30. Alexander Dumas - The Count of Monte Cristo

"Romantic novel by Alexandre Dumas pere, published in French as Le Comte de Monte-Cristo in 1844-45. The hero of the novel, Edmond Dantes, is a young sailor who is unjustly accused of aiding the exiled Napoleon. As punishment he is sentenced to life imprisonment in a French island fortress. After 14 years, Dantes makes a daring escape by taking the place of a dead companion; he is sewn into a burial shroud and thrown into the sea. Having learned from his dead prison mate of a vast treasure on the island of Monte-Cristo, Dantes eventually makes his way there to uncover and claim it. Adopting the persona of the Count of Monte Cristo, Dantes becomes a powerful, shadowy figure who eventually avenges himself on those who wronged him." - Amazon.com

I read the unabridged version with the translation done by Robin Buss. If you're going to read this book, read this version. It was fantastic! I had seen the mini-series with Depardieu and then the movie, so I was eager to read the book. I was not disappointed. It is a thick book (over 1,000 pages) but it was worth pouring through. There's tons of intrigue, deception, and revenge, and full of excitment on every page. I'm actually looking forward to re-reading this book. :)