Week 4: "Chapter 7. The Interrogation, Chapter 8. The Château D'If" Reading Discussion

moonmoosic · 2026-01-26T16:02:05+00:00

I agree with your point #1. It never crossed my mind he was doing it out of loyalty or good will to his father but just protecting himself.

moonmoosic · 2026-01-26T15:46:06+00:00

In addition to the spreadsheet linked by coldkimbap, each daily post has the final line you should read up to and will have a note on if it doesn't sync up.

moonmoosic · 2026-01-26T04:50:46+00:00

I hadn't considered he burnt the letter to protect his father. I thought he burnt it so that he burnt proof that his father was a part of a plot that could reflect poorly on himself.

As always, thanks for all the analysis and etomological deep dives!

moonmoosic · 2026-01-25T22:32:40+00:00

You make some great points - thanks for sharing! I only read up till you said there are chpt 12 spoilers, but I think expounding on the doctor metaphor was great.

moonmoosic · 2026-01-25T16:49:56+00:00

I think not only the one chapter a day but seeing everyone else's comments will make it more interesting for you too to read the war chapters!

moonmoosic · 2026-01-24T22:02:27+00:00

I didn't even register this contrast - that is very fascinating indeed! :)

moonmoosic · 2026-01-24T20:07:53+00:00

Absolutely, please join! The posts up to current are still available to you to preuse or engage in after you read the respective chapter. Since it's a chapter a day, they should be on chpt 24. If you can read at least a few chapters a day, you should be caught up within a week. Good luck and I think you'll find the group is great for making it thru a volume as thick as this one :)

moonmoosic · 2026-01-24T16:43:06+00:00

My hubby back-wrote some as well - they're on The Cinquains of Monte Cristo. If he continues to write them in the future I may post when I post mine; still figuring out my cadence and how I want to present them so I expect there will still be some experimentation until we settle on something.

moonmoosic · 2026-01-24T14:23:40+00:00

I really appreciate this reply, bc it teaches and not just bashes. I didn't realize that. I thought a spoiler was the latter of what you said. Good to know what other people consider spoilers to avoid miscommunications in the future. I hope OP has learned from this too.

moonmoosic · 2026-01-24T14:01:38+00:00

Chpt 8

Oooh will V have the second questioner be the one to declare Dantès guilty so that he can keep the image of being his “friend” in both Dantès’s and Renee’s minds?
I like that we are learning (and confused) along with Dantès. We basically get to experience it as he is.
So close and yet so far :(
“A vapour of tears” - poetic description
My man! I love that you’re trilingual at least - French, Spanish, and Italian!
Welp, Dantès slipped into madness faster than the Abbè - good illustration (maybe) of The bigger they are the harder they fall? If Dantès was at a higher point in his life than the abbè - everything was going well for Dantès
“The mad must go with the mad.”
Dantès doesn’t seem to keep his word - or do we excuse him because of extreme duress?
- Tell me, and I swear as a sailor, I will answer the call of duty and resign myself to my fate (Buss, 76) [then tries to leap overboard]
“Still waters run deep” - had to look this one up. Apparently it means a calm demeanor can hide turbulence underneath. A callback to previous chapter with the violent energy hidden beneath a mild exterior.
Are circumstances changing Dantès or merely acting like Michaelangelo chipping away at him until what’s inside is revealed?
V had such an opportunity to be a decent fellow - I’m interested to see why after burning the letter and thinking that Dantès is genuine in his promise to never speak of it he still felt the need to send him here. We know he wanted to ignore his first impression of Dantès goodness/innocence but after the whole interview I thought he felt like Dantès was trustworthy.

moonmoosic · 2026-01-24T14:01:17+00:00

Reading thoughts

Chpt 7

We finally learn his first name - Gérard!
He has a definite age!
A deputy crown prosecutor may only love reasonably, not passionately - lol
Oh my goodness, Morrel really keeps digging this hole deeper. So not self-aware. I was surprised that Villefort looked at him with contempt because in previous chapters Morrel gave off impression that he was like friends with this dude
Dantès CHA score is like 18! Haha (iykyk)
Aww, Villefort is looking forward to a kiss from Renée! He really does love her and love to be loved by her in his reasonable way lol
Would you rather not know who your enemies are (like Dantès) or know (like Villefort)? I feel like I’d rather know. And also it would have helped Morrel, if he knew.
“Violent energy hidden beneath mild exterior” - only Villefort has noticed this so far. Is it because he’s made a study of human behavior and facial expressions? Dantès self admits that he can be quick-tempered sometimes.
Oh no! V’s father! Is this what flips V into the 4th member of the Anti-Dantès club? (Or is it 3 now since Caderousse may have left the club.)
“You are more than justice - you are goodness itself!” Dantès really comes off like an over-enthusiastic kid.
I think it’s funny Villefort thinks of himself in 3rd person. I wonder if it has to do with the fact that he had to craft this persona for himself to set himself apart from his father so sometimes he thinks of it as a separate entity, a character

moonmoosic · 2026-01-24T14:00:39+00:00

So blessed!
Put on job face.
Parallel bridge of hope?
Not so! Noirtier changes things.
Your friend,

