The Count of Monte Cristo

1984, George Orwell Permanent Record, Edward Snowden My Early Life, Winston S. Churchill Flowers for Algernon, Daniel Keyes Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand Edit: To some extent probably also: The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas Don Quijote, Miguel de Cervantes

I finally read Count of Monte Cristo (unabridged) Fully worth the hype. Also read a lot of Arabian fantasy (?). Fantasy with djinn etc. Favourites were Master of Djinn and the City of Brass series.

The Count of Monte Cristo. Everyone loves it. It aged marvelously!

Count has gained popularity recently and I’m glad it has. Quite possibly the best fiction piece ever written.

The Count of Monte Christo is a wild read! The first half if about how he gets double crossed by all his friends. The second half is about how how he exacts his meticulous and glorious revenge.

The Count of Monte Cristo. I rarely get this absorbed by a book. It was a very satisfying read. Grapes of Wrath stayed with me for a very long time. The Jungle too. This is how you lose the time war. It was just damn unique and pleasant. Everyone who reads it loves it. Cryptonomicon, another very entertaining read that every geek loves.

Can second this! Read Monte Cristo last year and still think about it. I’m also working my way through discworld chronologically, just read “Eric”. Highly recommend this series :)

”The Count of Monte Cristo”, one of my favorites. It’s a classic the general story being jailbreak/revenge. A little slow paced at times but the writing is fantastic. If you enjoy fantasy novels I would recommend ”The Wee Free Men” by Terry Pratchett, it’s outstanding.

Oh yeah, it’s a cracking story too! A proper journey and what a revenge. Hope you enjoy it!

That looks like it’s up my alley, I’ll check it out. Thanks! Count of Monte Cristo is the best revenge story ever told which is why it appeals to me, but you’re right about the immersion aspect. Maybe I would choose the unabridged version for the full experience.

For me it was a combination of the scale of what he was getting revenge for - not just “crossed this dude” but ruined his entire life as he knew it - and that regardless of the overarching plot, it is a very well written book. Personally, I’m a fan of long books that suck you into their world, even if the story itself isn’t incredible - I’m the same with music, I tend to like slow evolving techno and ambient - I’m more interested in the atmosphere than the narrative/drama!

> I get my technical content during the day from the internet so don't really feel the need to read technical books, though I'll make the odd exception. This is definitely where I'm at. The only two technical books I can say I've really read are The Rust Book and Crafting Interpreters, both of which I kind of skimmed, wrote some code, and read more in detail to fill in the gaps. Count of Monte Cristo is one of my favorites.

Monte Cristo is one of those novels you think will be slow because of its age and lengthy, but, like Les Miserables, it is highly readable and an intense page turner!

I pretty much only read fiction. I've never really got in to reading much non-fiction, though I'd like to try to get into it more. I get my technical content during the day from the internet so don't really feel the need to read technical books, though I'll make the odd exception. I usually read for about 30-60 minutes a day before bed, I find it helps me switch off and sleep well. I've recently been working my way through some classics which have been reissued, properly typeset etc., by Amazon on Kindle for free: https://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=18660703011. The best one I've read so far is Count of Monte Cristo - it's long but it's one of those books where you get really engrossed in its world and you're really sad when it is over!

The Count of Monte Cristo (Robin Buss version)

Counterpoint: I prefer the abridged version. Dumas was originally paid by number of pages and it shows IMO.

The Count of Monti Cristo is a really fun book. It was published as a serial and was kind of like the Breaking Bad or Game of Thrones of 1850s Paris that everyone was talking about at the time. It's fun to read for both the revenge story itself and for the implicit look into the history of the French Revolution and what the life of a (dramatized) high roller was like back then.

Monte Cristo is also my favorite novel by Alexandre Dumas, but I enjoyed many other books he wrote — he used to have assistants that wrote part of his books, and, IIRC, one of them claimed that he was the main author of some novels. I'd recommend reading "Les 3 mousquetaires", where the Lady is one of the most interesting characters I've ever met. The book was a huge success, and is still famous in France nowadays, like its main character, D'Artagnan. The two sequences are okay, "Vingt ans après" and "Le vicomte de Bragelonne". Other good historical novels by Dumas are "La reine Margot", "Joseph Balsamo", "Le collier de la reine". For the fans, there are dozens of lesser novels, like "La tulipe noire" (which I know I've read, but can't remember at all).

I’m curious if it was an unabridged translation? TCMC is some 1200-1400 pages long in English depending on the binding and the translation, but there are some much shorter versions. I pretty much paused my life once I picked it up, but it took me around three or four days to complete it. (Of course I purposely took my time, cherishing every page and not wanting it to end.) I ask only because you owe it to yourself to read the real deal, just in case the Chinese translation you read was one of the much more common shorter versions.

