The Count of Monte Cristo — Don’t Shoot… But the Movie Was Better...

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Blurb: Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantes is confined to the grim fortress of If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and becomes determined not only to escape but to unearth the treasure and use it to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration. A huge popular success when it was first serialized in the 1840s, Dumas was inspired by a real-life case of wrongful imprisonment when writing his epic tale of suffering and retribution.

 DON’T SHOOT!!!! But… the movie was better. 😬

I know, I know—it’s a classic. And I fully expected to love it. I grew up watching the movie and absolutely adore it, so I finally decided to take this massive classic off my TBR. Never in a million years did I think I’d finish it feeling so… disappointed.

While the core story is brilliant, there were so many side plots and detours that I found parts of the book confusing. I often had to reread sections just to remember who was who and why we were suddenly here. Instead of adding depth, some of the excess pulled me out of the story and slowed the momentum.

Honestly, I think the movie did an excellent job of staying on “main street”—keeping the heart of the story intact while trimming the excess. In this case… bravo, Hollywood. You understood the assignment. 👏

I respect The Count of Monte Cristo for its legacy and influence, but for me, the reading experience just didn’t live up to the hype — glad I read it, but I’ll be rewatching the movie instead. 🎬📖