Thursday Oct 23, 2025
The Prayer of Gold (The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 24 – Part 10)
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
Wednesday Oct 22, 2025
Wednesday Oct 22, 2025
The moment of revelation arrives.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 24, Edmond bursts open the chest sealed for centuries and beholds its wonders: heaps of golden coin, heavy bars of unpolished gold, and cascades of diamonds, rubies, and pearls that clatter like hail in his hands. Frenzied with amazement, Dantès rushes through the grotto and onto the rocks, gasping at the immensity of his discovery. He is alone with the Spada treasure — wealth beyond imagination, dazzling and real.
⸻
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 Oct 21, 2025
Tuesday Oct 21, 2025
At last, the moment of truth.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 24, Dantès digs into the farthest corner of the second grotto, and his pickaxe strikes against wood and iron. With torchlight he clears the earth to reveal a massive oaken coffer, bound in steel and bearing a silver plate engraved with the arms of the Spada family. After years of hope and fear, the treasure has taken form.
⸻
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 Oct 20, 2025
Monday Oct 20, 2025
Proof grows stronger, yet Edmond nearly faints under the weight of hope and fear.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 24, Dantès forces himself onward, prying loose the carefully disguised stones to reveal a hidden chamber. At last he enters the second grotto — a low, gloomy space, heavy with stale air. His eyes adjust, but the darkness yields nothing. The treasure chamber is empty… or so it seems.
⸻
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 Oct 19, 2025
Sunday Oct 19, 2025
The cardinal’s words echo in Edmond’s memory: “In the farthest angle of the second opening.”
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 24, Dantès realizes he has only uncovered the first grotto and resumes his search. At last, a hollow sound answers his pickaxe. Chipping away the surface, he discovers the wall is only stucco, painted to resemble granite — a careful disguise hiding the entrance to something deeper. The true path has been found.
⸻
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 Oct 18, 2025
Saturday Oct 18, 2025
At the edge of despair, Dantès decides to descend.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 24, Edmond steels himself, imagining Borgia’s hand upon the same steps centuries before. He braces for darkness — but instead finds a cavern shimmering with dim blue light and walls of glittering granite. Smiling bitterly, he thinks these must be the only treasures left: illusions mistaken for riches, dreams mistaken for reality.
⸻
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 Oct 17, 2025
Friday Oct 17, 2025
With a final heave, Dantès topples the massive rock into the sea.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 24, he discovers beneath it an iron ring set into a flagstone — the entrance to a hidden grotto. Yet even as he pries it open and reveals steps vanishing into darkness, Edmond hesitates. Fear and doubt strike him: what if Faria’s dream was nothing, or worse, already plundered by another hand? At the edge of discovery, hope and dread clash in his heart.
⸻
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 Oct 16, 2025
Thursday Oct 16, 2025
At last, the secret yields to Edmond’s hand.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 24, Dantès uncovers the artifice that held the circular rock in place. Unable to move it with strength alone, he turns to powder and fire. The explosion shatters the wedge stone and lifts the rock, sending a snake slithering from the darkness like a guardian spirit. Beneath lies the promise of Cardinal Spada’s hidden treasure.
⸻
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 15, 2025
Wednesday Oct 15, 2025
Reassured by the sight of departing sails, Dantès turns his attention back to the island itself.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 24, he follows the faint marks toward a secluded creek, hidden like a secret harbor, and imagines how Cardinal Spada might have concealed both his boat and his treasure. Returning to the great circular rock, Edmond realizes the truth — it was not lifted into place, but lowered to conceal what lies beneath.
⸻
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.