The Count of Monte Cristo

Alexandre Dumas created a masterpiece. This is officially my second favorite book of all time- the first being Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. The depth, growth, plot complexity kept delivering. I love the message from this book - forgiveness, hope, love, So beautifully written.  I love these words: 

“There is neither happiness nor misery in the world; there is only the comparison of one state with another, nothing more. He who has felt the deepest grief is best able to experience supreme happiness.”

My favorite line from the Count:

 “[U]ntil the day when God will deign to reveal the future to man, all human wisdom is contained in these two words,—‘Wait and hope.’”

The Three Musketeers

I enjoyed this book. It seems a popular theme in this era is a beautiful villainous, French male writers seemed to love this concept. The Three Musketeers incorporates romance, action, and mystery. There does not seem to be any real moral purpose to this book, though. Good does not necessarily overcome evil, and even the love stories seem fickle. The most moral character seems to be Athos, who has encountered deep heart ache in his younger years which has shaped his view of women and general wisdom. Ironically the characters who seem to triumph and make moral choices in the end have no lovers. This may have something to do with Dumas view/interpretation of women. He seems to be the voice of Athos, who distrusts all women. I wonder if his other books have similar trends. Overall an enjoyable read but little depth.