<Tr> <Th> Publication date </Th> <Td> 1844--1845 (serialised) </Td> </Tr> <P> The Count of Monte Cristo (French: Le Comte de Monte - Cristo) is an adventure novel by French author Alexandre Dumas (père) completed in 1844 . It is one of the author's most popular works, along with The Three Musketeers . Like many of his novels, it was expanded from plot outlines suggested by his collaborating ghostwriter Auguste Maquet . Another important work by Dumas, written prior to his work with Maquet, was the short novel "Georges"; this novel is of particular interest to scholars because Dumas reused many of the ideas and plot devices later in The Count of Monte Cristo . </P> <P> The story takes place in France, Italy, and islands in the Mediterranean during the historical events of 1815--1839: the era of the Bourbon Restoration through the reign of Louis - Philippe of France . It begins just before the Hundred Days period (when Napoleon returned to power after his exile). The historical setting is a fundamental element of the book, an adventure story primarily concerned with themes of hope, justice, vengeance, mercy, and forgiveness . It centres on a man who is wrongfully imprisoned, escapes from jail, acquires a fortune, and sets about exacting revenge on those responsible for his imprisonment . His plans have devastating consequences for both the innocent and the guilty . </P> <P> The book is considered a literary classic today . According to Luc Sante, "The Count of Monte Cristo has become a fixture of Western civilization's literature, as inescapable and immediately identifiable as Mickey Mouse, Noah's flood, and the story of Little Red Riding Hood ." </P>

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