CMC update

So, since I posted the other day about reading the Count of Monte Cristo, I know everyone is dying to hear what's happening in the story. Here's a recap of what's gone on so far.

The hero of the story, Dantes, has landed in France. He's about to be married and be made captain of his ship when he is falsely accused of plotting against the king. He is put into the custody of a man who realizes that the letter that led to Dantes' arrest involves his own father, a supporter of Napoleon. He decides to save his own career and Dantes, of course, finds himself imprisoned. In fact, he's abandoned in the Chateau D'If for several years. Just when he is about to expire after not eating his food for many days, he hears a scratching noise. He decides that if the noise is an animal, it will stop scratching for a minute after he taps the wall near it, but then will start up again. If it's a man, the scratching will stop until nighttime.

The scratching stops until the next day. While he is waiting, Dantes realizes that he can dig out the mortar around the stones behind his bed. His tunneling leads him to the tunnel already dug by one of his neighboring prisoners. Faria is an Italian priest who's been in prison for over ten years. He begins to teach Dantes all of the subjects that he knows and helps him figure out who wrote the letter and why he was imprisoned. Faria masterminds an escape plan, but right before they try it, Faria has an attack and almost dies. Since he knows he's on his last legs, he gives Dantes his secret: the description of where a treasure is hidden. Dantes promises to stay with him until he dies and then he will escape and find the treasure. When Faria dies, Dantes hides his corpse in his room and puts himself into Faria's shroud, thinking he will dig himself out from the grave after he's buried. What he doesn't realize is that prisoners of D'If are not buried. When last we see our hero, the prison guards have hurled him off a cliff into the sea with a cannonball tied to his legs.

Stay turned for more gripping tales, or read the book your own damned self.