Cover Image: Manga Classics: The Count of Monte Cristo

Manga Classics: The Count of Monte Cristo

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Manga is really not my thing but I wanted to try this one and I'm glad I did. Not disappointed at all.

Was this review helpful?

I've "read" the original book back in high-school and I was never a big fan of it. I thought that maybe now, when im older and when it's under the form of a manga, I could read and appreciate it more. Truth is, I didn't.
The art is good. I love it. I think it's representing the story very well and giving this extra bit of life to the characters.
The formating in the NetGalley app was a little off which made my reading a little slower. Other than that it had a lot more text on some places than i'm used to but i also understand the story wont be full without it, especially for someone who isn't familiar with the plot.
But the story itself wasn't that interesting and capturing. I couldn't really enjoy it but it's a fairly good alternative if you're like me and dont want to read the original book

Was this review helpful?

What a great idea to take the classics and turn them into a book with a more reachable audience. This book took the highlights of the classic and put it into a manga format. It does not include all the twists and turns of the original but gives the readers the basic foundation of the storyline.

Was this review helpful?

Magna is hard enough to read backwards, but it’s even harder on an e book. The format made it difficult to understand the story as an ebook. The story itself was good, but I think magna needs to be in paper format.

Was this review helpful?

I have read several of these manga classics now and I just absolutely love the artwork - this was a great retelling.

Was this review helpful?

This is the manga adaptation of The Count of Monte Christo by Alexandre Dumas. I recived this copy from NetGalley in exchange for my free and honest review.

I personally love the manga classics series. They take books that are on such a high pedestal and make them accessible to a wider audience. In this case taking a book that is over one thousand three hundred pages long and condensing it into a four hundred page manga.

The story is extremely compelling and I love the main character Edmond. He is brilliant and calculating as he seeks to right the wrongs that he had been dealt. While helping the people who are kind and loyal.

Everything is so intertwined pieces of the plot that seem unnecessary at first pay off beautifully later. Each and every character has a part to play and the play them perfectly.

It is a fascinating tale of betrayal and vengeance and I adored every second of it. I highly recommend reading the manga classic version especially if your intimidated by the length of the original. I for one am going to have to tackle the original because I just want more of this story.

Was this review helpful?

A great way to take in the classics in a new and artistic way. Often I find myself unable to digest the classics because the language gets in the way of the visual. That is not the case here.

Was this review helpful?

The Count of Monte Cristo is what I usually site as my favorite book, and this manga adaptation did it justice. It is beautifully illustrated and cut the story down to its core elements. Perfect for both new and returning readers of tale. I do however feel like I got more out of it since I know the story so well, but it’s a good crash course for new readers.

Was this review helpful?

A nice graphic novel adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' timeless classic The Count of Monte Cristo. Staying faithful to the original story, this book captures essential elements of the plot and character arcs, introducing young readers to the breathtaking web of intrigue, action, and revenge that is the story of Edmond Dantes, who transforms from a poor sailor wrongly imprisoned for a crime he did not commit to an avenging angel who drives his enemies to ruin while handsomely rewarding his friends. The language of this manga is quite abrupt at times, creating a less-than-elegant tone and adding unnecessary speech like interjections which detract from the sombre yet intricate language of the original novel. Otherwise, this book does a decent job of capturing the complex story of the Count of Monte Cristo for young readers.

Was this review helpful?

This is a big story to be turned into a graphic novel, and I think they have done a great job in making this story work.
The illustrations were amazing, and I also appreciated the "how to read a Manga" section at the start, which shows you which way to follow the text.

Was this review helpful?

Okay, this was awesome. I've never read The Count of Monte Cristo story even if I've heard of it obviously, so it was a really great way to read the main story (because obviously a big book like this one you must focus on the main plot to make into a manga) as the original scared me a bit.

The story focus on Edmond's revenge plot and I just love this mind, I was always wondering if something happening was from his scheme or just non-wanted reactions. Even if it's all about revenge I really liked how everything went and how it just fitted right for his plan. I liked him as a character as well as some others!

The illustrations was also really well done, and even if there is a vast cast of characters, you could difference them all. I also appreciated how there were some story bubbles to give us a narrative infos, and not only talks.

Was this review helpful?

A wonderfully gorgeous rendition of one of my favorite classics! As a young student, it was one of the few school reading requirements that hooked me on classics so to see it come to life with stunning visuals and action sequences, beautiful period costumes, and--to be entirely honest--one hot Hero, sets my girlish heart aflame! I'm so excited to add this to my collection of manga and to have the chance to pass on a favorite to my children.

