The Count of Monte-Cristo: Popular acclaim and critical reception in France and in Italy

Alexandre Dumas père’s The Count of Monte-Cristo, undoubtedly one of the most translated and most widely read novels all over the world, has generated controversial comments and reactions. Is it a real literary masterpiece or—given its first publication in the form of a roman feuilleton—must it be considered as an example of 19th century littérature industrielle? What is the difference between a popular—in the sense of successful—roman feuilleton and the littérature populaire? Why was (and still is) it so familiar among common readers and why was (and still is) it so much investigated by critics? This paper gives an overview of the popular acclaim and of the critical reception of The Count of Monte-Cristo in France and in Italy, from its publication up to the present times. It will examine the “presence” of Monte-Cristo in French and Italian literature, in fiction and in drama, with the aim to identify the reasons for its fame as well as the literary strategies that allowed Dumas to create a myth.