The Count of Monte Cristo I - New York, P. F. Collier & Son, n.d., The Works of Alexandre Dumas in Thirty Volumes (vol. 1), blue cloth, gilt spine The Count of Monte Cristo I - New York, P. F. Collier & Son, 1902, The Works of Alexandre Dumas in Thirty Volumes (vol. 1), teal cloth, gilt spine The Count of Monte Cristo II - New York, P. F. Collier & Son, n.d., The Works of Alexandre Dumas in Thirty Volumes (vol. 2), blue cloth, gilt spine The Countess of Monte-Cristo I - New York, P. F. Collier & Son, n.d., The Works of Alexandre Dumas in Thirty Volumes (vol. 25), blue cloth, gilt spine The Countess of Monte-Cristo II - New York, P. F. Collier & Son, n.d., The Works of Alexandre Dumas in Thirty Volumes (vol. 26), blue cloth, gilt spine The Son of Monte-Cristo I - New York, P. F. Collier & Son, n.d., The Works of Alexandre Dumas in Thirty Volumes (vol. 27), blue cloth, gilt spine The Son of Monte-Cristo II - New York, P. F. Collier & Son, n.d., The Works of Alexandre Dumas in Thirty Volumes (vol. 28), blue cloth, gilt spine
Le Fils de Monte-Cristo
Paris, L. Boulanger, 1881
Bibliothèque Nationale de France Notice n° : FRBNF30797359
(This novel was adapted and published in English in two parts: The Wife of Monte Cristo and The Son of Monte Cristo in 1884. [British Library])
Monte Cristo and the countess.
New York, N. L. Munro [1884]
Library of Congress Call Number 07034692
By Jean Charles Du Boys (1836-1873)
La Comtesse de Monte-Christo
Paris, E. Dentu, 1869
Bibliothèque Nationale de France Notice n° : FRBNF30361216
The Countess of Monte-Cristo.
Philadelphia, T. B. Peterson & Brothers [c1884]
Library of Congress Call Number 06035666
The Countess of Monte-Cristo.
New York, N. L. Munro [1884]
Library of Congress Call Number 06034635
By Edmund Flagg (1815-1890)
Edmond Dantes ... A sequel to The Count of Monte-Cristo.
Philadelphia, T. B. Peterson & Brothers [c1878]
Library of Congress Call Number 06041127
Edmond Dantès.
Philadelphia, T. B. Peterson & Brothers [c1884]
Library of Congress Call Number 06041144
Monte-Cristo's daughter; sequel to Alexander Dumas' great novel, the "Count of Monte-Cristo," and conclusion of "Edmond Dantes."
Philadelphia, T. B. Peterson [1886]
Library of Congress Call Number 75310850 //r963
A Mão do Finado (Le main de défunt, The Hand of the Dead, Die Totenhand)
written in Portuguese, and when translated into French, it was claimed to be by Dumas
From A Bibliography of Alexandre Dumas père by Frank Wild Reed: Dumas was under contract with MM. Béthune et Pion to write for them eight volumes of "Impressions de Voyage à Paris." But while he was gathering his material they approached him with the request that he would instead make it a romance after the style of those of Eugène Sue. This he readily agreed to do, and found the germ of an idea in "Le Diamant et la Vengeance," an incident recorded in Peuchet's "La Police Dévoilée."
The period is 1815-1838. It is perhaps the outstanding work of fiction to reveal the futility of human vengeance, even when it attains its utmost completeness. Maurice Baring calls it the most popular book in the world (presumably meaning in literature as such).
Dumas commenced with the Roman episodes, with intent that all the earlier portion dealing with the imprisonment, the treasure and the escape should be narrated by one of the characters. It was Manuel who, by strenuous insistence, persuaded him to alter this and make his story begin as it now does at Marseilles. Maquet was undoubtedly the collaborator, for Dumas states that they talked the plan over together, and moreover Maquet helped with at least the latter portions ; and with the first volumes, which are said to have been written at lightning speed at Trouville. As the result of his original idea Dumas divided the romance into three portions : Marseilles, Rome, Paris.
More than once Dumas spoke of writing a sequel to this romance. He did not do so, nor does it seem to require one, yet others have attempted it.
It first appeared serially in the "Journal des Débats," where it had an enormous success, only rivalled by that of "Les Trois Mousquetaires." (June 28, 1844 to August 12, 1845.)
Original edition: Paris, Pétion, 18 vols., 8vo., 1845-46. (M. Parran erroneously says 12 vols., though at the sale of his own library in 1921 one of the few sets known was sold—in 18 vols.)
Second edition : Paris, Pétion, 12 vols., 1846.
Third edition : Michel Lévy frères, 6 vols., 18mo., 1846.
