Just Booked: The Count of Monte Cristo

Just Booked
Written By Kelly O'connell
“When one is showing a friend round a city that one already knows, one does so with the same coquetry as when showing off a woman who has been one’s mistress.”
— The Count of Monte Cristo

This year, I set a self-imposed reading challenge: one book each month over 500 pages. My months have been filled with books in the 500- to 600-page realm, with the longest coming in at ~850 pages (Bleak House by Charles Dickens).

Then July hit. And The Count of Monte Cristo stared at me from my shelf with its intimidating 1276 pages (and fairly hefty weight).

Somehow, I made it 37 years without knowing much about the plot. I vaguely knew there was intrigue… maybe murder? But I hadn’t ever seen a film adaptation or read a synopsis, so I was going in blind. And I’m thrilled I did. Since finishing the book, I’ve watched the 2002 and 2024 film adaptations of the book. I imagine it’s hard to take a 1200+ page book with about 40 characters and fit it into a watchable runtime — both movies remove large aspects of the plot and some important characters. But the 2024 film is excellent, and I can get behind the changes it made.

Despite its size (or maybe because of it), Monte Cristo reads fast. Originally serialized in the 1840s, the chapters are designed to keep you turning pages. Each one ends with a dramatic twist or quiet betrayal. There were so many moments I sat with open-mouthed surprise, unable to read fast enough. I was fully in it — swept up in Edmond Dantès’ transformation from naive sailor to calculating count, and swept across France and Italy as he sought his revenge.

This is the kind of book that makes you wish you had lived in France in the 1840s, assuming, of course, you were wealthy (it was not a good time to be poor). I wanted to walk the same crooked alleys, see the grand estates, and sail out to sea while plotting my own revenge.

So, naturally… I started planning a trip (but an updated 2025 version).

✈️ Travel Itinerary: In the footsteps of the Count

🛳️ Marseille

Marseille is where we first meet Edmond Dantès — young, hopeful, and full of promise — arriving home to a hero’s welcome. He’s freshly promoted to captain of the Pharaon, adored by his father and boss, and set to marry his beloved Mercédès. Sure, he’s a little goody-goody, and you can sort of understand why those around him are jealous, but he’s honorable and courageous, and you can’t help but root for him. For a moment, everything is perfect.

And then, within a few pages, it’s all gone. He’s betrayed by friends, arrested on charges of being a Napoleon supporter, and unknowingly set on a path that will define the rest of his life.

Marseille reads as energetic, sun-kissed, and full of good food and wine. I was expecting year-round warmth, but Google informs me that Marseille has short summers and long winters. Temperatures vary from ~40°F to ~85°F over the course of the year, with recommended visit times in the spring or autumn. (Is there a place that doesn’t recommend visiting in the spring or autumn?)

While in Marseille, wander the Vieux-Port where the Pharaon would’ve docked, climb to the basilica above the harbor, and lose yourself in the alleys of Le Panier.

Where to stay

Base yourself in Le Panier, the city’s oldest quarter, full of street art, sloping alleys, and sun-washed shutters. Or head closer to the sea for views and salty air. Try:

Must-sees & dos

  • Climb Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde for panoramic views of the city and sea

  • Wander the Noailles Market — a sensory overload of spices, textiles, and local snacks

  • Eat bouillabaisse on the harbor, ideally after a long walk through the Cours Julien art district

  • Watch the sunset from Palais du Pharo gardens, with a view of the sea and Château D’If

Places I’m adding to my list

  • Figure - a wine bar with an outdoor terrace, which has rave reviews on both staff and food.

  • Razzia - I mean, look at this sandwich. I will be thinking about this sandwich every week for the rest of my life.

  • Howard Burger - very curious to see how the French do a Smashburger

🏰 Château D’If (daytrip from Marseille)

Visible from the Marseille harbor, Château d’If is where Dantès spends fourteen years imprisoned. Today, it's a short ferry ride away, and the stone fortress still holds a sober stillness. Tour the empty cells, imagine the whispered conversations with Abbé Faria, and stare out at the sea, debating if you could swim 7.5km (nearly five miles) to your freedom.

Multiple companies can ferry you out, but this one seems most reputable.

