Picture this: You're scrolling through TikTok at 2 AM (we've all been there), and you stumble upon Part 1 of the most INSANE storytime. The caption reads: "How I spent 14 years planning the perfect revenge on everyone who ruined my life ✨ A Thread 🧵"

That's basically The Count of Monte Cristo, except it was written in 1844 and somehow goes harder than any modern drama you've ever witnessed. Let me break this down for you like it's the hottest tea on BookTok.

Part 1: The Setup (Or: How It Started vs. How It's Going)

POV: You're Edmund Dantès, 19 years old, living your best life in 1815 Marseilles.

The story begins with our main character literally winning at life. Imagine posting this on your story:

  • âś… Just got promoted to ship captain at 19
  • âś… Marrying my childhood sweetheart tomorrow
  • âś… Dad is proud of me
  • âś… Life is perfect

You know that friend whose life seems TOO perfect on Instagram? That was Edmund. And just like we all secretly know, when someone's life looks that good on social media, drama is about to hit DIFFERENT.

Part 2: The Betrayal (The Group Chat From Hell)

Plot twist: Three people are in a group chat plotting your downfall, and you don't even know it exists.

Meet the villain squad (or as I call them, the original toxic group chat):

1. Danglars - The jealous coworker
His energy: "Why did HE get promoted and not me? I've been here longer!" (We all know this person)

2. Fernand - Your girl's backup plan
His vibe: The guy who's been in the friendzone for YEARS and thinks he deserves your girlfriend just for being nice

3. Caderousse - The drunk neighbor
His role: Knows about the plot but says nothing because he's too drunk to care (enabler energy)

These three literally write a fake letter accusing Edmund of treason. It's giving "anonymous tip to the FBI" but make it 1815. They send it to the authorities on his WEDDING DAY. The disrespect? Astronomical.

Part 3: The Prison Arc (When the Algorithm Shadowbans You IRL)

Imagine: You're arrested at your own wedding reception. No trial. No evidence. Just straight to prison.

Edmund gets thrown into the Château d'If, which is basically Alcatraz but worse. For FOURTEEN YEARS. Let that sink in. That's like being canceled in 2011 and not being able to post again until 2025.

But here's where it gets interesting...

The Mentor Appears (The OG Life Coach)

In prison, Edmund meets Abbé Faria, and this is where the story goes from sad to LEGENDARY. This old priest is basically:

  • Duolingo (teaches him languages)
  • MasterClass (teaches him everything)
  • A human Wikipedia (knows literally everything)
  • AND he has the location of a massive treasure

It's giving "mysterious millionaire mentor" energy, except he's broke and in prison too. But the KNOWLEDGE? Priceless.

Part 4: The Escape (The Most Extra Exit Ever)

Content Warning: This part is WILD.

When Abbé Faria dies, Edmund doesn't just escape. This absolute madman:

  1. Switches places with the dead body
  2. Gets sewn into the burial sack
  3. Gets thrown into the ocean (they weigh the sacks with cannonballs)
  4. Cuts himself free underwater
  5. Swims to freedom

It's giving "I'll fake my own death for the plot" but LITERALLY. This man said "I'd rather die trying to escape than live in prison" and the universe said "bet."

Part 5: The Glow-Up Era (From Prisoner to Count)

This is where our boy Edmund becomes THAT PERSON.

He finds the treasure (it's real and it's MASSIVE). We're talking generational wealth. Jeff Bezos money. But instead of starting a space company, he:

  • Creates multiple fake identities
  • Becomes the mysterious Count of Monte Cristo
  • Learns EVERYTHING about his enemies
  • Plans the most elaborate revenge scheme in literary history

It's giving "I disappeared for a year and came back unrecognizable" but multiply that by 100.

Part 6: The Revenge Tour (Karma's Representative Has Arrived)

The Count doesn't just get revenge. He orchestrates their downfall like he's conducting a symphony.