New edition, revised, corrected and augmented with an epilogue; Paris, No. 30 Rue Saint-Thomas-du-Louvre, 2 vols., large 8vo., 1846. Vol. I., pp. 478, with 14 illustrations and a portrait of the author; Vol. II., pp. 499, with 15 illustrations. These plates are by Gavarni and Tony Johannot ; there are in addition woodcut initial letters and tail-pieces. This edition was also issued in parts at 40 centimes each. It was reprinted; Paris, "Écho des Feuilletons," 2 vols., same illustrations, 1850.
Another edition was given as a bonus to subscribers by "Le Siècle," large 4to. of two columns.
Paris, Jules Rouff et Cie. (N.D.), in 174 parts, each with a fine woodcut on its front page.
Paris, Louis Conard, with illustrations from designs by Fred-Money, engraved on wood by Victor Dutertre, 6 vols. 1923.
In the standard Calmann-Lévy edition it fills six volumes, and a similar number in the same firm's illustrated series, while it occupies one in their "Musée Littéraire."
Le Vasseur's "Alexandre Dumas Illustré" includes it in Vol. VII., of which it fills the whole.
References :—
Dumas: "Causeries,"—"État Civil du 'Comte de Monte-Cristo.' "
Simon (Gustave): "Histoire d'une Collaboration : Dumas et Maquet."
Peuchet: "Mémoires Tirés des Archives de la Police de Paris ;" Paris, Levasseur, 6 vols., 1837-38. Parran: "Bibliographie d'Alex. Dumas," page 50. Quérard: "Supercheries Littéraires Dévoilées," Vol. I., Columns 1107-1108.
Parigot: "Alexandre Dumas," pp. 149-159.
Nettement: "Études sur le Feuilleton-Roman ;" Paris. Perrodie, 1845-46, Vol. II., pp. 356-412.
"Fortnightly Review," No. for October, 1907: "The True History of Monte-Cristo," by R. S. Garnett.
Dumas' Journal, "Le Monte-Cristo," for June 23rd and 30th, 1859, published "François Picaud," the article from the "Archives de la Police," which gave him his idea.
"XIX. Century," November, 1922: "Dumas and Sue in English," by W. Roberts.
Principal English Translations :—
It first appeared as an illustrated serial in the "London Journal," commencing on April 25th, 1846 and ending on December 18, 1847.
"The Count of Monte Cristo," first English edition in book format; London, Chapman and Hall, 2 vols., with 20 fine woodcuts by M. Valentin, pp. 464, 464, 1846. No translator's name is given, yet it is interesting to note that almost every successive English edition has been based upon his work. An American reprint was issued in the same year, but with the plates so badly printed as to be almost caricatures of the original ; New York. Burgess, Stringer & Co.
"The Count of Monte Cristo;" London, Routledge, 2 vols., 8vo., 1852. Frequently reprinted.
London, Orr, 3 vols., as respectively "The Château d'If" (I) and "The Count of Monte Cristo," (II and III) translated by Emma Hardy. 1846.
"The Prisoner of If; or, the Revenge of Monte Cristo," illus., pp. 406, 1846. (Also in weekly and monthly parts.) Geo. Peirce.
At a slightly later date "The Count of Monte Cristo" was issued in eight sixpenny parts by W. Kent & Co., London.
London, Routledge, 1852, a re-issue of Chapman and Hall's edition, with the plates. Frequently reprinted by Routledge, without the plates; and still in their "Aramis Edition."
In 1888, however, Routledge printed a very handsome edition in 5 vols., with nearly 500 fine illustrations by French artists, the whole printed on heavy paper of good surface. It contains, as an epilogue, a translation of "François Picaud," the incident from Peuchet which supplied Dumas with the germ of the plot.
"The Count of Monte Cristo;" London, Dicks, translated and adapted by J. R. Ware, 2 parts, 1887.
"The Count of Monte Cristo;" London, Ward, Lock, 2 parts, 1888 (unabridged).
"The Count of Monte Cristo;" London, Osgood, 4 vols., post 8vo., 1891. This closely follows Chapman and Hall's version, though with a few slight variations.
"The Count of Monte Cristo;" London, Walter Scott, translated by H. L. Williams, 1893.
"The Count of Monte Cristo;" London, Dent, a reprint of Osgood's edition (though the foreword would lead one to expect a new version), 4 vols., cr. 8vo., 1894. Reprinted, same firm, 1907 and 1927.
"The Count of Monte Cristo;" London, Walter Scott, revised by H. Smith, illustrated by F. T. Merrill, pp. 1102. 1896. (Based closely on Chapman and Hall's version.)
"Count of Monte Cristo;" London, Nelson, India paper, 2 vols., 1906.
"Count of Monte Cristo;" London, Collins, 2 vols., illustrated, 1910. "Count of Monte Cristo;" London, Sampson Low, 4 vols., 1912.
