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.
Episodes
Episodes
Sep 2, 2025
Sep 2, 2025
11 min
Faria, resigned to never enjoying the treasure himself, devotes his energy to preparing Dantès for the day he will be free to claim it.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 19, Dantès memorizes the cardinal’s letter word for word before Faria destroys part of it, and receives detailed instructions for reaching the Island of Monte Cristo. Between lessons, the two men fill their days with work and study, keeping despair at bay.
⸻
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.
Sep 1, 2025
Sep 1, 2025
7 min
A final hope of escape is destroyed when the gallery to the sea is rebuilt and the hidden tunnel sealed.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 19, Dantès tells Faria that his true fortune is not the gold of Monte Cristo but the friendship, knowledge, and strength of mind his companion has given him — a wealth no jailer can take away.
⸻
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.
Aug 31, 2025
Aug 31, 2025
10 min
With the treasure now pledged to him, Dantès listens as Faria speaks of the good such wealth could do — but Edmond’s vow of vengeance reminds him how much harm it could also bring.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 19, the abbé learns the location of the Island of Monte Cristo from Dantès, who has visited it before, and offers advice for retrieving the fortune. Yet Edmond remains doubtful that the treasure still exists.
⸻
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.
Aug 30, 2025
Aug 30, 2025
11 min
Dantès can hardly believe the treasure’s value, but Faria assures him such fortunes were not uncommon for noble families of the fifteenth century.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 18, the old man reveals he kept the secret to test Edmond’s character — and now claims him as his son, offering the treasure as both inheritance and bond. Overcome, Dantès embraces his friend and weeps.
⸻
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.
Aug 29, 2025
Aug 29, 2025
12 min
Faria explains how he reconstructed Cardinal Spada’s will and the treasure’s location — and how his attempt to claim it led to his arrest.
In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 18, he pledges the fortune to Dantès: half if they escape together, all if Edmond escapes alone. With the Spada family extinct, the two million Roman crowns — nearly thirteen million in modern currency — await without another rightful heir.
⸻
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.
Aug 28, 2025
Aug 28, 2025
6 min
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.
⸻
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.
Aug 27, 2025
Aug 27, 2025
8 min
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.
Aug 26, 2025
Aug 26, 2025
7 min
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.