Wednesday Jun 04, 2025
There Are No Murders in Politics (The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 12 – Part 3)
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
Tuesday Jun 03, 2025
Tuesday Jun 03, 2025
One letter holds both power and ruin.
Villefort reveals how dangerously close his father came to execution. A message from Elba could have exposed Noirtier’s Bonapartist ties—and destroyed Villefort’s career. But now, father and son stand locked in a quiet battle of loyalty, politics, and survival.
00:00 – Theme song
00:30 – Chapter 12, Part 2
02:21 – Commentary
06:51 – Outro
Subscribe for bonus episodes and full-length story-only audio: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
#ElbaEscape #FrenchPolitics #BonaparteReturns #MonteCristoPodcast
Monday Jun 02, 2025
Monday Jun 02, 2025
Noirtier has nothing to hide. Villefort has everything to lose.
In their first tense confrontation, father and son stand on opposite sides of the political divide. While Villefort panics over his father’s ties to the Bonapartist underground, Noirtier sits comfortably—unbothered, defiant, and fully aware of the stakes.
00:00 – Theme song
00:30 – Chapter 12, Part 1
02:20 – Commentary
07:11 – Outro
Subscribe for bonus episodes and full-length story-only audio: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
#Bonapartist #PoliticalIntrigue #FrenchRevolution #MonteCristoPodcast
Sunday Jun 01, 2025
Sunday Jun 01, 2025
Villefort thought he was done—but his past has arrived.
Just as he prepares to leave Paris and savor his reward, a knock at the door shakes him. The man on the other side knows him well. Too well. In this chilling scene, ambition collides with bloodline, and Villefort must face the very connection he tried to erase.
00:00 – Theme song
00:30 – Chapter 11, Part 9
02:01 – Commentary
09:47 – Outro
Subscribe for bonus episodes and full-length story-only audio: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
#ClassicSuspense #MonteCristoChapters #RestorationDrama #FamilySecrets
Saturday May 31, 2025
Saturday May 31, 2025
Villefort gets everything he wanted.
In a single breath, the king rewards Villefort with a prestigious medal, a promise of remembrance, and power in the south. But the cross he kisses is bought with betrayal—and beneath the tears of pride, Dantès remains imprisoned.
00:00 – Theme song
00:30 – Chapter 11, Part 8
02:16 – Commentary
09:07 – Outro
Subscribe for bonus episodes and full-length story-only audio: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
#LegionOfHonor #DumasDrama #PoliticalClimb #MonteCristoSeries
Friday May 30, 2025
Friday May 30, 2025
The king suspects. Villefort sweats.
As Louis XVIII probes into Villefort’s family ties, the young magistrate walks a knife’s edge. Every answer is a risk. Behind a façade of loyalty, Villefort distances himself from Noirtier—not for honor, but for survival.
00:00 – Theme song
00:30 – Chapter 11, Part 7
01:54 – Commentary
06:23 – Outro
Subscribe for bonus episodes and full-length story-only audio: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
#RestorationPolitics #FatherVsSon #ClassicNovels #MonteCristoExplained
Thursday May 29, 2025
Thursday May 29, 2025
A general is dead—and the king smells conspiracy.
Louis XVIII learns that General Quesnel’s mysterious death may not have been suicide after all. As suspicion turns to assassination and Bonapartist clubs, Villefort begins to crumble. The description of the wanted man sounds far too familiar…
00:00 – Theme song
00:30 – Chapter 11, Part 6
02:37 – Commentary
04:44 – Outro
Subscribe for bonus episodes and full-length story-only audio: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
#Bonaparte #FrenchConspiracy #ClassicFiction #MonteCristoChapters
Wednesday May 28, 2025
Wednesday May 28, 2025
Villefort plays a delicate hand—and wins.
As praise from the king threatens to make him a political target, Villefort humbly redirects the spotlight and rescues the very minister he once sought to surpass. In the court of Louis XVIII, power belongs not to the boldest, but to the most strategic.
00:00 – Theme song
00:30 – Chapter 11, Part 5
02:35 – Commentary
04:53 – Outro
Subscribe for bonus episodes and full-length story-only audio: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
#TuileriesPalace #RestorationFrance #LiteraryPolitics #MonteCristoAudio
Tuesday May 27, 2025
Tuesday May 27, 2025
As news of Napoleon’s landing spreads, King Louis XVIII erupts—not in fear of war, but in fear of ridicule.
At the Tuileries, surrounded by ministers who failed him, the king lashes out in a bitter tirade. Only Villefort stands composed—and is rewarded with rising power. A throne is shaken, not by bullets, but by incompetence and public shame.
00:00 – Theme song
00:30 – Chapter 11, Part 4
02:00 – Commentary
05:00 – Outro
Subscribe for bonus episodes and full-length story-only audio: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
#NapoleonicEra #LiteraryAnalysis #FrenchMonarchy #MonteCristoPodcast