Monday Aug 11, 2025
The Work Complete (The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 17 – Part 17)
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
Sunday Aug 10, 2025
Sunday Aug 10, 2025
The year they’ve “lost” is over.
Today’s episode reveals the abbé’s long-held plan: an underground passage, a loosened flagstone, a stunned sentry, and a descent from the outer walls on a ladder of cords.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 17, hope takes on a shape — and the work begins at once.
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 09, 2025
Saturday Aug 09, 2025
“Everything,” says the abbé. That’s the answer.
Today’s episode marks a radical pivot in Dantès’ life—not an escape attempt, not a scheme—but an education.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 17, the old prisoner begins to train the young one, not in vengeance, but in knowledge.
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 08, 2025
Friday Aug 08, 2025
The fire of vengeance has taken root in Dantès—and the abbé knows it.
Today’s passage begins with a warning and ends with a request: Dantès asks to learn, not to flee.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 17, the cell becomes a classroom, and knowledge becomes its own form of escape.
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 07, 2025
Thursday Aug 07, 2025
The final veil is lifted. In one devastating revelation, the abbé exposes the secret behind Dantès’ imprisonment: the letter he carried was addressed to the father of the very man who condemned him. Villefort’s name wasn’t just on the case — it was in the bloodline.
Dantès reels, collapses, and retreats — and when he emerges, it’s with a vow that will shape the rest of his life.
Get bonus episodes and full-length readings on Patreon: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
Join the discussion on Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm
Wednesday Aug 06, 2025
Wednesday Aug 06, 2025
Dantès thought he’d found a rare thing in prison: a man in power who seemed to care. But the abbé, armed with names and memory, peels back the illusion. When the letter that sealed Dantès’ fate is destroyed, it’s not mercy—it’s motive.
Because the name on that letter? Noirtier.
And the man who burned it? Villefort.
And the connection between them? That’s the sunbeam the abbé sees so clearly.
Get bonus episodes and full-length readings on Patreon: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
Join the discussion on Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm
Tuesday Aug 05, 2025
Tuesday Aug 05, 2025
As Dantès digs into the mechanics of his downfall, one detail emerges like a flare in the dark: the letter that damned him—burned. Not by an enemy, but by the very deputy who interrogated him. A young, seemingly sympathetic official, struck with sudden emotion. Or was it calculation?
The abbé, ever suspicious of convenient mercy, urges Dantès to look closer. Ambition wears many masks, and justice, it seems, may have one of the darkest.
Get bonus episodes and full-length readings on Patreon: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
Join the discussion on Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm
Monday Aug 04, 2025
Monday Aug 04, 2025
Three men. One arbor. Pens, ink, and paper. The memory crashes into Dantès like a wave: the night before his wedding, Danglars, Fernand, and a drunken Caderousse sat together, conspiring in plain sight. One wanted his job. One wanted his bride. And one looked away.
As the pieces fall into place, Dantès begins to understand the scope of his betrayal. But a deeper mystery still remains: why was there no trial?
Get bonus episodes and full-length readings on Patreon: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
Join the discussion on Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm
Sunday Aug 03, 2025
Sunday Aug 03, 2025
As Faria dissects the anonymous letter, the conspiracy sharpens into view. The handwriting was disguised—written in a backhand, left-handed script. And as Faria demonstrates, such writing is rarely unique. The realization strikes Dantès like thunder: this was a planned betrayal, not a misunderstanding.
But if Danglars had motive to sabotage his career, another name emerges for sabotaging his love: Fernand—the jealous Catalan with a reason to destroy Dantès’ future.
Get bonus episodes and full-length readings on Patreon: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
Join the discussion on Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm