The Count of Monte Cristo

A daring prison break. Swashbuckling romance. Betrayal and redemption. Dumas' "The Count of Monte Cristo--a best-seller since its initial publication--has it all: colorful writing, plus adventure, suspense, and vivid details of lif in post-Napoleonic France. Luc Sante is the author of "Low Life, "Evidence, and "The Factory of Facts. He teaches at Bard College.