It’s funny, the financial aspect stuck with me as well! I appreciated that different characters made their money in different currencies (and that everyone could convert between them) and how some currencies were more often associated with per annum revenues than others. I’d say it’s a pendulum that’s swung too far in correction, imho. It’s a good thing to make money off of honest hard work (a lesson TCMC does not skimp on) as compared to inheriting your riches via the aristocracy, but it definitely isn’t the end goal. I’ve learned long ago not to watch movies of books I love, it’s far too painfully disappointing and takes away from the world-building a great author triggers in your mind’s eye. (I’ve only ever watched one movie rendition of a classic and found it not only adequate but even superior to a book, and that was One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, probably because the book was intentionally incoherently written to reflect the works as seen through Chief’s delusional eyes.)

Traffic by Ruskin I reread quite a lot. For background, it's a lecture he gave when invited to speak, as the eminent architectural critic of the day, to dignitaries on the opening of a new exchange building. Was expected to talk about the architecture, but he talked about capitalism instead > You shall have thousands of gold pieces; - thousands of thousands - millions - mountains of gold: where will you keep them? More technical, but I constantly use Ruskin's Modern Painters as art reference. Each volume has detailed chapelters on natural forms (trees, mountains, etc). The attempts at geometric drawings of the structures of cloud patterns are particularly beautiful imo. He's a phenomenal writer, anyway. Mentioned by others elsewhere in the comments, but Candide and The Count of Monte Cristo are possibly my two favourite books. The first one feels incredibly modern, which is quite impressive given that it's basically the first European novel. Second one I've always thought is like an exceptionally good airport novel (and the sci-fi version is also one of my favourite books, and one of the best sci-fi novels ever written). Very difficult to put down.…

A masterpiece to live through the ages. The first time I read it I was impressed that I could read something as long in such a short time.

This is going to sound weird, but... I remember your comment from four years ago (!) [0] and it really stuck with me. However, I could never find the thread, so when I saw this thread, I simply had to check if you wrote a comment again; and here we are! I recently began reading it and is really enjoying it. Thanks for the recommendation! [0]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12245036

I second that. There's also a lot of movie and tv adaptations of this book out there(Alan Badel was probably the best Count) and I really enjoy compering them to the book.

The Count of Monte Cristo, hands down. Published 1844 by Alexandre Dumas, one of the greatest writers to have ever lived. I’m an avid reader and I always laughed at the idea of having a “favorite” book.. until I found mine. I loved the book so much, I resolved to learn French (et je l’ai fait!) just so I could someday read it in the original French.

Economics: - The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith - Das Kapital, Karl Marx - That Which Is Seen, and That Which Is Not Seen, Frederic Bastiat Philosophy / Politics: - The Republic, Plato - Second Treatise on Government, John Locke - The Law, Frederic Bastiat - Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes - Meditations, Marcus Aurelius - Democracy in America, Alexis de Toqueville - On Liberty, John Stuart Mill Fiction: - The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, Mark Twain - The Story of an Hour, Kate Chopin - Metamorphoses, Franz Kafka - Candide, Voltaire - The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas

The Bible. Mysterious Island (1874), Around the World in Eighty Days (1873), and other books by Jules Verne. Books by James Fenimore Cooper. The Sea-Wolf (1904) by Jack London. The Count of Monte Cristo (1844) by Alexandre Dumas. Oliver Twist (1839) by Charles Dickens.

I was hoping someone would mention this book. I think the less you know about it before you read it the better. It's free to read on Project Gutenberg https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1184/1184-h/1184-h.htm#linkC... (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1184/1184-h/1184-h.htm#linkC2HCH0001)

The Count of Monte Cristo.

Fiction War and Peace Crime and Punishment Count of Monte Christo 1984 God of Small Things Paradise lost Divine comedy Non fiction Selfish gene Meditations Madness explained (the best book I've encountered for explaining how the mind works) The Red Queen Tao te Ching

Count of Monte Cristo and East of Eden. I'm happy to have had the chance to read these books twice (first in my early 20s, again in my late 30s), but I only wish I could compare my experiences with a first reading during my early teens or pre-teen years.

In my youth, my favorite book is The Count of Monte Cristo, in college it is The Mind's I by Hofstadter and Dennett. (Actually for both I read their Chinese translations as I was in China). My favorite English book is The Fall of Hyperion.

Sedgewick's Algorithms in C++. I am a non CS guy who learnt C++ programming in order to do simulation for my final year project in mechanical engineering. I ended up creating a wonderful GUI (MFC) simulation complete with the diagram of the engine etc. For the next 5 years or so as a freelancer developer assisting professors and the like, I created pretty hot shot applications with nifty graphics, UI etc. I began to see myself as a master programmer and thought how easy it is for CS guys compared to Mech guys. Then I picked up this book. I had never known any of what it talked about. The very first example of union find was a revelation. My ego was completely thrashed. I was thoroughly humbled. As for non technical, it would be The Count of Monte Cristo. I first read an abridged version of it as part of high school curriculum. As a young teen, I was instantly enamored by revenge and adventure. I still long to own a yacht and sail the oceans, if not get imprisoned, or find a treasure, or kill people. I am reading it again at bedtime and Dantes just got locked up at Chateau d'if.

