I was very excited to read a "lost" Dumas novel, since The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my absolute favorite books. However, I found it extremely difficult to force myself to finish this one. It's either a dull translation or simply not one of Dumas' best works. I suppose you would have to read the original French to know for sure. The heroic characters are one-dimensional, sappy cliches of the Romantic era. The "adventurous" scenes are over in seconds and not gripping at all. There is nothing in this story that was not better portrayed in A Tale of Two Cities. Basically, there's a reason why I was able to purchase this book used for $1...