Edmond Dantes is wrongfully imprisoned when he is betrayed by three men. Fernand, his rival for the beautiful Mercedes, denounces Dantes to the government as a Bonapartist spy. Danglar, his rival for the promotion on board their ship, pens the letter to the local police and delivers it with evidence of secret letters in Dantes' possession. And the judge, Villefort, suppresses the true evidence and denies Dantes a fair trial. Years later, Dantes escapes prison and begins to plot his revenge.

This classic is one of my favorite books of all time! I could read it over and over. It has a heart-wrenching complex plot, marvelous characters, and a beautifully arranged story!

The plot has many layers with multiple sets of characters. They are all connected on some level to Dantes, but the web of lies and intrigue runs deep through their history. I love the way that the threads of each person's life are being woven in and out of the Count's plans for revenge. He is manipulating everyone to punish those who are evil and protect the innocent.

The writing really tugs at your heart, as so many of the characters have tragic stories. But there are also moments of joy and triumph for the good guys. The writing is just so powerful and intense! There are a few over-the-top dramatic scenes where the characters are just so excessive in their emotions that it doesn't feel realistic. But it fits with the overall tone of the story, so it doesn't feel out of place.

Rereading this for the second or third time, I did remember that there are a few scenes that I don't like, such as the hanging in Italy and other violent scenes. But those are overshadowed by the rest of the wonderful story!

I really love the different characters and their story arcs. Even the bad guys are interesting because they are so complex and believable. You can see how their actions led them into doing evil for these particular motivations, and it all makes perfect sense. And then you can see how that same greedy and selfish behavior leads to their ruin when the Count manipulates events so that their evil hearts are made known.
The good guys are thoroughly good and brave and generous. I love how they instinctively trust the Count, as though he is an instrument of God's judgment. They know they have nothing to fear, because their hearts are pure.

There are so many deep themes explored in this story: family loyalty, redemption, revenge, love, spiritual truth, and the nature of good and evil that resides in every person's heart.