Any one book? Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore, Robin Sloan Any one series? The Foundation series, Isaac Asimov Other personal favourites include: The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho The Book of Disquet, Fernando Pessoa The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexander Dumas Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Jonathan Safron Foer Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Richard Bach The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

Count of monte cristo. I know it's fictional but reading about a fellow put wrongly in prison at a young age, who manages to escape and achieve great fame never fails to pump me up.

I'm reading this right now (in my 30's) and LOVING it! It's a hefty read, but the story--though I've heard the story before, seen movies, etc.--is so great it's fantastic.

The Count of Monte Cristo .. not sure why it took me all these years to read it, but it was one of the best books I've ever read.

You are in for a treat man. I read it once every year (not cover to cover just my favorite parts esp the prison) just to fire myself up. Side note: The movie is also quite good.

A lot of stuff: Asimov's Foundation (I only recommend the trilogy, though; Foundation's Edge is good but will make you want to read Foundation and Earth, which does severe damage to the universe. Haven't read the prequels.) Asimov's short stories Tolkien Ben Hur The Count of Monte Cristo (brilliant revenge story) A lot of Brandon Sanderson's work (The Stormlight Archive is promising to be fascinating) Too long a list of other stuff to put here.

The Count of Monte Cristo for a great, rousing yarn

Since you're going with "classics" I'd add: * Les Liaisons dangereuses * The Count of Monte Cristo Plus my personal picks; Taltos the assassin, Chronicles of Amber, Dune & LoTR.

I'm sure there'll be plenty of sci-fi, fantasy, and tech- or entrepreneurship-related non-fiction books mentioned, so I'm specifically trying to approach from a different direction. The two I've seriously got to recommend are East of Eden and The Count of Monte Cristo. East of Eden is Steinbeck, of whom I'm usually not a fan, but it was phenomenal and definitely made me rethink my approach to life (it was high school, so this was easier to do, but it's still a nice feature in a book). The Count of Monte Cristo is also a classic, and I'm sure I won't be the only one to recommend it, but it's absolutely brilliant through and through. Make sure you pick up the Robin Buss translation, though (unless you're comfortable reading in French, of course).

Currently reading: The girl who kicked the hornet's nest Top Favorites: Count of Monte Cristo, The three musketeers, Sherlock Homes and the Hound of Baskersville, Atlas Shrugged, The Client

Here's a few I've really liked that have a broader subject matter than only what you asked for. I figure that if you like to read you'd like these books. --- NON-FICTION --- Darkness Visible A Mathemematician's Apology Omnivore's Dilemma Fermat's Enigma The Code Book Born to Run Judgement of Paris Siddhartha Killing Pablo The Victorian Internet Lone Survivor I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman Papillon Into Thin Air Born on a Blue Day Touching the Void Got Fight The Conquest of Happiness --- FICTION --- Switch Bitch Lost Horizon The Cuckoo's Egg The Simlarillion The Time Traveler's Wife The Alchemist The Count of Monte Cristo A Canticle for Leibowitz Neverwhere My Uncle Oswald Stories of Your Life and Others Invisible Cities Life of Pi Atlas Shrugged --- WALL STREET / FINANCE --- When Genius Failed Liar's Poker Buffett (Lowenstein) Bull! Black-Scholes and Beyond (textbook) Fixed Income Securities (textbook) The Road to Serfdom The Smartest Guys in the Room Fortune's Formula The Fourth Turning Inside the House of Money --- ENTREPRENEURSHIP / COMPUTERS (non-textbook) --- Masters of Doom It's Not About the Bike Dot. Bomb Founders at Work The PayPal Wars…

Want to blow your mind? Fiction Keep an open mind, and a sense of wonder when you read these for max effect! Hitch-hikers guide to the galaxy. I was hooked at "The big yellow ships hung in the air just the way bricks don't." Dune - what does scarcity do to a society? Isaac Asimov - Robot series. Foundation series. All of his short stories, esp. The Last Question, Nightfall. A.C. Clarke - 2001 - series, Childhood's End, The Fountains of Paradise The Little Prince, The Count of Monte Cristo, Catch-22, Siddhartha, Ender's Game, Sundiver, Wodehouse.

Fiction: 1. Life of Pi - Yann Martel 2. The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas : An awesome closeup of revenge 3. The complete Sherlock Holmes series : 'nuff said. Non fiction: 1. Cosmos - Carl Sagan : I fell in love with science post-reading this book. 2. October Sky - Homer Hickham : A real life story of how a group of boys in a backwater town build a rocket that changes their lives. 3. Chariots of the Gods - Erich Von Daniken - A real mind bender, even if you choose not to agree with his ideas.

1. The Count of Monte Cristo 2. The Great Gatsby And yet I read mostly non-fiction... :) It's hard to say these are my absolute top two (that's probably an eight-way tie in reality), but Gatsby definitely hit me at a pivotal time and became a subtle but big influence, and Monte Cristo was just a brilliantly entertaining yet very deep and touching story.