Journal Entry 1 by karendawn from Lafayette, Indiana USA on Tuesday, January 20, 2004

From the back cover:
In this ever-popular tale of love and revenge in the post-Napoleonic era, Edmond Dantes, a nineteen-year-old sailor from Marseilles, is soon to be captain of his own ship and to marry his beloved, the beautiful Mercedes. But spiteful enemies provoke his arrest on the very day planned for his wedding and without ceremony he is condemned to lifelong solitary imprisonment in the notorious Chateau d'If. His sole companion in prison is the "crazy" priest Faria, who shares with Edmond a secret plan of escape and a map to hidden riches on the island of Monte Cristo. When Faria dies, Edmond attempts the incredible and daring escape alone. And finally he is free--and rich beyond imagination--after fourteen years of unjust imprisonment. Keeping his true identity a secret, Edmond enters society as the Count of Monte Cristo, a polite, refined nobleman with a private determination to reclaim his lost love...and to exact a slow, careful revenge upon his accusers.

UPDATE 1/30/04: Currently reading. When I'm finished, this will go to beautyredefined. 

Journal Entry 2 by karendawn from Lafayette, Indiana USA on Monday, February 02, 2004

I saw and enjoyed the recent movie version before I read this book. They could not be more different, especially with the plot. I do think, however, that they share the same theme (something like revenge is not the only or the best way to live). At every turn of the page, I expected something that happened in the movie to be revealed but it would not be. So each page was new. The misled anticipation made the book somewhat less enjoyable to me. But I did still like it.

Incidentally, I didn't notice until I was about halfway through the book that it is an abridged version (it states this in very small, hard-to-read letters on the front cover). Since it still seemed like a very full book to me, I don't know what was left out. I'm assuming that it was a lot of political and historical information or commentary. But I really don't know. 

Journal Entry 3 by karendawn at on Monday, February 02, 2004

Released on Monday, February 02, 2004 at Mailed to a fellow Bookcrosser in n/a, n/a Controlled Releases.

Thanks for helping me clear off a little more of my TBR stack. Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 4 by beautyredefined from Washington, District of Columbia USA on Saturday, February 07, 2004

Yay! Just received this in the mail from Karendawn! Thanks so much - it really made my day!