Thank you to Udon Entertainment for access to this Netgalley digital copy. What an incredible journey! I have not read the original tale by Alexandre Dumas, but I can only imagine how much condensing the artists from Manga Classics had to do in order to make this story so fast-paced and enthralling. There are many players at work in this story, and yet the artistry for each character made it easy to follow along with the events, even though they unfolded over a number of years. As this digital copy was lower resolution than the final product, it did make it difficult to read some of the panels, particularly those of plot rather than dialogue. I would love to see the full definition of the final product because even at a low resolution, the artwork was stunning! This manga has left me with a desire to read the full work by Dumas and would be a perfect gateway into classic literature for younger readers.

After recently reading The Count of Monte Cristo, I saw this book, and decided to read it. Not only did this have the best art that I have seen in a while, it did a great job following the storyline of the original work.

While I was reading the manga, which is an adaptation, of course, I was remembering also the movie and the book. The manga adapted the story very well - the characters, the main plot, the revenge, the suffering, the betrayal, the love... everything is there. But, even if I have read the book before, the drawing-style made me appreciate the story of The Count of Monte Cristo like it was new. That is the magic about adaptations, which I like and respect. Of course, by being an adaptation the whole story that we read in Dumas' book is not seeing here word by word, scene by scene, but the Manga Classics Collection made a great work.
As a Literature student, I always defend the classic adaptations, because in most cases the adaptations are the first contact of young readers with the classics. Especially nowadays with retellings in books, mangas, and comics... All kinds of Literature are valid and welcomed.

It’s very accurate to the original play and the art is absolutely beautiful. The writing is also accurate and representative to the original, which is a bit of a downer because I couldn’t understand the flowery language in the play and I can’t understand it now, though I do respect the dedication to staying true to the original work.

Fairly quick read, difficult format to get used to if you don’t normally read manga (my issue, not the book itself)
Sad that it wasn’t in colour p, I feel like that made it harder for me to follow.

One of the better adaptations I have read/seen of The Count of Monte Cristo. The source material is more violent than your normal classic novel (in comparison to say, Austen or Shakespeare) and the manga does a good job of displaying that. Young readers will vibe with this adaptations far more than they would with the prose novel or a film adaptation.

- The gorgeous artwork on the front is what originally caught my eye about this book, and on that front, it certainly delivers. I don’t remember much about The Count of Monte Cristo other than high-level plot points and characters, since I read it in sixth grade. What I do remember was that it was tough to get through and super boring to me. While still being a historical fiction and retaining the overall themes and structure of the plot, this book does a wonderful job of presenting it in a way that looks almost more modern, easily consumable, and much more engaging. Part of that, I’m sure, is the difference between reading a graphic novel and reading a book written a very, very long time ago, when it was a challenge to see how long a sentence could go without a period. The artwork, though, felt very clean and modern and easy to follow, and it’s every bit as pretty as the cover suggests.

- There’s this constant, ongoing argument about whether kids should be forced to read classics, and you know what? This is the best of both worlds. Does it leave things out from the original? Sure. What exactly, I couldn’t tell you, because, as I said, it’s been a while. The overall story and the message and themes, as far as I can remember them, stayed the same. Best yet, it was like discovering the story again, in a whole different format, and even though it felt familiar, it was still something somewhat new. While the story relies a little too heavily on exposition in some places, the overall plot seemed easier to follow and more accessible to younger audiences. Kids seem to love graphic novels, and I love the idea of meeting them where they’re at and presenting the classics in a format they seem to gravitate towards.

- There are a lot of threads (as there were with the original), and it’s sometimes hard to follow. That being said, I do believe it was easier to follow the graphic novel than the book, though I don’t know if that’s because of my age when reading them or the differences in the books themselves, so take that with a grain of salt. From very early on, it’s easy to see how the count is manipulating things and laying seeds, even if you don’t know what his plan is beyond “revenge,” so there’s a nice air of mystery and plotting that’s particularly fun when told through art rather than words.

I can't read the book because it isn't readable on any device that I own. I don't have apps on my Android and neither my Kindle app or computer can read .acsm files and I really don't know what's the point because here it says that are PDFs not .acsm. Really disappointed.

I absolutely loved this book. The Count of Monte Cristo is a timeless classic and I love how this manga has brought it to life in a whole new way. I know lots of young adults who shy away from the classics because of how heavy the reading can be and how difficult it can be to understand at times. What manga classics does so wonderfully is presents the heart of the story, and gives it in a new, refreshing way that it appeals to a whole new demographic.

I have a very hard time reading classics sometimes. The writing is usually very different from contemporary books, the language is different and it takes a lot of effort to read and like it.

And that's why I love reading Manga versions. While the storyline is basically the same as in the book, the manga version brings the story to life (and it's much shorter, more condensed story :)). The drawing are beautiful. Also reading the book from the backside to the front, it's an extra bonus. :)

On the day, that should have been the happiest, his wedding, he is falsely imprisoned for life. After a few years, he manages to escape and reinvent himself as a Count of Monte Cristo and plot revenge on those who wronged him.