(If you’re really up for it, you could time your visit with the Défi de Monte-Cristo, a race inspired by Dantes’ escape).

🗼Paris: Auteuil

After Edmond’s transformation into The Count of Monte Cristo, he purchases a home in Auteuil, in the book considered the “country”.

Auteuil wasn’t absorbed into Paris until 1860. Auteuil and neighboring Passy were originally slated to become Paris’s 13th arrondissement, but the wealthy residents weren’t keen on the unlucky number. They successfully lobbied to be designated the 16th instead, leaving the number 13 to be transferred to the less influential area around Porte d’Italie.

While not the Count’s only home in the city (he also has a home at 30 Avenue des Champs-Élysées - what an address!), the Auteuil address houses a dark secret for some of the characters.

Where to Stay

Look for a design-forward guesthouse or apartment in Auteuil or Passy. Great options include:


Must-sees & dos

  • Visit Musée Marmottan Monet - home to the largest Monet collection and tucked away from crowds

  • Take a slow morning walk through Jardin du Ranelagh with a croissant in hand

  • Book an evening Seine cruise - many travelers on Reddit recommend Le Calife

  • Browse books at Librairie Fontaine for something dramatic and French


Places I’m adding to my list

  • Bellefeuille - A 1-star Michelin restaurant where every picture I’ve seen is gorgeous.

  • La Rotonde de la Muette - when I think ‘French restaurant’, this is what I picture.

  • Petit Victor Hugo - local favorite. I’d probably go back 2-3 times just to try every cocktail.

🗺️ Unlimited PTO? Add to your itinerary

If you’ve got time (and flexibility), here are a few detours that deepen the plot.

🏝 Elba

I did a ton of googling on Napoleon in the early chapters of this book. History was never my strongest subject, and I had to relearn why being a Bonapartist equaled being a criminal.

Napoleon was exiled to the island of Elba in 1814, where ten months later he escaped and marched on Paris.

Today, this island offers a different kind of escape. Elba is sun-drenched and slow-paced, with coastal roads, terracotta rooftops, and coves that feel more like a vacation than an exile. Spend a day in Portoferraio, Napoleon’s former base, and imagine being so powerful that your punishment is becoming sovereign of a beautiful Tuscan island.

You can ferry from Piombino (~1 hour), or fly to Pisa and connect by train or car.

Add it before or after Marseille, depending on your route.

🎭 Rome (for Carnevale)

The Count is incredibly meticulous — he has everything planned out, his staff anticipate every need, and he plots his revenge in an almost Nathan Fielder-like specificity. But the chapters during Carnevale in Rome bring a chaotic energy to the book that propels everything forward.

Hangings, beheadings, wild horse races, masked bandits pretending to be women — it’s all there in Rome.

You could time your trip to coincide with the event in the weeks leading up to Lent (will fall in February 2026). Although February in Paris is less fun.


🇫🇷 Can’t up and buy tickets to France right now?

Same. Here’s how I’m going to channel The Count of Monte Cristo while sitting my ass in Chicago.

Try a Monte Cristo sandwich - sweet, salty, melty, French.

Where to find one in Chicago:

The Monte Cristo at Griddle 24.

Learn French

Take a class at L’Alliance Française de Chicago. They offer beginner to advanced French, both online and in person. They also host events such as wine tastings, film nights, and cooking workshops.

Eat a croissant

Probably the easiest way to honor the book. Where to grab one to go:

  • La Boulangerie (Logan Square, Hyde Park, Ravenswood, Humboldt Park) — a personal fave, and not just because it’s the closest

  • Maison Parisienne (Lincoln Park) – there’s an animation on their website of powdered sugar being sprinkled on a croissant that I’ve been watching for 10 minutes straight so far.

  • Lost Larson (Andersonville, Wicker Park) – you’re going to want to try more than the croissant alone, I promise.

📍 Google Map: Every Place Mentioned
Want to bookmark it all in one place? Here's a saved map with every hotel, croissant, sandwich, and sunset spot.

Thanks for coming along on this chapter. Next up: The Great Believers (a staycation in Chicago).

Until then, happy reading & wandering. ✨

Kelly O'connell
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Chapter 1