I’ve been reading the Count of Monte Cristo for over three months now. I finally finished it in a flurry of excitement.

It’s really not a book for the fainthearted. It’s very long and in a very traditional english style (it was written about 200 years ago). I have to admit I struggled through the first third or so of the book wondering how on earth something so wordy and in places a little dull managed to make it out of a publishing house. It’s very different to the standard of books we have now. Most people would be very bored with the overwhelming amounts of description (I skim read a lot of those paragraphs) and a little bored with the slow pace of the plot too.

However, the book painted it’s characters wonderfully and is by far it’s saving grace. Every person was so detailed and well suggested that by the time I’d laboured through the first few chapters I was actually keenly interested in what was going to happen. I’m not sure I’d have been so desirous to find out if Edmond Dantes found his happiness had I seen the film but I hadn’t and it definitely meant I was hooked.

I have to admit I got to the end and my favourite character was rather unexpected. I decided I liked a little greek slave called Haidee the best but I won’t say anymore than that. She was delightful but to say more would give the plot away.

For those people who enjoy Austen and Lord of the Rings, The count of monte cristo is a nice in between sort of book, enough romance but enough adventure that it blended the two superbly.