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.
Listen on:
Episodes
Episodes
Wednesday Jan 28, 2026
Wednesday Jan 28, 2026
Though Sinbad speaks calmly of vows and wandering, his eyes blaze with sudden, startling ferocity—enough for Franz to sense deep suffering beneath the surface. When he voices this impression, Sinbad meets the question with guarded intensity. He insists he lives like a pasha, free to roam, to command, even to rescue or punish with invisible justice. His life, he claims, is happiness itself. Franz suggests that such a man might be driven by revenge, but Sinbad deflects with a piercing look and a laugh that exposes sharp white teeth. No, he says—he is merely a philosopher, one who might one day stroll into Paris to rival reformers and humanitarians. The shadows behind his smile remain unbroken, and Franz is left to wonder how much truth lies in these shifting masks.
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.
If you enjoy this show, be sure to check out Odyssey: A Daily Odyssey through Homer's The Odyssey — wherever you listen to podcasts!
Tuesday Jan 27, 2026
Tuesday Jan 27, 2026
Sinbad recounts Ali’s history with unsettling calm: once condemned by the Bey of Tunis to lose his tongue, then his hand, and finally his head for approaching the harem, he was saved when Sinbad bartered a coveted gun and an English cutlass in exchange for the man’s remaining limbs. Allowed to keep his life—but exiled forever from Africa—Ali now serves with unwavering devotion, though terror drives him below deck at the slightest sight of his former homeland. Franz listens, unsure what to make of a rescue that feels equal parts mercy and manipulation. When he shifts the topic, Sinbad reveals he lives as a wanderer by vow—one made long ago, accompanied by others he intends to fulfill in time.
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.
If you enjoy this show, be sure to check out Odyssey: A Daily Odyssey through Homer's The Odyssey — wherever you listen to podcasts!
Monday Jan 26, 2026
Monday Jan 26, 2026
Sinbad leads Franz into a marble dining hall as lavish as the first chamber—adorned with antique bas-reliefs and four statues bearing baskets overflowing with rare fruits from across the Mediterranean and beyond. The table itself is a feast of impossible abundance: pheasant with Corsican blackbirds, boar’s ham in jelly, kid with tartar sauce, a magnificent turbot, a giant lobster, and delicate dishes served on silver and Japanese china. Franz can hardly believe he is awake. Ali, the silent servant, attends with flawless grace, earning his guest’s admiration. Sinbad explains that Ali’s devotion comes from having once saved the man’s life—a mercy Ali still repays with reverent gratitude. Intrigued, Franz asks to hear the story behind this extraordinary bond.
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.
If you enjoy this show, be sure to check out Odyssey: A Daily Odyssey through Homer's The Odyssey — wherever you listen to podcasts!
Sunday Jan 25, 2026
Sunday Jan 25, 2026
The mysterious host apologizes with Lucullus-like humor for not having prepared more lavishly, then summons his servant Ali who appears from behind the tapestry to announce that supper is ready. Before leading Franz onward, the host proposes a courtesy: they should exchange names, or at least names for the evening. He refuses to ask Franz’s true identity out of hospitality, offering instead the name by which he is known—“Sinbad the Sailor.” Franz answers in the same playful spirit, calling himself “Aladdin,” fitting for this Arabian Nights setting. Sinbad accepts the jest with elegance and invites “Signor Aladdin” to follow him into the dining room, where their extraordinary supper awaits.
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.
If you enjoy this show, be sure to check out Odyssey: A Daily Odyssey through Homer's The Odyssey — wherever you listen to podcasts!
Saturday Jan 24, 2026
Saturday Jan 24, 2026
Franz takes in the splendor around him: crimson brocade embroidered with gold, a divan framed by jeweled Arabian swords, a Venetian glass lamp casting warm light, and a Turkey carpet so deep his feet sink into it. Tapestries conceal both the entrance and another brilliantly lit room beyond. His mysterious host watches him closely, then offers apologies for the blindfold, explaining that secrecy is the only way to protect this private refuge on an otherwise deserted island. He promises a comfortable supper and beds—luxuries Franz admits far exceed anything he expected to find here. Comparing the place to the enchanted palaces of opera and the tales of the Arabian Nights, Franz accepts the strangeness with good humor and curiosity.
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.
If you like this show, bBe sure to check out Odyssey: A Daily Odyssey through Homer's The Odyssey — wherever you listen to podcasts!
Friday Jan 23, 2026
Friday Jan 23, 2026
Blindfolded and guided along the shore, Franz recognizes the smell of roasting kid as he passes the smugglers’ camp, then senses a shift in air and sound that tells him he has entered a cave. A sudden warmth and perfumed atmosphere surround him before his feet land on thick, luxurious carpet. Released by his escorts, he hears a voice—cultured, fluent in French, and unmistakably foreign—inviting him to remove the bandage. Franz complies at once, finding himself face-to-face with a striking man dressed in richly embroidered Tunisian costume: pale, handsome, sharp-featured, with glittering eyes and the bearing of someone both refined and formidable. Yet even more astonishing than the host is the place itself—an opulent, hidden chamber that exceeds every rumor Franz had dismissed as fantasy.
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.
Be sure to check out Odyssey: A Daily Odyssey through Homer's The Odyssey — wherever you listen to podcasts!
Thursday Jan 22, 2026
Thursday Jan 22, 2026
Franz presses the sailor for answers and finds only deeper mystery. The splendid yacht belongs not to a smuggler, but to a wealthy traveler who roams the seas for pleasure—a man known only as “Sinbad the Sailor.” No one seems to know his country, his real name, or where he resides beyond “on the sea.” Rumors place him in a hidden subterranean palace accessible only by a magic word, a tale straight out of the Arabian Nights. As Franz marvels at the strangeness of the encounter, the sentinel arrives with two crewmen to escort him. Silently, they blindfold him with meticulous care, ensuring he cannot glimpse the path to their master. Franz promises not to lift the bandage, stepping fully into the adventure.
Be sure to check out Odyssey: A Daily Odyssey through Homer's The Odyssey — wherever you listen to podcasts!
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 ofThe Count of Monte Cristo.
Wednesday Jan 21, 2026
Wednesday Jan 21, 2026
Gaetano admits he would accept the blindfold—if only out of curiosity—and hints at the strange reputation surrounding the smugglers’ chief. Lowering his voice, he repeats the rumors: that the man lives in a cavern whose magnificence rivals a palace, a place of treasures fit for a fairy tale. Though skeptical, Franz is intrigued. Reasoning that a man so wealthy has no motive to rob him, he agrees to the invitation. Seeking more information, Franz questions a sailor about how the smugglers arrived, since no vessel is visible. The sailor reveals they came in a yacht—strong, seaworthy, and capable of circling the world—though its origins remain uncertain. The mystery deepens, and Franz prepares to meet his enigmatic host.
Be sure to check out Odyssey: A Daily Odyssey through Homer's The Odyssey — wherever you listen to podcasts!
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.