I love a good revenge story and Edmund's character development. It made me want to read the original too. :)

received from Netgalley

The Count of Monte Cristo
Alexandre Dumas
Manga Classics series
Manga
Juvenile

Edmond Dantes had a bright and promising future until one day everything changed. Rivals for both his job and girl decide that it isn’t fair that Edmond should get what they want and so they set him up as a traitor. Unfortunately for Edmond the prosecutor is an ambitious man and when it seems he could lose his position if Edmond should ever see freedom he joins forces with our villains. Edmond plots revenge on his enemies while locked away. When he is finally free he recreates himself to punish those who did him wrong.
This was a very well done rendition of the Count of Monte Cristo. Many times when someone takes a story and abridges it you lose important content. That is not the case with this story. Yes it is shorter so that it can fit into a manga style story but all the main concepts and parts of the story are included so you don’t feel like you have no idea what is going on. It is so well done that younger readers who have never read the Count of Monte Cristo will understand the story and will want to read the original when they are old enough.
I also really enjoyed the art work in this story. It was so well done that it made me feel like I was right there watching all the action from inside the story. I felt the pain of the characters from the expressions drawn on their faces.
I love the Manga Classics series and I look forward to reading more of their stories. I recommend this story to young readers who want to understand classics but may not be ready for the original book. This is a specially good version to try for kids who love manga of other stories, whether Japanese or American.

I received a free ecopy of this book from Netgalley for my honest opinion.

A great rendition of this classic. And the artwork is absolutely beautiful. I'm looking forward to more from the Manga Classics series.

It is unbelievably commendable how they rendered this novel into such a compact imagery of art and story. Brilliant!

It was wonderful. I really enjoyed this. The artwork was good and so was the story. I hope to read more manga classics soon.

As a young sailor, the Count was on the cusp of a lifetime of happiness but even he had his doubts it was sustainable. A conspiracy between three men thwarted the young man and sent him to jail for fifteen years. When he escapes, he becomes The Count of Monte Cristo and begins exacting revenge on the three men who ruined his life. All is not as it seems and he has to make some quick changes to his plan because as much as he wants to destroy these families, he can't stop young love or betray the woman he once loved.

Full disclosure: I've never read The Count of Monte Cristo. The afterward in the book talks about how the illustrator and adapter had a hard time narrowing the book down to the Manga Classic size that it is while still making sense. They talked about cutting a character arc completely (glad they didn't) and how they combined other things to pack a bigger punch to the story. As someone who has never read the classic, I'm very tempted to hunt the classic down and give it a read (or more likely, listen).

The adaption is pretty strong. I got a decent sense of the story of revenge, the Count's emotions, and his sense of "right and wrong" as determined by a higher power (well, him really). The Count of Monte Cristo weaves many threads to tell this story and incidents and people connect seamlessly by the end. My only issue with the book was the sudden introduction of a character that was with the Count after his return to society. It took a while to understand who and why the character was there, but once I found out why, it made sense.

The manga is in black and white like typical manga. All characters present as white (there is a character who is from Greece). It follows a "serious" manga tone. There are no chibis or overly drawn expressions (big eyes, gaping mouths). It holds to the tone with the dark haired, brooding Count to the flowing gorgeous women who take the stage. Drama is drawn onto every page. Big reveals hold solid panels and there are a few really nicely done panels where a character is the focus while the past is behind them on the page. Manga fans will not be disappointed.

Overall, Manga Classics delivered another great adaption that deserves a place on the library shelves both at schools where the original might be studied as well as at public libraries for readers, like me, who want to be introduced to a classic. I look forward to more adaptations from this publisher.

I recieved a copy of this book free for an honest review from Netgalley.

I am familiar with the original Count of Monte Cristo, having read it years ago so I was excited to see this new version of it.

This is a fantastic way to immerse yourself in some of the great classics of all time! You can tell that time, effort and research went into this book by the amount of detail in the illustrations.

The story is a bit condensed from the original but not to the point that anything is lost. In fact there is something added to it by being able to visualize via illustration where the characters are and what they are doing.

I will most certainly be reading more of these in the future!

I'm a devoted fan to this series!

The classic tales they are telling are classics and therefore a little outdated, so such a trendy new treatment makes these an excellent choice for encouraging reluctant readers. The illustrations are very emotional and engaging and the entire series is worth a read!

Aaaaaaaah, yeeees, another great classic in manga format!!! I love everything about this one! I haven't read the story of the Count of Monte Cristo in many years and this brought back so many memories of my time in highschool. Some parts of the story I remember, others not so much. Great job turning this classic into a graphic novel!

Thank you, NetGalley and UDON, for a complimentary copy of this fantastic book!

My first Manga and I loved it. A concise version of the classic book and it highlights the important aspects of the story.

A great first Manga for me.

The illustration is captivating and filled with stunning detail (from character details to settings and background). Not only is the artwork beautiful, but it also captures the character’s emotions and atmosphere. I was instantly drawn in by the gorgeous cover and the fact that this was a manga adaptation of the beloved Count of Monte Cristo and I was glad this did not disappoint.

Understandably, the original novel was condensed to suit the manga format (as is acknowledged in the book). However, despite the condensation, the story was easy to follow and remains faithful to the text without cutting too many details and plot.

I feel like this manga would be a great introduction to the classic tale—especially to those who may be put off or intimidated by the original 1000+ page book. Although, I feel like this particular book may be easier to follow with some prior knowledge of the original. In saying that, there is additional helpful information included at the end of the book (character chart and artist notes) to serve as a guide if needed.

Overall, this was a fun read and a great manga adaptation.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Udon Entertainment for a copy of this manga in exchange for an honest review.