Friday Aug 29, 2025
The Will and the Fortune (The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 18 – Part 12)
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.
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Episodes
Episodes
Thursday Aug 28, 2025
Thursday Aug 28, 2025
Faria presents a second fragment of parchment, and together with the first, it forms a complete declaration: Cardinal Cæsar Spada’s will.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 18, the document reveals the exact hiding place of a fortune in gold, jewels, and precious stones — buried in the caves of the Island of Monte Cristo and left entirely to his nephew.
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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 Aug 27, 2025
Wednesday Aug 27, 2025
A simple search for a candle-light changes everything.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 18, Faria discovers that an old page in the Spada breviary — long used as a bookmark — holds invisible writing that appears only when exposed to flame. The fragment, dated 1498 and signed “Cæs…,” describes a fortune hidden on the Island of Monte Cristo.
⸻
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 Aug 26, 2025
Tuesday Aug 26, 2025
Faria recounts years spent scouring the Spada archives for any trace of the missing fortune — and finding nothing.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 18, the inheritance appears lost to history, leaving the Count of Spada in poverty. Upon the count’s death, Faria inherits the family papers, vast library, and the gold-cornered breviary — and on Christmas Day, 1807, an unexpected moment sets the stage for discovery.
⸻
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 Aug 25, 2025
Monday Aug 25, 2025
With the pope dead and Cæsar Borgia in exile, the Spada family never regains its former glory — and rumors swirl that Cæsar kept the fortune for himself.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 18, Faria traces the family’s decline to his own time, when the fabled gold-cornered breviary, passed down for generations, remains in the possession of the Count of Spada, revered as a relic yet holding far more than sentiment.
⸻
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 Aug 24, 2025
Sunday Aug 24, 2025
After Spada’s death, Pope Alexander VI and Cæsar Borgia move quickly to claim his wealth — only to find a meager inheritance and a curious note mentioning a gold-cornered breviary.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 18, the supposed fortune seems to vanish into thin air, and the pope’s reign ends as violently as it was lived. But the true secret of the treasure remains hidden.
⸻
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 Aug 23, 2025
Saturday Aug 23, 2025
Pope Alexander VI chooses a slower, surer method for reclaiming the cardinals’ wealth: an invitation to dinner.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 18, Cardinal Spada anticipates the danger and makes his will, but his nephew arrives unaware. Poisoned wine and a fatal dish ensure neither leaves the vineyard alive — and the fortune they carried becomes unclaimed.
⸻
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 Aug 22, 2025
Friday Aug 22, 2025
Faria continues his story, recounting a moment in Renaissance Italy when Pope Alexander VI and Cæsar Borgia sought money — and found it in the ambitions of two powerful men.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 18, Cardinal Rospigliosi and Cæsar Spada pay dearly for their red hats, but the scheme doesn’t end there. The pope and his son plan a deadly “final step,” armed with subtle and lethal tools.
⸻
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 Aug 21, 2025
Thursday Aug 21, 2025
Avoiding Faria all day, Dantès finally relents when the abbé drags himself, with great difficulty, into his cell.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 18, the old man insists Edmond hear the truth about the treasure — beginning with his years as secretary to Cardinal Spada, the last prince of his name, and the curious research that would lead to a discovery.
⸻
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.