Danglars (The Jealous Coworker)

The Count plays with his money, manipulates the stock market, and leaves him bankrupt. It's like if someone hacked your crypto wallet but it was all legal. Danglars loved money more than anything, so the Count took it all. Poetic.

Fernand (The Girl-Stealer)

Exposes him as a war criminal and traitor. His own son challenges him to a duel. His wife and daughter leave him. He ends up... well, let's just say he doesn't make it to the sequel. The Count really said "I'm going to ruin this man's whole career" and DID.

Villefort (The Corrupt Prosecutor)

This one's DARK. Through a series of elaborate schemes involving poison, family secrets, and psychological torture, Villefort literally goes insane. The Count broke his MIND. It's giving psychological thriller but make it classical.

Part 7: The Plot Twists (Netflix Could Never)

Just when you think you know where this is going, Dumas hits you with:

  • Secret identities within secret identities
  • Characters you thought were dead showing up alive
  • Family connections that make you go "WAIT WHAT"
  • Romance subplots that actually make sense
  • Moral dilemmas that have you questioning everything

Every chapter ends on a cliffhanger because this was originally published as a serial (basically the Netflix of the 1840s).

Part 8: The Love Stories (It's Complicated™)

The romantic subplots hit different:

Mercédès: His first love who married his enemy. When they meet again, she KNOWS it's him immediately. The tension? The drama? The "we can't be together but we'll always love each other" energy? Shakespeare could never.

Haydée: A Greek princess who the Count saves. She falls in love with him not for his money but for his PAIN. She said "I can fix him" and actually did. We love a supportive queen.

Part 9: The Ending (Character Development: 100%)

Here's what makes this story ELITE: The Count realizes revenge isn't everything. He sees innocent people getting hurt and actually STOPS. Character growth? We love to see it.

He ends with the iconic line: "All human wisdom is contained in these two words: Wait and Hope."

After everything - the betrayal, the prison, the revenge - he chooses hope. It's giving healing journey. It's giving emotional maturity. It's giving main character energy.

Why This Story Hits Different in 2025

This isn't just some old book. It's about:

  • Cancel culture (but make it 1800s)
  • The ultimate glow-up story
  • How to handle betrayal with style
  • The price of revenge
  • Finding yourself after trauma
  • Choosing hope even when life does you dirty

It's literally every TikTok storytime, Reddit revenge story, and Twitter thread combined into one epic novel.

The Life Lessons (For the Girlies Who Get It)

  1. Your comeback can be stronger than your setback - Edmund went from prisoner to COUNT
  2. Knowledge is the ultimate revenge - He studied for 14 years and it paid off
  3. Some bridges are meant to be burned - He didn't forgive and forget, and that's valid
  4. But know when to stop - Revenge has a price, and he learned that
  5. Wait and hope - Sometimes the best revenge is patience

Should You Read It? (Spoiler: YES)

Look, I get it. It's a thick book written by some French guy in the 1840s. But TRUST ME when I say this story has everything:

  • Drama that would break BookTok
  • Plot twists that hit harder than any thriller
  • Romance that's actually romantic
  • Revenge that's served at the perfect temperature
  • Life lessons that actually slap

Pro tip: Get the audiobook and listen while you're doing literally anything. It's like having someone tell you the world's best gossip for 47 hours straight.

The Final Take

The Count of Monte Cristo is proof that the best stories are timeless. It's got everything we love about modern entertainment but with the depth and complexity that only comes from classical literature.

Edmund Dantès crawled through 14 years of hell and came out a legend. He's the original "started from the bottom now we're here." He's the blueprint for every revenge story that came after.

So next time someone says old books are boring, tell them about the time a 19-year-old sailor got betrayed by his friends, spent 14 years in prison, escaped by pretending to be dead, found a massive treasure, and then systematically destroyed everyone who wronged him while dressed in designer fits.

Because that's The Count of Monte Cristo, and it goes harder than anything on your FYP.

Stay unhinged, stay literary, and remember: Wait and Hope (but also, get that revenge if you need to đź’…).