Book Twenty - The Count of Monte Cristo - Part Six

From Victor Hugo Central
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This book was an adventure for me, not just because of the secrets, perils and voyages, but also because of the emotional journey. Monte Cristo seems to be about intrigue but also illustrates profound truths. One of these is that all actions have consequences. Seems like such a simple statement, doesn’t it? Of course actions have consequences. To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. I learned this not from Newton but from Garfield the lasagna-loving cat. (You can see the cartoon here.)

It is easy to “know” but difficult to comprehend how much our actions affect others. To show the power of consequences, Dumas goes to great lengths to illustrate suffering. I continued to love Edmond throughout the book even when I did not understand him. I suffered with him and traveled with him and learned with him and wept with him. I haven’t walked in Edmond’s shoes, but I’ve certainly been betrayed and hurt in my life. And I daresay I’ve hurt others. I wish I had not, but if I’m honest I must admit that I have. Are those people lying in wait somewhere? I hope not.

I was not satisfied with the motivation Dumas gave for Edmond’s course of action. In fact, Edmond began to doubt his own motivation as time passed. As the puppet-master, he plays to the individual nature of his victims, knowing what will work with each (sorta like Ben manipulating people on LOST). What Edmond does not take into account is the incidental damage he inflicts upon the innocent. He does not understand the consequences of his own actions! Ah, the irony! The selfish acts of others caused a domino effect which mowed down Edmond, yet the skeletons Edmond causes to pour forth from locked closets are like dominoes going backward in time.

Another message in The Count of Monte Cristo is that we reap what we sow. While Edmond intended to force people to do this, his enemies were already doing so by the way they lived; their own choices dictated their lives. One character, for example, in losing his family –

... darted to his bedroom to see once more all he had loved in the world; but the hackney-coach drove on and the head of neither [his wife] nor her son appeared at the window to take a last look at the house or the deserted father and husband.

But that wasn’t all this particular man loved – he loved money. Money, power and prestige had ruled his life for many years. I do wonder about people who seek fame and fortune as fame and fortune tend not to treat people well.

Dumas is a master of detail and quite clever. Many times I found myself turning back a few pages to make sure I remembered what I thought I remembered - he's devious, Mr. Dumas. He also makes some quite funny observations. I particularly enjoyed the ladies who, upon receiving dreadful news, prepared to faint. Other examples --

As for his wife, he bowed to her, as some husbands do to their wives, but in a way that bachelors will never comprehend, until a very extensive code is published on conjugal life.

... were struck with the worthy appearance, the gentlemanly bearing, and the knowledge of the world displayed by the old patrician, who certainly played the nobleman very well, so long as he said nothing, and made no arithmetical calculations.

It was evident that Madame Danglars was suffering from that nervous irritability which women frequently cannot account for even to themselves; or that, as Debray had guessed, she had experienced some secret agitation that she would not acknowledge to any one. Being a man who knew that the former of these symptoms was one of the inherent penalties of womanhood, he did not then press his inquiries...

Debray: Though I am intrigued by the situation, I shall postpone my questions until you are well, Madame.

Madame Danglars: I’m well! Who says I’m not well???

Debray: I am sorry, I meant only that I do not wish to antagonize you when your hormones are out of whack.

Madame Danglars: Monsieur, speak to me of hormones when your own are in check.

Book Twenty - The Count Of Monte Cristo - Part Five

But however the mind of the young man might be absorbed in these reflections, they were at once dispersed at the sight of the dark frowning ruins of the stupendous Colosseum, through the various openings of which the pale moonlight played and flickered like the unearthly gleam from the eyes of the wandering dead.

Dumas came this close to making the book a zombie story.

Albert... knowing full well that among the different states and kingdoms in which this festivity is celebrated, Rome is the spot where even the wisest and gravest throw off the usual rigidity of their lives, and deign to mingle in the follies of this time of liberty and relaxation.

So there’s this guy named Albert, right? And he’s quite the ladies’ man in Paris but in Italy no one will give him the time of day. The women are all faithful to their husbands and lovers. They don’t cheat on the men they’re cheating with. This distresses Albert, who was looking to hook up in Italy during the Carnival. Dumas' handling of Albert is hilarious.  

Most of my readers are aware that the second act of "Parisina" opens with the celebrated and effective duet in which Parisina, while sleeping, betrays to Azzo the secret of her love for Ugo.

Well, duh, of course we know that. I believe Hurley on LOST was named after Ugo. (The way his mama pronounces it, anyway.)

I got a bit confused about someone who, as it turns out, is not really dead but only mostly dead so I Wikipedia-ed the character. And I found this picture of Dumas --

He looks very familiar. Who does he resemble? At first I thought it was one of the Three Stooges, but now I'm not so sure.

