TheCountofMonteCristobyAlexandreDumasp猫re.Highlyrecommended. 　　Apartfrom'TheThreeMusketeers',thisisprobablyAlexandreDumas'mostfamousworkandoneofthegreatestnovelsinWesternliterature:anoveleveryliterateandeducatedpersonshouldreadatleastonceintheirlives. 　　Inthisstory,EdmondDantesisaninnocentmanwhowascaughtintheintriguesofNapoleon'sescapefromElbaandhis100daysofpoweruntilWaterloo.Asailorentrustedwithasealedletterofhighestimportancebyhisdyingcaptain,DantesdeliversitintothehandsoftheevilprosecutorVillefortwho,forreasonsunkowntohim,immediatelysendshimwithouttrialorappealtospendtherestofhisdaysattheChateauD'Iffe:adarkandisolatedislandprisonpresumedtobeinescapable.WiththehelpofAbbotFaria,adyingprisonerwhoknowsthesecretofagreathiddentreasureonthesmallisletofMonteCristo,Dantesescapesandpreparestounleashhisrevengeonthosewhodidhimwrong.Foryearshespendshistimemeticulouslypreparinghisvengefulschemeagainstthetreacherousfriendsandcharacterswholefthimtorotinprisonforyearsandyears.Herefineshisartsofdisguise,alchemy,andmanipulationtocontenthimselfwiththeruinofhisenemies. 　　Unliketheadventurethemesinhisworkssuchas'TheThreeMusketeers',thisstoryisadeepcharacterstudyonbeingthevictimofutmostinjusticeandhowcruelrevengeissweetafterall:howawrongedmanisentitledtobecometheagentofdivineretributionwhenGodandmortallawshaveabandonedhiscause.Thevariousthemes,complexplot,profoundcharacterdevelopment,andrichprosemakesthislongworkundoubtedlyoneofthegreatestworksofliteratureeverwritten:Dumaswaswithoutquestionaliterarygenius. 　　Thisisagreatstoryforpeopleofallagesandshouldnotbeignoredbyanyonewhohasaprofoundloveofliterature.IthinkthisisDumasgreatestworkfarsurpassing'QueenMargo''TheThreeMusketeers'or'TheCorsicanBrothers.' 　　AstranslatorRobinBusspointsoutinhisintroduction,manyofthosewhohaven'treadTheCountofMonteCristoassumeitisachildren'sadventurestory,completewithdaringprisonescapeculminatinginasimpletaleofrevenge.Thereisverylittleforchildreninthisveryadulttale,however.Instead,therichplotcombinesintrigue,betrayal,theft,drugs,adultery,presumedinfanticide,torture,suicide,poisoning,murder,lesbianism,andunconventionalrevenge. 　　AlthoughtheplotisroughlylinearbeginningwithEdmondDant猫s'returntoMarseille,prenuptialcelebration,andfalseimprisonmentandendingwithhissomewhatqualifiedtriumphantdeparturefromMarseilleandFrance,Dumasusesthetechniqueofinterspersinglengthyanecdotesthroughout.ThestoryofCardinalSpada'streasure,theoriginsoftheRomanbanditLuigiVampa(theleastgermanetothenovel),Bertuccio'staleofhisvendetta,andtheaccountofthebetrayalanddeathofAliPashaarefewofthemoresignificantstories-within-the-novel.WhileDumasdevotesanentirechaptertobanditLuigiVampa'sbackground,hecleverlymakesonlyafewreferencestowhatwillremaintheplot'schiefmystery-howtheyouthful,intelligent,andnaivesailorEdmondDant猫stransformshimselfintotheworldly,jaded,mysteriousRenaissancemanandEasternphilosopher,thecountofMonteCristo,presumablysustainedbyhisownadviceof"wait"and"hope." 　　This