Quote:
Originally Posted by gmw
While I can agree with Pajamaman's sentiment that this book is 17th century, so of course gender issues etc. will be different (although not so different as we'd like), I don't see that that excuses the fact that it turns into a story of an (apparently) evil woman hounded by men from all sides until she is cornered and killed. Where is the chivalry? Where is bravery required for this? She had no special powers, just intelligence and consistency. It doesn't say much for any of our "heroes" in the story that it takes so many of them to best her. And the side stories of adultery and seduction don't offer anything better.
<SNIP>
At least, that's my explanation. I can't really think of how else a modern audience can overlook what a grubby little story this is at its core.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Catlady
But as latepaul mentioned earlier, the novel's tone later becomes so much darker; it's like a different book. The whole thing is so disjointed--and I can't give Dumas a pass just because it was serialized. Dickens's works were serialized too, at about the same time, and those seem to be generally consistent in tone and characterization.
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These two comments pretty much sum up my dread of reading the book and my total lack of joy in the reading.
Women as maiden/mother/crone (or whore) just destroyed this whole story for me. And as this was my second Dumas of the year, I must say, that the picture is much starker than it was in the
Count of Monte Cristo.
I am also appalled by the post indicating that this meandering soap-operatic mess was plotted out in advance of its serialization.
One of my goals for 2018 was to re-read the newest translation of War and Peace in its entirety. As a novel of massive scale, Dumas is suffering horribly by comparison. The language is poor, and almost lazy. The characters (or caricatures) are wholly unloveable. And, of course, the only smart woman in the novel is the prime villain.
So disappointing.