This shit is, essentially, a classic literature version of a native isekai. That is, an isekai without the cross-world transport. A puerile power / wish-fulfillment fantasy.

I’m not going to complain about the insane bloating, because it was written in a periodical over years so of course it will be bloated. I’m not going to complain about classic literature norms and tropes, it’s a product of its time. I won’t even complain about the structural problems. You can forgive all of that is ONLY there was a great story being told — and there simply ISN’T. It’s merely an avenue for then-contemporary French readers to experience revenge on their upper classes while, simultaneously, living vicariously through Monte Cristo’s fabulous, ostentatious wealth. That’s it, that’s the soul of the story, literally just an isekai at heart.

I’ll ALSO complain how ridiculous the revenge plots are. Monte Cristo is like Agent 47 who completely transforms his identity by putting on new clothes. People who’s known him intimately can’t see through his fucking wig and new accent, it’s absurd. But the point is for the readers to revel in upper-class villains getting totally fooled because fuck them. Furthermore, Monte Cristo doesn’t actually DO anything except to encourage the villains to commit their OWN downfalls. AND, astoundingly, Monte Cristo was GUILTY of the crime he was convicted of, he was NOT a persecuted innocent, just betrayed by -others! And, in exchange for like 16(?) years of hard time, he’s literally given FABULOUS UNTOLD RICHES for the rest of his life. How is this not an isekai at heart?

>>24561439 (OP)
>reddit spacing
>anime and video game comparisons
Bait like this should be illegal. You'll cause someone to go into cardiac arrest

>>24561439 (OP)
>native isekai.
bait confirmed

>native isekai

>>24561756
>>24561757
>>24561837
How is this NOT native isekai? The core of isekai is the power and wish fulfillment fantasy, how the Count of Monte Cristo any different in that regard? No it’s not LITERALLY an isekai, obviously, because it isn’t a JRPG-inspired game world with game mechanics etc, but the soul of isekai, the reason why it exists, is for the power fantasy and wish fulfillment of the readers. They both even have 11/10 slave girls who love the MC ffs.

>>24562045
>wish fullfillment fanatsy
the protagonist is a literal cuck, nobody wishes that, if anything it's revenge porn, not isekai

>>24561439 (OP)
>It’s merely an avenue for then-contemporary French readers to experience revenge on their upper classes
Caderousse was poor and he recieved one of the harshest punishments. Haydée was an aristocrat, Dantès married her and saved her life. Albert de Morcerf is spared. Valentine de Villefort receives the highest reward.

it's called a revenge story, retard. what you don't get is that if the term isekai has any sort of meaning in your mind it's already over

>>24562177
No he’s not. Haydee is a virgin super princess. He did get cucked by his first wife but that was after he was supposedly dead but he completely ditches her for the virgin slave princess.
>>24562360
The villain’s children get off because they’re good people and have nothing to do with Edmond’s revenge. Heaven forbid the fantastical MC audience self-insert take down good people as collateral damage. Meanwhile the villains stay thoroughly disgraced lowlives. The only thing this book does better than isekai is that in revenge isekai the villains are comically evil, whereas in this the villains have positive aspects to their personalities being more like human beings and not just empty props to contrast the MC’s goodness.
>>24562372
Revenge is a common sub-genre of isekai and a frequently-used trope for the MC in general.

>>24562551
>The villain’s children get off
Did we read the same book? Is this bait or are you really this retarded? Did we read the same book?

>>24561439 (OP)
I always disliked how bloated and filled-like it was, but I can’t deny Faria teaching Dantes, and Dantes breaking out of prison is the best part of the story.

>>24562666
>is this bait
You're retarded

The Stars My Destination does it better

weebs should stay from lit

>>24561756
>reddit spacing

This nigga can't read unless it's a block of text that doesn't separate different thoughts and subjects.

I was fully with the book until it timeskipped and suddenly Dante has a sidekick and he's into a bunch of oriental voodoo shit or something.

I never finished it, maybe because the pettiness of revenge also didn't seem worth reading the second half of the book for either. But that first half was pretty darn good.

>>24562861
>only contention is the “redditor spacing” remark
Redditor detected.

>>24562551
>No he’s not. Haydee is a virgin super princess
that's just post-cucking cope, the cucking already happened, you can't uncuck yourself doesn't matter how many hot girls you get later

>>24563519
Way to make your fixations obvious. You’re a hopeless porn addict, and clearly can’t help yourself from telling everyone you know.

>>24563530
it's not me the one that decided that getting cucked was a power fantasy...

>>24563608
You protest too much for it not to be the case. This is also a bait thread: why are you engaging sincerely? Are you retarded?

>>24563612
>This is also a bait thread
more like the thread where OP baits other men's cocks with his gf's pussy, am i right?

>>24561439 (OP)
Can somebody explain to me what isekai is? Anyways, the count more than one states that it's providence and he and his design are mere instruments of God

>>24563917
Isekai = "other world", ie, someone who dies but is reincarnated or transferred to the other world. But the other world trope is just the surface-level part of the genre, it’s really about how the other world is a game-like setting with JRPG game mechanics (levels, stats, skills, etc) for the main purpose of giving the protagonist a cheat ability — something which makes him stronger than everyone else. Basically, a power wish-fulfillment fantasy. Furthermore, revenge is a common trope and also there is an entire sub-genre of revenge isekai, a famous example being Re-do of Healer. A famous example of a normal isekai is Overlord. A Native Isekai is just an isekai except that there is no transfer to another world, a current example of this is Solo Leveling.

