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Their plan works and Dantes is arrested. Also, Buss's translation includes all of the naughty bits - i.e. The evolution of Edmond Dantes from sailor to prisoner to Count of Monte Cristo is enthralling. His revenge is most apt.I highly recommend this book for anyone who is looking to be transported into another time as well as for someone who is looking to fall in love with well-developed characters. Reading an abridged book is like eating cake without frosting.
There are many editions out there, I recommend the Robin Buss unabridged translation published by Penguin Classics. It is hard to set aside CoMC, as the characters are extremely interesting and well-developed. Buss's translation is fantastic and readable, the phrasing is not awkward at all, as in other translations. one sex scene, some drug use, and a dash of homosexuality. He's thrown in prison without a trial. Eventually, Dantes escapes and becomes the Count of Monte Cristo.
You don't really need the frosting, but the frosting is what gives a cake it's delicious flavor. It's not like the antagonists are straight-up bad guys with no redeeming qualities, they are just people who make bad choices and act out of self-interest.Essentially, the moral provided in this HUGE tome is that revenge is a dish best served cold. Luckily, for the reader we get to see the entire evolution of Dantes, we see him in his darkest moments as well as in his crowning glory. The Count of Monte Cristo is a book which ought to be read unabridged, if only for the richness and flavor of the text. Dantes spends awhile in jail and thinks of nothing but his revenge. Three men known to Edmond Dantes, all jealous of him in some way, one wants his job, the other wants his girlfriend, plot a way to put Edmond Dantes in prison.
Alexander Dumas's book is captivating. In order to understand why I say this, I shall provide some backstory.
Like I said, you do have to go through the book at least once to obtain these marks, but it's worth it if you ever want to go back and refer to a chapter somewhere in the middle of this epic without going crazy.Hope this helps with customers who were unsure why they should consider this translation or were thinking of skipping it altogether because it has no automatic chapter navigation. But then I discovered the Robin Buss translation and he explains that like many romance languages there is a formal and an informal way of saying "you" to someone. I first read the "unabridged" version published by Modern Library back in the mid 1990s. He says something like, "Haydee, you know," or "Haydee, you well know." To which she responds (in the ML edition), "Why do you address me so coldly, so distantly.".WHAT.For someone like myself who had never read the original French editon this came off as a bizarre thing to say. Now, let's get down to business. What I didn't know until the Robin Buss translation came to my attention years later was that I had been reading the Victorian version of the novel. Finally, to address the practical problem of this version not having mobi-like chapter navigation or access. Just a quick review on one or two technical details that someone might want to know who already knows what a great classic story this is.
One that ranks right up there with Constance Garnett's translations of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky (avoid them if you don't want "watered-down" versions). It's like: Babe. However, since in English there is only one version of "you" for any situation, it wouldn't make sense for her to ask, "Why do you not say 'tu' to me as usual." Robin Buss corrects this and I am thankful for it. "vous." So in the original novel Monte Cristo responds with the formal word "vous" which causes her to question him. The point is they left out the more "adult" things that would have put off or shocked Victorian readers back then. Why this translation. Why kindle if I have to read it from start to finish every time. The solution is simple even though it does take a little time.
In Spanish it's "tu" vs. He's only said three or four words to you since he entered the room- what are you talking about. Ten years ago when I was shopping for a replacement translation, I used a little litmus test on evey copy I picked up to see what the translator did in a certain scene. I found out that by bookmarking every first page of a new chapter, it allows me to create a table of contents that I can navigate through by going to the "My notes and marks" menu.
If you're like me and sometimes enjoy rereading a book out of order because you like to revisit favorite parts, you're out of luck unless you know exactly the digit location of the paragraphs you seek. Thank you and happy reading. This does stink. I'm glad you asked.Pretend I've already gushed about how wonderful the book is, Dumas is, and all that.
"usted." In French it's "tu" vs. It's the beginning of chapter 49 or 50 (depending on which edition you have) titled "HAYDEE" or "HAIDEE," in which the Count enters the quarters of his slave Haydee and she asks him why did he ask for permission to enter her room rather than just come in. I thought it was unabridged because it was so long and nothing seemed to be left out: subplots, dialogue, characters, etc. They also side-stepped language idioms to avoid confusion.
Now it's on to Madame Bovary. Just finished this marvelous classic. Don't delay - start reading today, this new translation is fabulous.
The book had minor scratches and rips on the cover, back, and pages due to shipping, and the box was way to big. The book was shoved in a box and was not secured or covered and the box was not even taped shut. The box fell open on my porch because it was not secure. I bought this book new thinking I would get a book in perfect condition, wrong. So I guess that is "priority shipping". In no way was the book protected. I am in no way insulting the book the book is great. No bubble wrap or anything.
The "Notes" at the end of the book are very helpful as they provide insight into the events surrounding the story, explanations to the references made in the dialogue, and other useful bits of information that aide in a more complete understanding of the plot. The book itself is very sturdy (it survived a cross-country camping trip and time spent in the Gulf of Mexico) and possesses a strong binding and resilient pages. This is a wonderful story, of which my fellow reviewers give an excellent description and summary. I recommend it to all who enjoy a great book, and to those who would like to begin reading classic literature.
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