count of monte cristo

The Count of Monte Cristo (French: Le Comte de Monte-Cristo) is an adventure novel by Alexandre Dumas, père. It is often considered to be, along with The Three Musketeers, Dumas' most popular work. It is also among the highest selling books of all time. The writing of the work was completed in 1844. Like many of his novels, it is expanded from the plot outlines suggested by his collaborating ghostwriter Auguste Maquet.[1]

The story takes place in France, Italy, islands in the Mediterranean and the Levant during the historical events of 1815–1838 (from just before the Hundred Days through to the reign of Louis-Philippe of France). The historical setting is a fundamental element of the book. It is primarily concerned with themes of hope, justice, vengeance, mercy, forgiveness and death, and is told in the style of an adventure story. Contents [hide] 1 Background to writing 2 Plot summary 2.1 The Wrongful Trial 2.2 Escape to riches 2.3 Vengeance 2.4 Redemption 3 Characters 3.1 Edmond Dantès and his aliases 3.2 Dantès's allies 3.3 Morcerf family 3.4 Danglars family 3.5 Villefort family 3.6 Morrel family 3.7 Other important characters 4 Publication 4.1 Editions 5 Homages and adaptations 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References 9 External links //

Background to writing

Though no proof has been issued over the years, some[who?] believe that Dumas got the idea for The Count of Monte Cristo from a similar story which he found in a book compiled by Jacques Peuchet, French police archivist. Though none of the works of Jacques Peuchet were published until after his death, a mysteriously similar story based on the records gathered from his days in the police service was later published under his name.[2] Peuchet related the tale of a shoemaker named Pierre Picaud, who was living in Nimes in 1807. Picaud had been engaged to marry a rich woman, but three jealous friends falsely accused him of being a spy for England. He was imprisoned for seven years. During his imprisonment a dying fellow prisoner bequeathed him a treasure hidden in Milan. When Picaud was released in 1814, he took possession of the treasure, returned under another name to Paris and spent ten years plotting his successful revenge against his former friends.[3]

Plot summary The plot summary in this article is too long or detailed compared to the rest of the content. Please edit the article to focus on discussing the work rather than merely reiterating the plot. (April 2008)

The Wrongful Trial

Edmond Dantès, sailor aboard the ship Pharaon, returns home to Marseille. He is excited to be reunited with his family and friends, and eager to marry his fiancée,