The Countdown of Monte Cristo
Welcome to The Countdown of Monte Cristo, the daily podcast where we break down one of literature’s greatest adventures, bite by bite. For the next four years—yes, you heard that right—host Landen Celano will be reading a passage from Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo every single day. Each episode offers a short escape into this timeless tale of betrayal, revenge, and redemption, paired with Landen’s reflections, insights, and occasional forays into 19th-century oddities. Never read The Count of Monte Cristo? Perfect—you’re not alone. This show is for first-timers, seasoned fans, or anyone who’s curious about exploring a literary masterpiece one small morsel at a time. Along the way, we’ll dig into historical tidbits, unpack the story’s twists and turns, and maybe even stumble over a French pronunciation or two. (Phonetics are hard, okay?) Whether you’re a lover of classics, a casual listener looking for a daily dose of culture, or just someone who needs a momentary escape from the noise of the modern world, this podcast has something for you. So grab your metaphorical ticket to Marseille, and let’s set sail on this absurdly ambitious journey together. Subscribe now on your favorite podcatcher or find us on YouTube. And don’t forget to support the show at https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod. Join us as we count down The Count!
Episodes
A cannon shot from the Château d’If signals the alarm of escape, but Dantès hides his composure behind a drink of rum.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 21, he learns it is February 28, 1829 — exactly fourteen years to the day since his arrest. At thirty-three, with youth behind him and vengeance before him, Edmond silently renews his oath against Danglars, Fernand, and Villefort as the tartan speeds toward Leghorn.
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Given the helm, Dantès proves his seamanship by guiding the tartan safely past the Island of Rion exactly as he predicted.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 21, his skill wins the respect of the crew and the cautious approval of the captain. Jacopo, the sailor who saved his life, offers him clothes, sealing Edmond’s place among them — at least for the voyage to Leghorn.
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Revived with rum and rough care, Dantès spins a quick tale to explain his presence at sea.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 21, he claims to be a Maltese sailor wrecked in the storm, swearing he clung to the rocks until spotting the tartan. The crew listens with skepticism, while Edmond offers his skills as a seaman in hopes of being allowed to stay aboard.
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At the limits of his strength, Dantès struggles against the waves until he faints — only to awaken on the deck of the Genoese tartan.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 21, the sailors revive him with rum and rough care, while the vessel sails swiftly away from the looming silhouette of the Château d’If.
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Spotting wreckage from the storm, Dantès seizes a red sailor’s cap and a floating timber to disguise himself as a shipwrecked survivor.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 21, he strikes out across the course of a Genoese tartan, signaling desperately until at last his cries and gestures are seen. The vessel turns toward him, and a boat is lowered to bring him aboard.
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At dawn, Dantès beholds the sea, the fortress, and freedom with new eyes.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 21, he foresees the danger once his escape is discovered — soldiers, cannon fire, and pursuit by sea and land. Cold and starving, he prays for mercy, then spies a Genoese tartan skimming the waves. If he can summon the courage and a convincing story, it may be his salvation.
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Sheltering beneath an overhanging rock, Dantès endures the full fury of the tempest.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 21, he quenches his thirst with rainwater, then witnesses a fishing-boat wrecked in the storm — its sailors’ cries carried to him before vanishing into darkness. By dawn, the sea calms, the sky clears, and Edmond sees the first light of a new day.
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Exhausted and close to despair, Dantès finally strikes land.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 21, he drags himself onto the grotesque rocks of Tiboulen and collapses in gratitude, falling into deep sleep despite the storm. Awakened by thunder, he resolves to swim onward to the nearby island of Lemaire when the sea calms — seeking safety and concealment.
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Guided by the distant light of Planier, Dantès strikes out for the Island of Tiboulen.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 21, memories of Faria’s warnings push him onward as fear drives him faster through the violent sea. For an hour he swims with all his strength, the château fading into darkness behind him, until exhaustion sets in and doubt chills his resolve.
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Cast into the sea with a thirty-six-pound shot tied to his feet, Dantès slashes open the sack, cuts himself free, and rises to the surface.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 21, he dives again to evade detection, the torchlight of the Château d’If receding behind him as he fixes his course toward the uninhabited islands of Tiboulen or Lemaire — his first desperate bid for freedom.
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Carried through the night to the sound of crashing waves, Dantès begins to grasp the terrible truth.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 20, the grave-diggers swing the sack three times and hurl him into the icy sea — a thirty-six-pound shot tied to his feet — for the Château d’If’s final burial place is the ocean itself.
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Carried out into the cold mistral night, Dantès resists the urge to act too soon.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 20, the grave-diggers pause, search for an object, and return with a heavy metallic weight — tying it tightly to his feet before lifting the bier again and moving on.
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Dantès endures hours of tension before hearing the footsteps of the grave-diggers outside his cell.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 20, he lies still as they lift the sack containing him, exchanging casual remarks about the weight and the knot they’ll tie later — a detail that sets Edmond’s mind racing with questions.
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Sealed inside the burial sack, Dantès considers every possible outcome: discovery before leaving the cell, escape during transport, or clawing his way out of a fresh grave.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 20, Edmond prepares to act at the first sign of danger — even if it means using his knife — knowing that a single misstep could mean either freedom or death.
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Refusing to die after so many years of suffering, Dantès conceives a desperate plan: since only the dead leave the dungeon, he will take the place of the dead.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 20, Edmond moves Faria’s body to his own cell, disguises it as himself, and climbs into the abbé’s burial sack — sewing it shut from the inside.
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Faria lies in his final winding-sheet, a canvas sack on the bed where he once spoke and dreamed with Dantès.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 20, Edmond is left utterly alone, the urge for suicide flickering briefly before grief gives way to a renewed hunger for life and liberty.
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The governor orders Faria’s body to be “decently interred” in a sack — and with no chaplain present, there will be no mass.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 19, Dantès listens to crude jokes and indifference as the abbé’s body is prepared for burial that evening. Once the cell is empty and silent, Edmond cautiously lifts the flagstone and emerges from the tunnel.
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The governor insists on the legal formalities for confirming Faria’s death, and the doctor orders the irons to be heated.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 19, Dantès listens in horror as the smell of burning flesh fills the air. The doctor declares the abbé dead beyond doubt, calling his obsession with the treasure “monomania,” even as others recall his learning, kindness, and healing skill.
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From the hidden passage, Dantès overhears the turnkey’s crude jokes about Faria’s death — and the governor’s return with the doctor to confirm it.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 19, the physician examines the abbé’s body twice, declaring him dead, while Dantès listens in indignation at their casual words about the man he revered.
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As dawn breaks, Dantès’ last doubts fade — Faria is dead.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 19, Edmond closes the secret passage just in time for the jailer’s arrival, then returns to overhear the discovery of the body. He listens to the shouts for help, the tramp of soldiers, the governor’s orders, and the mingled pity and cruel laughter of the onlookers.
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