François “Pierre” Picaud (French: [piko]) was a 19th-century shoemaker in Nîmes, France who may have been the basis for the character of Edmond Dantès in Alexandre Dumas, père’s 1844 novel The Count of Monte Cristo.

  • Timecircleline@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    15
    ·
    21 hours ago

    This book was such an interesting combination between a chore and a joy to read. I remember audibly gasping at some of the twists, but the antiquity of the language made it a slow go, at least for me.

    Crazy to think it might be based on a true story.

    • Akasazh@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      2 hours ago

      Dumas’ work was printed in papers in episodes. He was paid by the word. That makes his prises bit long-winded and verbose.

    • BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      13 hours ago

      The first “classic” writer that I enjoyed was Jukes Verne because his translations were very easy to read.

    • FlashMobOfOne@lemmy.worldOP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      20 hours ago

      Understandable. I had that same issue with Frankenstein: great story, real work to get through.

      • I Cast Fist@programming.dev
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        15 hours ago

        My dad showed me the opening paragraph of Don Quixote, from a (Brazilian) 1950s edition he got, which is apparently one of the better translations. It felt like I was trying to decipher some arcane scroll