The Count of Monte Cristo
Alexandre Dumas, 1844.
Before you read: A long revenge adventure with some violence. Best for teens.
Edmond Dantès, a young sailor, is falsely accused on his wedding day and thrown into an island prison. Years later he escapes, finds a hidden treasure, and returns as the mysterious Count of Monte Cristo to reward his friends and punish those who betrayed him. It is one of the great page-turners.
Public-domain text. First published in 1844; Alexandre Dumas died in 1870, so this text is in the public domain in the US, Canada, the EU and India. Summary and notes written by ViralScopeHub.