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highly recommended |
waiting for the Count of Montecristo 
This short novel By Alexander Dumas is nice and quite interesting in spite of the fact that the plot is not particualrly elaborated.
The plot goes more or less as follows. Dumas is a famous writer undertaking a journey in Corsica, meets one the two Corsican brothers, goes back to Paris, meets and befriends the other brother who enjoying the life Parisian high society. This second brother falls in love, has to fight in a duel and dies. The other brother who had sworn never to leave his mother and his (father)land goes to Paris and avenges the death of his beloved brother.
What is interesting is that Dumas demonstrates a phenomenal understanding of the customs and the institutions of the Corsican society. His treatment of the 'revenge' as a social institution is simply masterful.
Even more interesting is the fact that both the setting (a Mediterranean Island, Paris) and the themes (the journey, the revenge) of the Corsican Brothers are the same that Dumas adopts in the Count of Montecristo.
The reader has the impression that the Corsican Brothers is a study that Dumas made to prepare himself to write The Count of Montecristo. I think they should be read in exactly this order.
The Corsican Brothers
THis is a book that is from my past. I have a collection of Alexandre Dumas books from my Dad. This is a little known book of his. We all read THE THREE MUSKETEERS, COUNTE OF MONTE CRISTO. This is a fun story about twin brothers, separated at birth and brought up in very different circumstances in revolutionary times in France and Italy. This copy is new and was received in timely fashion. it is hard to come by. Thanks again Amazon.
A Pleasant Surprise! 
As The Corsican Brothers is one of Dumas' less popular works (I'm not sure if I should call it a novella or a short story), I expected it to be fairly dry: either very historical or very travel-oriented. It IS travel-oriented, and one CAN see the travel writer incarnation of Dumas, but it is far from boring and does not lack for interesting characters. The brothers may not have the relentless adventures of D'Artagnan, but they leap off the page and make themselves unforgettable nonetheless. There are some beautifully humorous moments as well (Dumas walks into one brother's library and checks to see if the man has any Dumas books!). If I had to compare this work to a more famous Dumas work, though, I would compare it to "A Masked Ball." Short, quick to read, using Dumas himself as narrator, and brilliant. I very much reccomend this one.
Still pleasing after all this years
I read this book when I was very young, a child. The story is still interesting and entertaining.
Would love to see the story transformed into a movie.
Good story.
Fast paced and weird
Separated conjoined twins are mutually empathic and engage in full on obsessive vendettas.
reviews: page 1, 2
Historical novel set on the island of Corsica. The translator notes in the Preface: " The story of "The Corsican Brothers" is written in an easy, sketchy style, presenting on the one side an interesting picture of the habits, prejudices and superstitions of the Corsicans, and particularly of the "Vendetta," or war of vengeance, carried on between families and connections, sometimes for several generations; while, on the other, it gives a lively outline of the effects of Parisian life upon a sensitive and unsophisticated nature."
Books Behind the Classics Illustrated ® Comics for the Kindle, part 2
corsican brothers, brothers, corsican
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