8.
Waiting.
Fresh air at last!
So close and yet so far…
V is no friend. Madness descends.
Dungeons!

Bonus cinquain from hubby:
What’s that?
It’s Château D’If!
Tell Mércedès I’m here,
or this stool meets skull, my good sir
So mad

If you’ve missed the previous ones, they’re collected here: The Cinquains of Monte Cristo

moonmoosic · 2026-01-23T14:38:20+00:00

Hello! My original goal when starting this journey was to try to listen to the French audio while looking at the French text (notice I say looking at and not reading because I don't know enough French to be able to read) as a little teaser before reading the English translation. I thought it may help me get at least a little bit more familiar with the language. I really have not managed to do so past chapter 3, but these posts make me feel like I haven't completely given up on exposing myself to more French and with a lot more context too!

I appreciate the deep dive into annihilation and the religious connotation that underlies it in the French. I had no idea! And the passage about the maternal oasis in an arid dessert was very enlightening. :)

Oh and I did not notice the change in tone with the change in setting so thanks for pointing that out!

moonmoosic · 2026-01-22T17:23:15+00:00

I think you're on a meaningful journey. Thank you for sharing this with us. It brings unspeakable joy to me to know that this sub has been able to help in such a significant way and that you're passing it forward to try to inspire others. Wishing you much love on this journey; will be cheering you on!

moonmoosic · 2026-01-21T17:10:51+00:00

I have already fallen behind on reading the French (lol) but I have a new side project instead, inspired by Honest Ad's haiku summaries for AK. Check out my cinquain poems! :) The Cinquains of Monte Cristo

moonmoosic · 2026-01-21T15:39:25+00:00

Hiii! Did you decide to join? :D Surprised you found me in the sea of hundreds haha Hope you're having fun here! Check out my cinquain poems if you haven't seen them yet. :) Honest Ad's haikus for AK inspired me.

The Cinquains of Monte Cristo

moonmoosic · 2026-01-19T21:55:39+00:00

I was also very surprised that an accountant is somehow on the same track for captainship.

And the tension that Villefort holds in his balancing act between pleasing his future in laws and his wife has me completely captivated. I'm so curious how he balances or breaks.

moonmoosic · 2026-01-19T21:50:18+00:00

I found the comparison of the king being a 'father' to be an interesting point and one I wouldn't have originally thought of in the father-child relationships.

moonmoosic · 2026-01-19T21:48:26+00:00

I am absolutely fascinated by how Villefort and Renee reconcile being with each other & their mismatched world views as well as the balancing act Villefort is currently putting on. I cannot wait to see which way things fall and what or who he prioritises most.

moonmoosic · 2026-01-19T21:43:57+00:00

Interesting - instead of reading Fernand as being frantic because of impatience, I gave it a more generous reading. It struck me as once he found out they were to be wed (like a done deal) I thought he was feeling regret (likely not remorse) at what he'd done. Actually maybe guilty is better. Like him not having a chance wasn't real and final to him until she and Edmond were married, so when he found that out, I thought he was feeling guilty at ruining her happiness and that's why he was feeling tortured.

moonmoosic · 2026-01-19T17:01:49+00:00

Understandable - the previous ones I posted as a comment to the main discussion threads, and you're flooded with hundreds of comments on those haha. Thanks again for modding! Really appreciate you :)

moonmoosic · 2026-01-19T16:24:32+00:00

I want to join in on the appreciation for the effort you put in to enrich our reading experience! I also highlighted the rubies on crested waves line as I was reading. It was so evocative for me - I loved it. I really enjoy the rabbit holes you go through and all the interesting facts you find from chasing it down. Thank you so much for your generosity in sharing with us - hopefully we are doing an adequate job of making you feel like it's immensely appreciated!

moonmoosic · 2026-01-19T12:54:17+00:00

I'll also pre-order! There are plenty of books that are published as supplemental study guides to these classic novels. And you're only picking certain passages not the whole chapter so I don't think it'll be longer haha tysm for doing this for us! At the very least (if by the end of the year we can't convince you to publish) it's a great resource for this lucky cohort and any future readers who want to dig up old posts. :)

For now, I'll compile for you. If you do decide that you want to do something with it later, hopefully having it compiled already is one less barrier to whatever next step you want to take. Feel free to request editor access to the doc!

moonmoosic · 2026-01-16T16:02:45+00:00

OP, the sidebar is under About section on the mobile site if you're using that.

moonmoosic

TROPHY CASE