Book report, part 2

Although I was shamed into beginning The Count of Monte Cristo, it took almost no time at all for me to get completely wrapped up in the story. I knew virtually nothing about the book before I started, but it takes only a few pages to offer sufficient hints to understand the path of the story.

It's clear from the outset that a virtuous character will suffer grievous harm at the hands of those jealous and selfish in fairly short order, and that the remainder of the book will be devoted to his efforts to right those wrongs. And boy, does he ever. It's a classic of revenge, slowly built and intricately constructed and definitely served cold.

Even though it's easy to suss out the basics of the story, nothing prepared me for the richness of detail and florid descriptions of every setting, from abodes both modest and opulent to prison cell to palace to den of thieves. We follow the hero from prison to the island of Monte Cristo, where we leave him while the remainder of the sprawling cast of characters is introduced and brought to life.

And then the plot plays out. We learn gradually how the Paris social web inhabited by these characters is woven and how the Count becomes part of it. Slowly and subtly so as to be beyond the notice of the offending few, the noose tightens, and by the time the Count, brilliant, rich beyond compare, master of disguise and everything else, reveals his identity to the villains they are completely undone.

I don't want to reveal more. The free digital version (from iBooks) that I read is 1600+ (small with big type) pages but it moves along without ever dragging (though I'll admit I did not read every detail of every luxurious salon) or skipping ahead too fast. I could not recommend it more highly.