The Count of Monte Cristo

On the day of his betrothal, the young sailor Edmond Dantès is denounced by jealous rivals and buried alive in the island fortress of the Château d'If, with no trial and no hope. Years into his imprisonment he meets a fellow inmate, a learned abbé, who gives him two things: an education, and the secret of an immense treasure hidden on the isle of Monte Cristo. What follows is the most satisfying revenge plot ever constructed, executed by a man who returns to Paris rich, unrecognizable, and infinitely patient.

Dumas wrote it as a serial, and every chapter still snaps shut like a trap. Yes, it's over fifty hours long, and it earns them, plot twist by plot twist. This is the definitive case for turning a doorstop novel into a long, luxurious listen.

At roughly 464,500 words, The Count of Monte Cristo runs about 51½ hours at 1x narration speed. That figure is an estimate based on a typical narration pace. The exact length depends on the voice and the playback speed you choose.

The Count of Monte Cristo is in the public domain, so the complete text is free on Project Gutenberg and LoudReader has the entire Project Gutenberg catalog built in. To listen:

1. Download LoudReader for Mac or iPhone (free, no account).
2. Search for “The Count of Monte Cristo” in the built-in catalog and add it to your library.
3. Press play. A natural offline voice reads the book while each word highlights on screen, and your place is saved between sessions.

LoudReader reads with natural offline voices, so the whole book works on a plane or underground. It is fully on-device and private, your library never leaves your device. Listening is unlimited on the free tier.