The Countdown of Monte Cristo

Grunt Work Podcasts
  • 5.0 (2)
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A daily podcast reading The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, one page at a time, every single day, over the course of four years. Each short episode offers a focused, intimate passage from Dumas’ sweeping tale of betrayal, imprisonment, revenge, and redemption, accompanied by brief reflections, historical context, and the occasional detour into 19th-century oddities (and yes, the occasional mangled French pronunciation). Never read The Count of Monte Cristo? Perfect. This podcast is designed for first-time readers, longtime admirers, and anyone curious about experiencing a literary classic as a daily ritual rather than a daunting tome. You can start from the beginning or jump in wherever you are, the story unfolds steadily, patiently, one page at a time. Whether you’re a lover of classic literature, a podcast listener looking for a calm daily escape, or someone who just wants a few quiet minutes away from the noise of the modern world, The Countdown of Monte Cristo invites you to live with one of the greatest novels ever written. New episodes every day. No skipping. No rushing. Subscribe on your favorite podcatcher or watch along on YouTube. Support the project at https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod and help keep the countdown alive.

  1. 7H AGO

    Fame, Fear, and the Call of the Hills (The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 33 – Part 12)

    Skill hardens into reputation, and reputation begins to attract danger. The quiet life of the hills gives way to whispers of violence and power. In this passage of The Count of Monte Cristo, Luigi Vampa’s prowess earns him renown after he kills a wolf threatening the flock, cementing his status as the most capable young man in the region. His bond with Teresa deepens into an unspoken but absolute devotion, unquestioned by those around them. As they near adulthood, a darker presence enters the landscape: bands of brigands gathering in the nearby mountains under infamous leaders, drawing young men away and filling the countryside with stories of brutality and daring. This moment matters because it marks the widening gap between innocence and inevitability. Vampa’s talents and fame now exist in a world where violence offers power—and where a chief is always waiting for followers.   New to the journey? Start from the beginning at: http://countdownofmontecristo.com Want to talk theories, themes, or betrayals? Join the conversation on our Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm Support the project on Patreon and receive full-length, story-only audio after each chapter: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or follow along on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf3vyewhvQugX5M3oREl57A   The Countdown of Monte Cristo is a daily podcast reading one page at a time from Alexandre Dumas’ classic novel — every day, for four years. Whether you’re starting from the beginning or joining mid-journey, each episode brings you deeper into the story of The Count of Monte Cristo.

    8 min

  2. 1D AGO

    A Weapon and a Turning Point (The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 33 – Part 11)

    A single object reshapes ambition into capability. What begins as protection soon becomes mastery—and something far more dangerous. In this passage of The Count of Monte Cristo, Signor Pastrini describes the moment Luigi Vampa first comes into possession of a gun. Originally meant to guard the flock from wolves, the weapon becomes the fulfillment of a long-held desire. With ingenuity and skill, Vampa repairs and refashions it himself, then devotes his time to perfecting his aim. Practicing relentlessly, he grows into a marksman of extraordinary precision, transforming fear into confidence—both his own and Teresa’s. This moment matters because it marks a quiet but decisive shift. Knowledge, talent, and imagination are now joined by power—placing Vampa one step closer to the feared figure whose name now commands the Roman countryside.   New to the journey? Start from the beginning at: http://countdownofmontecristo.com Want to talk theories, themes, or betrayals? Join the conversation on our Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm Support the project on Patreon and receive full-length, story-only audio after each chapter: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or follow along on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf3vyewhvQugX5M3oREl57A   The Countdown of Monte Cristo is a daily podcast reading one page at a time from Alexandre Dumas’ classic novel — every day, for four years. Whether you’re starting from the beginning or joining mid-journey, each episode brings you deeper into the story of The Count of Monte Cristo.