I love it and relate with the roller coaster narrative of extreme highs and lows, I have experienced comfort and homelessness, have worked in high finance and also served in the lowest roles of society. I see it as a story about unbreakable conviction and the possibilities of life's journey. I don't care about luxury but I do care about bringing justice for my people.

>>24564094
I also recommend reading the biography of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). From illiterate orphan to prophet and war leader, close companion of Christians, founder of what will inevitably become the largest religion in the world.

>>24562045
>booba

>>24561439 (OP)
I have read both the adult CoMC,
and the childrens illustrated classsic edition.
Now, I *get* what you mean about the original text.
Its bloated.
Trust me, I don't "need" the book boiled down in a kiddie book to grasp it. I read dracula and frankenstein just fine.
But? The story itself, is perfection. The stark basics of the plot, in the childrens illustrated classic?
Its like the difference between a tight 225 page paperback, and a giant Dune Trilogy.
Rags-to-riches, epic sweeping thing? Thats a common trope. Honestly, a lot of the classics need edited down to a tight paperback version. They are awesome stories, they just have too much meander, political allusions, etc. You can routinely edit about a couple hundred pages out of Les Miserables, and its still got the bloat. Great story, though.
>
You have to also appreciate these classic stories for their own time. In their day? These were bestsellers. The fact that they still sell? SHould tell you something, that there is something timeless about them.
>
I have often enough wondered, about "outlining" Count of Monte Cristo my own barebones way, and writing an "original" story based off that. I picture a nice, tight, well paced 225 to 250 page paperback.

>>24564014
Revenge all by itself? Can be an effective plot driver.

It’s shocking to me that I have to ONCE AGAIN point out that Edmond was GUILTY of the crime for which he was thrown into Chateau d’If — not to the extent of his actual crime, of course, but he DID, in fact, willfully and consciously do something he KNEW could get him in serious trouble. It would be like if your boss whom you really liked begged you in his dying wish to deliver a letter to Osama bin Laden’s hideout and take back out any correspondence from there. Would you do it, or would you go straight to the authorities, hand over the letter while explaining the situation? If you did as was asked, you’d be fulfilling your duty as a man, BUT you would be doing so knowing you that you could get into serious trouble with the government because everyone knows OBL is a wanted terrorist. So if you go through with it, and then one day shortly after the CIA puts black bag over your head and carries you off to a black site for interrogation, who is it who’s at fault? Your friend who tipped off the authorities? He may have betrayed you, but YOU were the one who carried correspondence for OBL. Then the trail comes back to the US when you are charged with treason, and the corrupt DoJ officer hides papers which could have helped your case, ie, shown that things weren’t has bad as the prosecution was making them out to be. Okay, that’s an evil thing to do and he’s fucking you over — BUT YOU DID THE FUCKING CRIME. If you had not delivered messaged for OBL you would NOT BE ON TRIAL TO BEGIN WITH. Now imagine going around after you’re free telling everyone with maximum outrage that you were innocent of those crimes, and just being made RICHER THAN MOST COUNTRIES is not sufficient recompense for your suffering, and the you will become God’s agent of retribution against your wrong-doers. That is the Count of Monte Cristo.

>>24565204
>ai generated babble

>>24565204
So Napoleon was a terrorist?

>>24561439 (OP)
>Now I'm a Count! My Best Friend in Prison Gave Me His Fortune and Now I'll Get Revenge on My Ex-Best Friend Who Framed Me for Treason!

>>24562045
>11/10 slave girls who love the MC
I dont remember that in the Disney movie. Now I feel cheated.

>>24561439 (OP)
I felt similarly when I read 1984 and Brave new world. Sure it's not completely wish fulfillment, but in both instances an undesirable self-insert attracts a broad way out of his league. I guess the key to writing your coomer fantasies is to write a plot first, then fit your wish-fulfillment in their somewhere.

>>24565957
Haydee wasn’t in it? Or was she and Disney decided her being a willing and loving slave (a fact repeated over and over again in the book) not a workable female character archetype?

AND, Monte Cristo tries to get her to leave and live freely because it’s France and there’s no slavery and she can go and live as she pleases, and he’ll still take care of the money for her and ensure she lives comfortably no matter what she wants to do, etc. and she REFUSES, steadfastly wants to stay with him as his slave. It’s LITERALLY the fucking isekai slave trope, I wonder if it was invented by the book and become popular in Japan lol.

>>24566033
lol yes those definitely had that feature. It’s like he just couldn’t help himself, like no one would read it if there wasn’t a sexual fantasy involved.

>>24565308
No, but it’s a modern reference most people will understand. Running secret mail for Napoleon during his imprisonment is not something the French government would tolerate.

>>24561439 (OP)
Edmond is literally me

*buurp* look morte i became a pickle morty im pickle riiiccckkk