Count of Monte-Cristo

Abstract

(article forthcoming) Everybody knows something about Alexandre Dumas père’s The Count of Monte-Cristo, undoubtedly one of the most translated and read novels all over the world. Yet, the author and the book itself have generated controversial comments and reactions. Is it a real literary masterwork or − consequently to its first publication in the form of a roman feuilleton − must it be considered as an example of 19th century littérature industrielle? Which is the difference between a popular − in the sense of successful − roman feuilleton and the littérature populaire? Why was (and still is) it so familiar among common readers and why was (and still is) it so much investigated by critics? This paper will propose an outlook of the popular acclaim and of the critical reception of The Count of Monte-Cristo in France and in Italy, since its publication up to the present times. It will examine the “presence” of Monte-Cristo in French and Italian literature, in prose writing and in drama, with the aim to identify the reasons for its fame as well as Dumas’ literary strategies which allowed to shape an authentic myth both in popular and in cultivated imagery.