    8 min

  3. 2D AGO

    Dreams Shared on the Hillside (The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 33 – Part 10)

    As Luigi Vampa’s story continues, ambition finds its counterpart in companionship. Childhood dreams take shape not in solitude, but in shared imagination. In this passage of The Count of Monte Cristo, Signor Pastrini introduces Teresa, the orphaned shepherd girl who grows up alongside Vampa. While Luigi’s temperament is restless, proud, and difficult, Teresa alone holds sway over him, tempering his volatility with charm and presence. Together, they spend their days tending flocks, imagining futures far grander than their station—he as commander or ruler, she as a richly adorned lady served by attendants. This moment matters because it reveals the emotional core beneath Vampa’s legend. Long before power or notoriety, his life is shaped by longing, ambition, and a shared refusal to accept the limits of their humble world.     New to the journey? Start from the beginning at: http://countdownofmontecristo.com Want to talk theories, themes, or betrayals? Join the conversation on our Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm Support the project on Patreon and receive full-length, story-only audio after each chapter: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or follow along on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf3vyewhvQugX5M3oREl57A   The Countdown of Monte Cristo is a daily podcast reading one page at a time from Alexandre Dumas’ classic novel — every day, for four years. Whether you’re starting from the beginning or joining mid-journey, each episode brings you deeper into the story of The Count of Monte Cristo.

    6 min

  4. 3D AGO

    The Making of a Prodigy (The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 33 – Part 9)

    The feared name of Luigi Vampa gives way to an unexpected origin story—one marked not by violence, but by curiosity, discipline, and astonishing talent. In this passage of The Count of Monte Cristo, Signor Pastrini recounts Luigi Vampa’s childhood as a shepherd boy in the service of the Count of San-Felice. From an early age, Vampa displays remarkable intelligence, teaching himself to read and write through brief daily lessons by the roadside, then advancing further through sheer ingenuity and persistence. Encouraged by a local priest and noticed by his noble employer, the young shepherd devotes himself to learning, drawing, and carving, revealing gifts that set him apart long before his name inspired fear. This moment matters because it reframes the legend entirely. Before Luigi Vampa became a bandit, he was a prodigy—formed by intelligence, opportunity seized, and a restless drive toward mastery.   New to the journey? Start from the beginning at: http://countdownofmontecristo.com Want to talk theories, themes, or betrayals? Join the conversation on our Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm Support the project on Patreon and receive full-length, story-only audio after each chapter: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or follow along on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf3vyewhvQugX5M3oREl57A   The Countdown of Monte Cristo is a daily podcast reading one page at a time from Alexandre Dumas’ classic novel — every day, for four years. Whether you’re starting from the beginning or joining mid-journey, each episode brings you deeper into the story of The Count of Monte Cristo.

    11 min

  5. 4D AGO

    The Bandit Revealed (The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 33 – Part 8)

    The legend of Luigi Vampa begins to take shape—not as rumor, but as lived memory. What was once a warning now becomes a story with a face, a history, and a startling proximity. In this passage of The Count of Monte Cristo, Signor Pastrini reveals that he knew Luigi Vampa personally and once owed his freedom to the bandit’s mercy. Producing a lavish watch given to him by Vampa, Pastrini prepares to recount the young man’s rise, noting with astonishment that this feared figure is scarcely more than two-and-twenty. Franz listens intently, guiding the details, while Albert responds with wit and comparison. This moment matters because the danger surrounding Rome shifts from abstraction to specificity. Luigi Vampa is no longer a name whispered after dark—he is young, tangible, and already powerful.   New to the journey? Start from the beginning at: http://countdownofmontecristo.com Want to talk theories, themes, or betrayals? Join the conversation on our Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm Support the project on Patreon and receive full-length, story-only audio after each chapter: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or follow along on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf3vyewhvQugX5M3oREl57A   The Countdown of Monte Cristo is a daily podcast reading one page at a time from Alexandre Dumas’ classic novel — every day, for four years. Whether you’re starting from the beginning or joining mid-journey, each episode brings you deeper into the story of The Count of Monte Cristo.

    8 min

  6. 5D AGO

    The Price of Resistance (The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 33 – Part 7)

