Reading the Chunksters discussion

I have read the first 4 chapters. My first impression of Edmond Dantes is that for someone so young, he sure is very good at giving the most politic answer to M. Morrel. He does seem naive to the kind of trouble he could get from Danglars and Caderousse.

I plan to join in. I'm on Chapter 31, having started it around Christmas but then got distracted mid January. I picked it up again today when I saw this group is reading it.

I'm not sure what to make of Dantes yet. I agree with Peg's characterization but the naivete and smarts are something of a disconnect for me. That said, he seems like a good character to be both victim and hero.

I remember a friend telling me she had a crush on him while she was reading the book and I think I've read other women say something similar. I'm not feeling it myself, at least not yet.

I’m joining in for sure, because otherwise I’ll never manage to finish this book. I got to chapter 50 something before, but had to put it down for some reason. I just remember not liking Dante’s very much once he got to the revenge part , as he was kind of arrogant, but I wonder how my opinion might change after all these years.

I’ve tried to read this several times. I loved The Three Musketeers but I find it hard to be invested in this story

For me it was definitely Dantes and the scope of the story that made me take a break. At a point I was getting exhausted. But that was also a long time ago, and I was much younger and had less patience. I'm quite open to having a completely different outlook on it now.

I loved the prison chapters, by the way, but that's still to come.

I just finished Ch. 8 and I do like Dantes. He's young but seems to have a good head on his shoulders and is a born leader. To have earned the goodwill and respect of both the crew and the owner seems quite an achievement for so young a person. I also agree with Peg about his naivete, especially regarding Danglars, who he knows dislikes him. Caderousse he just regards as a nuisance, and I don't believe he is aware of the depth of Fernand's jealousy of him. I think he has that belief that most of us have who have never had anything really bad happen--that it can't really be happening to him. Add to this his knowledge that he hasn't done anything wrong, and this makes him too trusting of the police.

I think that the mirroring of Dantes' and Villefort's situations is interesting. I feel like it is setting them up to be foils for each other. Dantes' story reveals his honor and responsibility when placed in a difficult situation, while Villefort, knowing that Dantes is innocent, willingly sacrifices him to save his own good name.

I'm really enjoying it so far and can't wait to find out what happens. Does Mercedes discover Fernand's betrayal? How long does Dantes stay in prison? Does she wait for him? Does Villefort's cowardice come to light? So many questions! It just means that I'm hooked.

I've picked this book up and put it down several times and it has always been during the revenge part. At that point, the story is meandering and there are a zillion characters. Even Dantes has so many aliases, it can be hard to keep up.

However, this time, I am persevering. I am listening on audio during my daily walks and I find it a good fit.

I am enjoying being transported to a very different place and time.

Ah i love this book. I've read it three times x

But Lorna you shouldn't post so many spoilers for people who never read it before! It would ruin it. I'm ever so glad no one spoilt it for me.

I just thought I would give this book a shot since I ended up being able to finish 1q84 after all. I did not expect to get hooked at all, but I love the way this book is written.

There is something very vivid and dramatic about it. Almost like reading a play or something. So I’m thinking I will join in for this read too.

Overall, I liked Dante in the first chapters because he is clearly innocent by comparison to the other characters that are being introduced. Naive would be the first word that came to mind and I can see how this story is going to have a lesson in perseverance.

Although, reading some of the comments looking forward to his thoughts of revenge did made me think about how his naivety is the foundation for this. I have never thought of it before, but naivety could also be a sort of overconfidence too.

It does seem like he has the impression that everything he touches will turn to gold. It isn’t that he doesn’t deserve good fortune, but this overconfidence may have caused Dante to overlook some red flags that led to his imprisonment.

Lorna, my book is 52 hours. The narrator is Bill Homewood.

I've read Les Miserables twice and love it, love it x

Lorna, I think Bill Homewood is a very good narrator, at least for this book. There are some I can't listen to at all, either.

I'm starting a bit late, and I am already enjoying this book a lot. I read it once before, but it was an abridged version, and that was over 20 years ago. I remember loving the book, but I remember almost nothing about the plot.

I agree with others that Dantes seems naive. Considering his age and his early success in life, that seems like normal behavior. He really couldn't believe anything bad could happen to him.

Dumas also wrote plays, and his novels often have a dramatic/theatrical quality about them. I've loved all his books that I have read.

I found Dantes merely young. He was far from naive bringing the ship into dock crisply directing the crew Dumas’ description of his handling men and ship so well let us see why Morrell was ready to make him captain.

For such a long book I am amazed at how little description there is, and what is described-such as “the perfumes of the sea at night” are concisely evoked.

Dumas has made Dantes like able which magnifies the injustice. And scene follows scene, just action and interactions.

No. My first Dumas. Just about through week two, Chapter 16