Book Twenty - The Count Of Monte Cristo - Part Four

During his world travels, Edmond enjoys recreational use of:

1) Opium
2) Hashish
3) Mushrooms

I won’t tell you the answer because that would be a spoiler. I’ll say only that I didn’t even know the drug in question has hallucinogenic properties. (Clearly, I had a misspent youth. Too much time reading and watching TV, not enough drugs.)

Book Twenty - The Count Of Monte Cristo - Part Three

Faria -

I had nearly five thousand volumes in my library at Rome; but after reading them over many times, I found out that with one hundred and fifty well-chosen books a man possesses, if not a complete summary of all human knowledge, at least all that a man need really know. I devoted three years of my life to reading and studying these one hundred and fifty volumes, till I knew them nearly by heart; so that since I have been in prison, a very slight effort of memory has enabled me to recall their contents as readily as though the pages were open before me.

Now, I pride myself on being a nerd and trying to know a little about many things and much about a few, but this guy may be the King of the Nerds. I can imagine choosing 150 books to read over three years, but to learn them by heart? Okay, well, I can repeat passages of Pride and Prejudice and stuff, but this guy is well out of my league.

Tangent – my friend Mike suggested that I “translate” a portion of the original French into English. You see, we have a friend from Montreal whose English is a bit spotty, but at least she knows two languages. Having never taken a French class, occasionally I try to “translate” her written messages into English. So here goes –

Oui, certainement, reprit Monte-Cristo; mais Lord Wilmore ne m'a pas laissé ignorer, cher monsieur Andrea, que vous aviez eu une jeunesse quelque peu orageuse. Oh! dit le comte en voyant le mouvement que faisait Andrea, je ne vous demande pas de confession; d'ailleurs, c'est pour que vous n'ayez besoin de personne que l'on a fait venir de Lucques M. le marquis Cavalcanti, votre père.

Translation -

Yes, certainly, repeats Monte-Cristo; mad Lord Wilmore is not a lazy ignorer, like Mr. Andrea, and I bring you the special June orange juice. Oh! And let’s go on a voyage to move the fair Andrea, and demand the confession; dilly dally around and he’ll act besotted with a person from Venice, Lucquest, Monsieur the Marquis Cavalcanti, who voted for his father.

Book Twenty - The Count Of Monte Cristo - Part Two

If Twitter tech existed in the early 19th century -

CountMCristo EdmondDantes

Nothing better than sea air!

@Mercedes See you soon, my love.

@M.Morrel Will meet you at the dock in half an hour, Monsieur. Got good news and bad news.

@M.Morrel @CountMCristo The cargo is fine, successful journey. The captain is not so fine.

Am engaged to @Mercedes and will be the new captain of the Pharaon!

@Mercedes and I are at our Marriage-Feast. Will be married in less than two hours! #bliss

WTF? Hope to be out of this mess soon thanks to the kindness of @deVillefort.

@Mercedes @Father Call my attorney! They can’t do this to me! This is a free country -- #ohcrapimsoscrewed

If it weren’t for @Faria I would have gone mad.

Book Twenty - The Count Of Monte Cristo - Part One

Napoleon fascinates many people. I am not one of them.

He was a brilliant tactician and all, but I’m not terribly interested in military tactics except in terms of how they relate to the people involved, and most everyone agrees Napoleon was a tyrant. Well, he’s got, like, a complex named after him and stuff. I know the guy went to Egypt and found the Rosetta Stone and did some other great things, but he tended to destroy anyone in his way. Of course, dictators do that or they aren’t dictators for very long. However, it seems I am unable to escape this man. I read all about him in War And Peace, naturally, and here he is again. So, Napoleon's rule in a nutshell –

Strong centralized government (see propaganda), spies, no freedom of expression or the press.

Freedom of religion, but the church was under state control. He granted this freedom as a way to manipulate both the people and the church. Quite shrewd, actually.

The Napoleonic Code with its vast influence contains the following examples: an individual’s career should be determined by his ability and not his birth; protection of private property; workers had no collective bargaining; women declared inferior by law. (Because, you know, the way they treated us didn’t get through our poor little heads and we needed to see it in writing.)

Public, secular education for men.

He developed infrastructure. He helped business leaders with tariffs and loans while helping the poor by keeping the cost of bread low. Popular with both industry and the populace? My, my, how many politicians throughout history have envied him?

He sold us “Louisiana” for a terrific price. Ostensibly, he sold it to thwart England - as you know, the enmity between the English and the French goes way back - but I think he also just needed the money.

Napoleon is known by his first name. You have to have an unusual name and be really famous for that to happen, like Cher.

I'm intrigued by the book so far, and I especially like Edmond. I fear this doesn’t bode well for him, as Dumas must have a reason for ingratiating Edmond to the reader so early in the novel.

Able was I ere I saw Elba.