The Countdown of Monte Cristo

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.
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.
Episodes
Episodes



Thursday Oct 02, 2025
Lessons in Blood (The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 22 – Part 6)
Thursday Oct 02, 2025
Thursday Oct 02, 2025
A skirmish with customs officers leaves one dead and two smugglers wounded — Dantès among them.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 22, Edmond embraces danger and injury as harsh lessons for the path ahead, feeling his heart harden as pity slips away. Jacopo rushes to his aid with sincere devotion, deepening the quiet bond between them.
⸻
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.



Wednesday Oct 01, 2025
The Patience of Fourteen Years (The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 22 – Part 5)
Wednesday Oct 01, 2025
Wednesday Oct 01, 2025
Dantès reminds himself that he has learned to wait — liberty itself was worth fourteen years, and wealth can wait longer if need be.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 22, Monte Cristo fades from sight while the smugglers complete a smooth Corsican landing, divide their profits, and prepare for another voyage. Edmond watches, patient and observant, biding his time as La Jeune Amélie sails on to Sardinia.
⸻
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.



Tuesday Sep 30, 2025
Passing Monte Cristo (The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 22 – Part 4)
Tuesday Sep 30, 2025
Tuesday Sep 30, 2025
Newly shorn and dressed as a sailor, Dantès returns Jacopo’s clothes and accepts only a short-term place on La Jeune Amélie.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 22, the smugglers load their contraband and set sail. As dawn breaks, Edmond gazes longingly at the rocky shores of Monte Cristo — the island that holds his destiny — but knows he must wait for the right moment to claim its secret.
⸻
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.



Monday Sep 29, 2025
A New Face, A New Life (The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 22 – Part 3)
Monday Sep 29, 2025
Monday Sep 29, 2025
Fourteen years of suffering have remade Dantès beyond recognition.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 22, the round, open face of youth has hardened into resolution, intellect, and hidden fury. Even he can barely recognize himself in the mirror. Accepting funds from the captain of La Jeune Amélie, Edmond completes his transformation by purchasing a simple sailor’s suit — the outward disguise of a man already reborn within.
⸻
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.



Sunday Sep 28, 2025
The Face of a Stranger (The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 22 – Part 2)
Sunday Sep 28, 2025
Sunday Sep 28, 2025
Among the smugglers of La Jeune Amélie, Edmond keeps his secret, offering only fragments of truth and convincing lies.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 22, he arrives at Leghorn and faces a more personal trial: seeing his own face for the first time in fourteen years. At a barber’s shop, his beard and hair are shorn away, revealing how much he has changed since youth — and what remains of the man he once was.
⸻
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.



Saturday Sep 27, 2025
La Jeune Amélie (The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 22 – Part 1)
Saturday Sep 27, 2025
Saturday Sep 27, 2025
Aboard the Genoese tartan La Jeune Amélie, Dantès quickly grasps the nature of his new companions.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 22, the captain proves fluent in the many tongues of the Mediterranean, making clear that Dantès has joined a crew of smugglers. At first suspicious, the captain relaxes when Edmond’s seamanship impresses the men — and when the Château d’If’s cannon salute suggests that their new recruit carries a dangerous importance.
⸻
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.



Friday Sep 26, 2025
Fourteen Years Lost (The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 21 – Part 10)
Friday Sep 26, 2025
Friday Sep 26, 2025
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.
⸻
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.



Thursday Sep 25, 2025
A Proving Hand (The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 21 – Part 9)
Thursday Sep 25, 2025
Thursday Sep 25, 2025
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.
⸻
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.







