I purchased The Count of Monte Cristo on my last visit to Powell’s. I have no idea when I’ll be able to browse through a whole city block of books again, so for that reason alone it was worth cherishing. Then I started reading and suddenly I was in love.

I’ve always hated the question “What’s your favorite book?” I read so much, and I enjoy such a wide variety of genres that it’s hard to nail down a top five, let alone a single favorite. My reading tastes often depend on my mood, interests, or daily experiences; I don’t know if I’ve ever answered this question the same way twice. In the past I could fall back on the Harry Potter series, but I think I’ve reached a point in my life where I can’t claim that my favorite books are a young adult series. Harry Potter is ageless and can be enjoyed by all generations, but I’ve matured over time and so should my favorite things. In the past few years when I’ve been asked what my favorite book is I respond with a few titles that I’ve read recently. But now, ten days and 1,078 pages later, I can say without a doubt that The Count of Monte Cristo is my favorite book.

For a long time I’ve been familiar with the basic plot: a young man is imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit; years later he escapes and finds a vast treasure which he uses to seek revenge on the people responsible for his imprisonment. Reviews promised a book packed with action and adventure, romance and revenge. I was excited to finally read this classic.

I got all the action I could possibly want- from the middle to the end I could hardly put the book down because I absolutely needed to know what happened. There were moments when I literally was sitting on the edge of my seat, and there were a few times when I audibly gasped and clutched my heart (who clutches their heart in the 21^st century?). I was wholly invested; I’ve had a few nights of little sleep in the past week because I needed to read as much as possible. The most monotonous section were the chapters covering the Carnival in Rome, but it’s easy for me to forgive any tediousness there. I studied abroad for a semester in Rome, so I too was once young and drunk running around the Eternal City. The Corso, Piazza del Popolo, the Spanish Steps, St. Peter’s, the Colosseum- these places are all familiar to me, and I found myself looking at old pictures and maps to test if my memories were accurate.

Beyond the action, though, I was most drawn to the character development of Edmond Dantes. From the optimistic and joyful young man to the depressed prisoner to the vengeful manipulator, then finally to the man who comes to terms with all his past; it was a beautiful cycle to follow. The Count of Monte Cristo is known for being a story of revenge, but it’s also very much a story about love and the power it holds over us. Love is the thing that saves us, and patience and hope are the things that get us through. My mind and heart are still processing what I’ve read but I can tell that this one will sit with me for a while. After all, The Count of Monte Cristo is my favorite book.