I've been hearing about this book, thinking it's just a simple revenge story. But by chance, I got to know him again on Zhihu. I heard that when Yu Hua was reading this book, "I didn't eat, drink or sleep at that time, but I almost finished reading this masterpiece crazily, and then I fainted for a month, as if I had recovered from a serious illness", which further aroused my curiosity and reminded myself that I should eat both food, water and sleep.
This book is indeed a story of revenge, but it is not simple. The author is ingenious and amazing. In this revenge, he showed great personality and bad conduct, which is thought-provoking. Finally, I end with this famous sentence:
If you haven't read this book, you will never understand this profound connotation. Our hero Edmund Donders was originally a hard-working and brilliant sailor. He is about to become the captain of the Pharaon, ready to go home and marry his lover Mercedes, who fell in love at first sight. He is a winner in life. Unexpectedly, he was framed, arrested at an engagement party, accused of rebellion, and immediately put into Yves Island prison. From heaven to hell, only two jealous villains and selfish judges are needed. /kloc-the hard waiting in prison for 0/4 years made him lose his will and almost ready to end his life. At this time, the appearance of Father Faria lit up his life. This strong and wise old man still tried his best to create and escape in prison. It was because he dug tunnels day after day that the Tang Dynasty had hope for life. The Tang Dynasty inherited the lifelong knowledge and mysterious treasure of the old man, and finally escaped from prison skillfully and became the Count of Monte Cristo.
When the Count of Monte Cristo became the richest man in the world, he had enormous invisible power. He is determined to avenge heaven. He repaid the family of Morrel, the benefactor of the original ship owner, and saved the family one second before Morrel died of bankruptcy. For the punishment of the wicked, the three lines are parallel and interlocking, which takes ten years. Finally, Fernand, who wrote a letter to slander him, committed suicide, and Villefort, the prosecutor who did not enforce the law impartially, also went crazy. Of course, many innocent people are also involved. The Count of Monte Cristo felt guilty in the process of revenge, and finally forgave Baron Danglars (then Pharaoh's accountant) who encouraged Fernand to write letters.
In the whole revenge plan, the count of Monte Cristo courted Heidi, a former Greek princess who had sworn enemies with these people, and Mr. Bertuccio, who was bent on revenge for his brother. The count of Monte Cristo's inexhaustible money makes the upper class in Paris flock to him, and also controls the fate of these wicked people like an invisible line. He claims to be the messenger of God and can control everything. He did it, so that those wicked people who deserved it were punished and compensated him 14 years in prison. It was very enjoyable. However, there are two pardons in the article that are touching.
The first time was the night before the duel with Abel. Mercedes, the former lover, now Abel's mother and the wife of the enemy Fernand, begged the count to show mercy and give Abel a chance to live. The count agreed, and finally realized that the mother and son who had plotted had left Fernand and lived an ordinary life. The second time, after witnessing the death of an innocent little son of Villefort, Emond became suspicious of his revenge and decided to redeem himself. He first made his enemy Danglars feel the despair at the end of his life, and finally left his life, giving him hope and looking for him to turn over a new leaf. Hope and Waiting fills the last part of the novel, which was actually taught by the original Faria God. In order to test Maximilian, Morrel's son, he made Maximilian feel the pain of losing his lover and the depression of death with all his heart. The count of Monte Cristo told the young man that a sailor like him had lost his lover, suffered unfair persecution and even starved his father to death, but he persisted in waiting and ushered in hope. Maximilian finally waited for the resurrected beloved woman saved by the count, and also realized real happiness.
The secret of this period is:
The Earl and Heidi finally left this letter to maximilian, leaving all their possessions and wandering around the world. I believe that after such waiting and hope, Mo Deer's son can make good use of this property just like him. Property can give people infinite power, but it only belongs to those who are sincere and understand that happiness is greater than everything else. At this time, property is insignificant.
What the Count of Monte Cristo finally came up with was not the theory that revenge is inevitable, or that justice will eventually overcome evil, but a gentle and powerful "wait and hope", which was the driving force for shaping the Count of Monte Cristo and filled with the whole dramatic return plan. This is the charm of the novel, which throws a happy person to the bottom, makes him feel the most miserable despair, sees the light of hope in despair, gains superhuman strength, successfully retaliates and saves the kind people, so he decides the fate of some people like an invisible god, and the evil people get what they deserve, while the kind people get what they deserve. This is God's help. Isn't his appearance an act of god? However, in life, I think these dramatic plots rarely happen. Even the wicked didn't get the end they deserved, and the good guys didn't get the end they deserved, but waiting and hoping can be done subjectively, which is also the most precious wealth of mankind.
Later, many novels and movies can see the shadow of the Count of Monte Cristo, such as the famous The Shawshank Redemption. Once again, you can appreciate the sentence at the end of the movie:
Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies. Isn't this also the power of hope?
I always thought reading novels was just to kill time, but this time I seem to understand the power of novels. The novel shows you the most extreme drama in the world, which is real and beyond reality. Emotional ability allows you to be in it, experience the pain and happiness of the protagonist, see the ugly face and noble soul in the world, and make your own judgment. In reality, it is difficult for people to understand the jail time of innocent Dondes, and most of them live an ordinary life, so they can't understand his summary of hope and waiting. Isn't the profound truth he told us inspiring? Do you have to wait until you really experience it to wake up? No, not everyone can wait for hope like the protagonist, and it is not too late to know this truth earlier.
Dumas is also very successful in portraying characters. One by one, as if he were standing in front of me. The struggle of the upper class against young people and families reminds me of the Spring and Autumn Period I saw before, so literature is borderless and universal, and the complexity, darkness and light of human nature constitute the whole society.
I want to pay tribute to Mr. Dima again. I have seen and hated you for writing such a great work. Facts have proved that masterpieces are masterpieces after all. After two centuries, they still exude unique charm, and human wisdom and light will eventually shine.