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Edmond Dantès, the unjustly imprisoned and revenge-driven protagonist of Alexandre Dumas’ 1844 masterpiece The Count of Monte Cristo, is a character many are familiar with. But how well do you know these 15 intriguing details about the novel?
1. THE STORY WAS INSPIRED BY A REAL-LIFE TALE OF A SHOEMAKER’S VENGEANCE.
Dumas’ fascination with thrilling narratives led him to the 1838 book Memoirs from the Archives of Paris Police, a compilation of true crime stories curated by Jacques Peuchet. One of the stories featured was the chilling account of Pierre Picaud, a shoemaker from Nîmes who was falsely accused of treason by three men coveting his wealthy fiancée. According to popular retellings, Picaud gained the favor of a wealthy, childless individual (possibly a priest) whom he served. Upon the man’s death, Picaud inherited his fortune, becoming immensely wealthy. On his supposed deathbed, Picaud offered a substantial reward to his friend Allut for revealing the names of his betrayers. After obtaining the information, Picaud (who had feigned his death) embarked on a ruthless quest for vengeance, saving the most gruesome fate for the man who married his former fiancée. Ultimately, after killing the third conspirator, Picaud was murdered by Allut, the very friend who had disclosed the betrayers’ identities.
2. THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO WAS ALSO INFLUENCED BY THE LIFE OF DUMAS’ OWN FATHER.
A daring adventurer in the vein of legendary literary figures, Thomas-Alexandre Dumas—originally named Alexandre Davy de la Pailleterie—embodied the “self-made man” ideal that made the Count of Monte Cristo such a compelling character. Born in the French colony of Saint Domingue to an enslaved African mother, Thomas-Alexandre accompanied his aristocratic father to France, where he pursued education and a military career. Rising to the rank of general, he remains the highest-ranking individual of color in the history of Continental European armies.
3. DUMAS FOUND THE TITLE DURING A BOAT EXCURSION WITH NAPOLEON’S NEPHEW.
Unaware of Dumas’ love for spontaneous maritime adventures, Jerôme Bonaparte—former King of Westphalia and Napoleon’s brother—requested that Dumas host and guide his 19-year-old son, also named Napoleon, during a visit to Italy in 1842. Dumas persuaded the young prince to embark on an impromptu boat journey, visiting Elba, Portoferraio, and eventually the secluded island of Montecristo. While Prince Napoleon fell ill during the trip, Dumas was so captivated by the island’s natural beauty and abundant wildlife that he pledged to name his next (and most famous) novel after it.
4. THE NOVEL WAS PUBLISHED AS A SERIAL OVER TWO YEARS.
After its completion in 1844, The Count of Monte Cristo was initially serialized by Journal des débats. The French newspaper released the story in 18 installments, with the first segment appearing on August 28, 1844, and the final one on January 15, 1846. The novel’s original hardcover edition also followed this format, being published as 18 separate volumes between 1844 and 1845.
5. THE NOVEL’S TITLE WAS INITIALLY MISSPELLED IN EARLY PUBLICATIONS.
Copies of the book printed during this period, and many through the 1850s, featured a spelling mistake that would haunt any meticulous editor. These early versions were titled The Count of Monte Christo. The error wasn’t corrected until 1846, and it wasn’t until 1860 that properly spelled editions surpassed the flawed ones in circulation.
6. REFERENCES TO HOMOSEXUALITY WERE REMOVED IN EARLY EDITIONS.
While Dumas never explicitly stated that Eugénie Danglars and her music teacher Louise d’Armilly from The Count of Monte Cristo were romantically involved, his subtle hints were enough to provoke conservative publishers of the time. Early English translations of the novel omitted scenes hinting at their relationship—such as one where the two are depicted lying in bed together. These scenes were only restored in English translations 150 years later.
7. A PROMINENT AUTHOR’S WIFE CREATED ONE OF THE ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS.
Several English translations of The Count of Monte Cristo emerged in the years after its original release. One of the first unabridged versions to reach England in the mid-1800s was facilitated by Emma Lavinia Gifford, the spouse of renowned novelist Thomas Hardy.
8. THE TRANSLATOR OF ANOTHER EDITION REMAINS UNKNOWN.
The most widely distributed English edition, published in 1846, did not credit its translator. The book was solely attributed to its publisher, Chapman and Hall.
9. THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO WAS EUROPE’S MOST POPULAR NOVEL.
George Saintsbury, an English writer and historian born shortly after the novel’s debut, noted in an 1878 issue of The Fortnightly Review that The Count of Monte Cristo was, “at its initial release and for years afterward, the most widely read book in Europe. It’s possible that no other novel, within such a short span, reached as many readers or spread to as many countries.” However, Saintsbury also criticized its popularity, suggesting that only the first volume, if any part, truly merited such acclaim.
10. DUMAS’ TALE INSPIRED ANOTHER LITERARY MASTERPIECE.
Thirty-six years after Journal des débats serialized The Count of Monte Cristo, Lew Wallace, an American politician, lawyer, and army general, transformed his passion for writing into a successful career with the novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. Wallace cited Dumas’ revenge saga as a major influence on his work and even compared himself to the Count while writing Ben-Hur, as noted in his autobiography.
11. A PUBLISHER SOUGHT TO MODERNIZE THE LANGUAGE.
In 1996, Penguin Classics released a new English translation of The Count of Monte Cristo by Robin Buss. This version aimed to replace the outdated and overly formal language of previous translations with more contemporary and accessible phrasing. For example, Buss changed lines like "His wife visited for him, and this was the received thing in the world," to the simpler “His wife visited on his behalf; this was accepted in society.”
12. A FAMOUS BRITISH COMEDIAN CREATED A “MODERN RETELLING” OF THE STORY.
Stephen Fry, best known for his comedic talents, has also achieved significant success in dramatic endeavors. Beyond his Golden Globe-nominated roles and insightful documentaries, Fry has made notable contributions to literature, including his 2000 thriller The Stars’ Tennis Balls, a contemporary reimagining of the Count of Monte Cristo tale.
13. THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO HAS BEEN ADAPTED FOR THE SCREEN 40 TIMES.
Dumas joins the ranks of literary giants like William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, and Fyodor Dostoevsky, whose works have been frequently adapted into films. The Count of Monte Cristo surpasses even Dumas’ own widely popular The Three Musketeers in screen adaptations, with at least 40 film and television versions. The story’s cinematic journey began in 1908 with the Italian short film Monte Cristo, directed by Luigi Maggi.
14. THE NOVEL INSPIRED A FAMOUS SCREENWRITER’S PSEUDONYM.
The clever deception of Dumas’ protagonist Edmond Dantès has made his name a popular alias in pop culture. Notably, a celebrated screenwriter adopted the name as a pen name. While scripts for films like Beethoven, Maid in Manhattan, and Drillbit Taylor are credited to Dantès, they were actually written by John Hughes, the iconic creator of teen movies.
15. THE NOVEL INSPIRED THE NAME OF A DECADENT SANDWICH.
In the 1920s, a deep-fried sandwich featuring white bread, ham, turkey, and Swiss cheese was created, likely in California. Modeled after the French croque monsieur, it gained popularity in the 1940s as the Monte Cristo. While the exact origin of the name remains unclear, the timing and spelling suggest it was inspired by the widely popular film adaptations of the era.
