The Count of Monte Cristo, Vol. 1 of 2 (Forgotten Books)

The Count of Monte Cristo (French: Le Comte de Monte-Cristo) is an adventure novel by Alexandre Dumas. It is often considered, along with The Three Musketeers, as Dumas' most popular work. It is also among the highest selling books of all time. The writing of the work was completed in 1844. Like many of his novels, it is expanded from the plot outlines suggested by his collaborating ghostwriter Auguste Maquet.

The story takes place in France, Italy, islands in the Mediterranean and the Levant during the historical events of 1815-1838 (from just before the Hundred Days through the reign of Louis-Philippe of France). The historical setting is a fundamental element of the book. It is primarily concerned with themes of hope, justice, vengeance, mercy, and forgiveness, and is told in the style of an adventure story. (Quote from wikipedia.org)

About the Author

Alexander Dumas (1802 - 1870)
Alexandre Dumas, pere (French for "father", akin to Senior in English), born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie (July 24, 1802-December 5, 1870) was a French writer, best known for his numerous historical novels of high adventure which have made him one of the most widely read French authors in the world. Many of his novels, including The Count of Monte Cristo, The Three Musketeers, and The Vicomte de Bragelonne were serialized, and he also wrote plays and magazine articles and was a prolific correspondent.

Alexandre Dumas' paternal grandparents were Marquis Alexandre-Antoine Davy de la Pailleterie, a French nobleman and General commissaire in the Artillery in the colony of Saint Domingue (now Haiti), and Marie-Cesette Dumas, an Afro-Caribbean former slave. Their son, Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, married Marie-Louise Elisabeth Labouret, the daughter of an innkeeper. Thomas-Alexa