Was this review helpful?

Prior to obtaining this manga, I had no clue what the plot was about but I absolutely loved it from the very first line to the last. It was absolutely incredible and I felt so invested in the story and the characters very very quickly. I highly recommend if you like fast pace story.

Was this review helpful?

Everyone knows and love the mount of monte cristo’ story. False accusations. Betrayal. Banishment. Mystery. Murders…

This manga is a good alternative for a visual learner, but crucial parts of the story are missing. This book would be a good opportunity to refresh one’s memory before a school exam, or even just to help understand the book better with the help of pictures.

If you can, I encourage to read the whole novel, but if you are in a rush or are afraid of this brick of a book, this manga is a good option.

Was this review helpful?

It is so cute, all of the book, the colors, the draws, everything. I haven’t read the original Count of Monte Christo, but this manga makes me want to!

Was this review helpful?

A rendition of the Alexandre Dumas novel in manga format. The book is faithful to the original story and as such, is just as complicated. If you found yourself lost in the multitude of characters that the 1844 classic contained, you will be stuck in the comic version too, even though it is much easier this time.

Some sequences are written in proper detail but some are rushed through in just a few pages. For instance, Dantes’ escape from the prison and his finding of the treasure is barely covered. The author’s note at the end explains the creative calls taken about the inclusions or exclusions of various events from the classic. That helps understand how difficult it must have been to take a 1000+ page tome and convert it to a 400 page manga without losing the original essence.

The book is written like an actual manga, beginning from what is usually the last page for us and working its way backwards. I loved how committed it was to its purpose. The illustrations too are as per the format and absolutely striking.

I think you’ll understand this manga better only if you have read the original, which might defeat the purpose of the book which is to bring the classic to new readers who get cowed down by the sheer size of the tome. That said, this manga would be a wonderful way of looking at an old story through a graphical lens. Also, for those who need a quick glimpse into the original story without having the time to read so many pages, this would be a wonderful option. I have read the original too and found it overly descriptive and tedious at times. This book solves that issue by chucking out all the chaff.

Definitely recommended. Don’t skip the author’s note at the end.

4.25 stars.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this! As someone who hasn't read novel version of The Count of Monte Cristo (can we talk about that 1,200+ page count??) this was such a fun way to still read that same story!

Our main character has been thrown in prison for a crime he did not commit. Edmond Dantes has been wronged by many a person, and sits in prison for fourteen years before finally making his escape. What follows is a tale of revenge, the revenge of a moral man.

This story has so many things going on, but the manga did a great job of showing the visuals without it being confusing. It defined different languages spoken by differences to word bubbles, and the characters looks were all distinct. There is a lot of dialogue, but the important narration wasn't lost in it all! Despite this being a grand, long story, I flew through it with ease.

I'd definitely recommend this manga to anyone who enjoyed the original novel, to those who enjoy manga and classic novels in general, and those who want to read the novel but it intimidates them (or they can't read it for any other reason).

*I was given a copy of this title via Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Meet Edmond Dantès! He’s young, ambitious, and about to get married, when his life is shred to pieces and he is thrown into prison for life. Instead of giving up, he find the will to go on and get revenge on those who have done him wrong. Edmond’s story is beautifully transposed in the comic prepared by the UDON Entertainment group and it’s a delight to follow/read until the very last page.

Special thanks to NetGalley, UDON Entertainment, and the editorial team for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC, and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.

If you are interested in other of my book reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads!

#LifeLongLearning #NetGalley

Was this review helpful?

This was SO GOOD. What a feast for the eyes and the brain! I've watched two TV/movie adaptations of the story and I remember having always liked the plot twists. This manga version didn't disappoint and I'm actually going to read it again super soon.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you, Netgalley and UDON Entertainment, for this free digital ARC. In return, I offer my unbiased and honest opinion.

I've always been fascinated with The Count of Monte Cristo but have been intimidated by its very long length. Years ago, I watched movie and TV adaptations. To this day, I have never read the original novels. I thought this manga would be a nice segue to reading the actual book.

The artwork is typical of manga style. This sometimes made it a little confusion to differentiate some of the side characters, especially the young men. As for the story, it does suffer from being abridged. The attempts to narrate portions of the story did keep things moving, but there was enough of that to make portions of the manga feel like a summary rather than a novel. The scenes that were fleshed out were interesting, even exciting. In the end, it reaffirmed my goal of reading the original, unabridged novel and probably to rewatch my favorite adaption: Gankutsuou (a futuristic, science fiction version of the story told from Albert's POV).

Was this review helpful?