The Countdown of Monte Cristo

Welcome to The Countdown of Monte Cristo, the daily podcast where we break down one of literature’s greatest adventures, bite by bite. For the next four years—yes, you heard that right—host Landen Celano will be reading a passage from Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo every single day. Each episode offers a short escape into this timeless tale of betrayal, revenge, and redemption, paired with Landen’s reflections, insights, and occasional forays into 19th-century oddities. Never read The Count of Monte Cristo? Perfect—you’re not alone. This show is for first-timers, seasoned fans, or anyone who’s curious about exploring a literary masterpiece one small morsel at a time. Along the way, we’ll dig into historical tidbits, unpack the story’s twists and turns, and maybe even stumble over a French pronunciation or two. (Phonetics are hard, okay?) Whether you’re a lover of classics, a casual listener looking for a daily dose of culture, or just someone who needs a momentary escape from the noise of the modern world, this podcast has something for you. So grab your metaphorical ticket to Marseille, and let’s set sail on this absurdly ambitious journey together. Subscribe now on your favorite podcatcher or find us on YouTube. And don’t forget to support the show at https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod. Join us as we count down The Count!

Listen on:

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Episodes

Friday Jun 13, 2025

Villefort plays both sides.
As Morrel presses for Dantès’ release, Villefort coolly explains how the state can make men vanish—no arrest, no record, no evidence. Yet now, in front of a Bonapartist, he flips the script: claiming it’s his duty to free Dantès, and offering to petition the minister himself. But is it justice—or cover-up?
 
00:00 – Theme song
00:30 – Chapter 13, Part 5
02:00 – Commentary
05:00 – Outro
 
Subscribe for bonus episodes and full-length story-only audio: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
 
#MonteCristo #Napoleon #PoliticalPrisoners #HistoricalFiction

Thursday Jun 12, 2025

M. Morrel returns to confront Villefort face-to-face—but rather than flinch at the name “Edmond Dantès,” the magistrate coolly deflects, manipulates, and pretends to assist. Morrel pleads for justice, unaware that he’s speaking to the man responsible for Edmond’s disappearance. Villefort, always one step ahead, rewrites his own history to match the current regime—and Morrel, still believing in the system, falls for it.
00:00 – Theme song
00:30 – Chapter 13, Part 4
02:13 – Commentary
05:28 – Outro
 
Subscribe for bonus episodes and full-length story-only audio: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
 
#MonteCristo #Dumas #PoliticalThriller #HistoricalFiction

Wednesday Jun 11, 2025

The tides have turned—but will Villefort admit it?
M. Morrel returns to demand justice for Edmond Dantès, now that Napoleon is back in power and the accusation against Dantès—once treason—is now loyalty. But Villefort doesn’t flinch. In fact, it’s Morrel who finds himself off-balance. The political wind has changed, but Villefort remains the storm.
 
00:00 – Theme song
00:30 – Chapter 13, Part 3
01:51 – Commentary
08:57 – Outro
 
Subscribe for bonus episodes and full-length story-only audio: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
 
#MonteCristo #NapoleonReturns #PoliticalIntrigue #ClassicFiction

Tuesday Jun 10, 2025

With Napoleon’s rise, Marseille shifts—and so does Villefort. While others are swept up in revolution or reaction, Villefort remains perfectly poised, perfectly calculating. Morrel arrives to plead for Edmond Dantès, but Villefort, now more powerful than ever, makes him wait—because power isn’t just what you have, it’s how you use it.
 
00:00 – Theme song
00:30 – Chapter 13, Part 2
02:00 – Commentary
05:00 – Outro
 
Subscribe for bonus episodes and full-length story-only audio: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
 
#MonteCristo #Napoleon #MarseillePolitics #HistoricalDrama

Monday Jun 09, 2025

The emperor returns. The king collapses. And Villefort watches his ambitions shift with the wind.
As Napoleon’s legendary march from Elba topples the Bourbon monarchy, Villefort finds himself balancing royal gratitude and revolutionary bloodlines. But the real victors aren’t the kings or emperors — it’s the survivors like Noirtier who know how to adapt.
 
00:00 – Theme song
00:30 – Chapter 13
01:40 – Commentary
07:49 – Outro
 
Subscribe for bonus episodes and full-length story-only audio: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
 
#MonteCristo #HundredDays #Napoleon #FrenchRevolution

Sunday Jun 08, 2025

Villefort cleans up his father’s trail—and his own conscience.
As Noirtier calmly vanishes into the Paris streets, Villefort meticulously destroys every trace of his father’s identity. But while the evidence burns, ambition and guilt ride with Villefort back to Marseilles, where both Napoleon and fate are closing in.
 
00:00 – Theme song
00:30 – Chapter 12, Part 6
01:06 – Commentary
07:40 – Outro
 
Subscribe for bonus episodes and full-length story-only audio: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
 
#MonteCristo #Napoleon #PoliticalIntrigue #HistoricalDrama

Saturday Jun 07, 2025

Villefort’s father Noirtier reveals the true art of survival.
As the political trap tightens around the Bonapartist conspirators, Noirtier demonstrates just how easily he can slip through the cracks. In a few calculated moves, he transforms his appearance and evades the royalist police—while Villefort watches with growing fear and reluctant admiration.
 
00:00 – Theme song
00:30 – Chapter 12, Part 3
02:32 – Commentary
06:26 – Outro
 
Subscribe for bonus episodes and full-length story-only audio: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
 
#MonteCristo #PoliticalIntrigue #NapoleonicEra #HistoricalThriller

Friday Jun 06, 2025

As the royalist police close in, Noirtier casually evades capture right before Villefort’s eyes. In this masterful scene, we watch political survival in motion—disguises, quick thinking, and generational tension collide. Villefort’s father reveals just how easily the machinery of power can be sidestepped with a change of coat and a swipe of the razor.
 
00:00 – Theme song
00:30 – Chapter 12, Part 2
02:29 – Commentary
07:30 – Outro
 
Subscribe for bonus episodes and full-length story-only audio: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
 
#MonteCristo #Napoleon #FrenchHistory #PoliticalThriller

Thursday Jun 05, 2025

Villefort trusts the army. Noirtier trusts the people.
As Napoleon marches toward Paris, father and son debate who truly holds power. Villefort clings to royalist reports of resistance, but Noirtier, reading the mood of the nation, sees a very different reality: loyalty to the emperor is far from dead—and Paris may open its gates before a shot is fired.
 
00:00 – Theme song
00:30 – Chapter 12, Part 4
02:22 – Commentary
05:40 – Outro
 
Subscribe for bonus episodes and full-length story-only audio: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
 
#NapoleonReturns #HundredDays #MonteCristoPodcast #DumasAnalysis

Wednesday Jun 04, 2025

Murder? Or just business as usual?
Villefort insists General Quesnel was assassinated. But Noirtier calmly dismantles his son’s outrage, offering a brutal lesson in political reality: in the world of power, people aren’t murdered—they’re removed. And sooner or later, it’s always someone else’s turn.
 
00:00 – Theme song
00:30 – Chapter 12, Part 3
02:37 – Commentary
05:15 – Outro
 
Subscribe for bonus episodes and full-length story-only audio: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
 
#Realpolitik #NapoleonicFrance #MonteCristoAnalysis #FrenchHistoryFiction

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