Book #33: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

It's amazing how different the book is from the movie. I haven't read the book or seen the movie for a few years, so I didn't really remember anything that happens after he finds the treasure. Pretty much EVERYTHING is different; understandably so, because I don't think the book's plot is quite so family-friendly or moviegoer-appropriate as the movie ending. I'm not quite sure what the moral of the story is supposed to be, when it's all said and done. The count worries for a little bit that he's gone too far with all of his punishments, but then concludes that he didn't. But I think he did--his vengeance destroyed the lives of so many innocent people in addition to those men he wanted to destroy. Pretty much all the wives and children of those men were either dead or dishonored by the end of the book, and that really seems like he went too far.

Of course, it's a very exciting book. It's one of Tommy's favorites--he read the unabridged version a while ago. I'm not really tempted by the unabridged version any more--I'm happy to have read this 500-page version and call it good.