    Bravado falters when danger is stripped of romance. What begins as mock heroics gives way to a sobering lesson in survival. In this passage of The Count of Monte Cristo, Albert’s fantasies of armed resistance collapse under the reality that neither he nor Franz possesses a single weapon. Signor Pastrini explains that defending oneself against Roman bandits is not merely futile, but reckless, and Franz calmly dismantles Albert’s rhetoric, insisting that no idle whim is worth a life. With tempers cooled, Franz asks for what truly matters now: a clear description of Luigi Vampa. This moment matters because it shifts the tone from jest to genuine curiosity. The bandit is no longer a joke or a legend, but a figure Franz intends to understand—before night falls.   New to the journey? Start from the beginning at: http://countdownofmontecristo.com Want to talk theories, themes, or betrayals? Join the conversation on our Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm Support the project on Patreon and receive full-length, story-only audio after each chapter: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or follow along on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf3vyewhvQugX5M3oREl57A   The Countdown of Monte Cristo is a daily podcast reading one page at a time from Alexandre Dumas’ classic novel — every day, for four years. Whether you’re starting from the beginning or joining mid-journey, each episode brings you deeper into the story of The Count of Monte Cristo.

    10 min

  7. 6D AGO

    Bandits at the City Gates (The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 33 – Part 6)

    A warning turns into a story, and a story into a test of belief. Rome’s outskirts reveal a danger that cannot be dismissed with humor alone. In this passage of The Count of Monte Cristo, Signor Pastrini presses his case, insisting that after nightfall no one is safe beyond the city gates. He speaks of Luigi Vampa as a living menace, while Albert answers with bravado and mock heroics, imagining bandits subdued and rewarded by the Pope himself. Franz listens more carefully, weighing the seriousness behind the warning even as Albert laughs it away. This moment matters because it sharpens the contrast between skepticism and experience. Rome is no longer merely inconvenient or crowded—it is edged with real peril, waiting just beyond the lighted streets.   New to the journey? Start from the beginning at: http://countdownofmontecristo.com Want to talk theories, themes, or betrayals? Join the conversation on our Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm Support the project on Patreon and receive full-length, story-only audio after each chapter: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or follow along on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf3vyewhvQugX5M3oREl57A   The Countdown of Monte Cristo is a daily podcast reading one page at a time from Alexandre Dumas’ classic novel — every day, for four years. Whether you’re starting from the beginning or joining mid-journey, each episode brings you deeper into the story of The Count of Monte Cristo.

    9 min

  8. FEB 16

    A Name Spoken After Dark (The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 33 – Part 5)

    Plans carefully laid begin to unravel the moment danger is named aloud. Rome’s beauty, it seems, has shadows that do not belong to ruins alone. In this passage of The Count of Monte Cristo, Franz and Albert learn that their planned nighttime route to the Colosseum is deemed impossible—or worse, dangerous. Signor Pastrini warns them of Luigi Vampa, a notorious bandit whose reputation eclipses all others. Albert greets the warning with skepticism and bravado, while Franz listens more closely, inviting Pastrini to speak freely. This moment matters because it introduces a living threat into Rome’s nocturnal splendor. The city’s ancient stones are no longer the only source of awe; danger now walks its outskirts by name.   ⸻   New to the journey? Start from the beginning at: http://countdownofmontecristo.com   Want to talk theories, themes, or betrayals? Join the conversation on our Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm   Support the project on Patreon and receive full-length, story-only audio after each chapter: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod   Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or follow along on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf3vyewhvQugX5M3oREl57A   The Countdown of Monte Cristo is a daily podcast reading one page at a time from Alexandre Dumas’ classic novel — every day, for four years. Whether you’re starting from the beginning or joining mid-journey, each episode brings you deeper into the story of The Count of Monte Cristo.

    8 min
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A daily podcast reading The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, one page at a time, every single day, over the course of four years. Each short episode offers a focused, intimate passage from Dumas’ sweeping tale of betrayal, imprisonment, revenge, and redemption, accompanied by brief reflections, historical context, and the occasional detour into 19th-century oddities (and yes, the occasional mangled French pronunciation). Never read The Count of Monte Cristo? Perfect. This podcast is designed for first-time readers, longtime admirers, and anyone curious about experiencing a literary classic as a daily ritual rather than a daunting tome. You can start from the beginning or jump in wherever you are, the story unfolds steadily, patiently, one page at a time. Whether you’re a lover of classic literature, a podcast listener looking for a calm daily escape, or someone who just wants a few quiet minutes away from the noise of the modern world, The Countdown of Monte Cristo invites you to live with one of the greatest novels ever written. New episodes every day. No skipping. No rushing. Subscribe on your favorite podcatcher or watch along on YouTube. Support the project at https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod and help keep the countdown alive.

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