I began to think of ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’

For some reason – and I must have heard a mention on the radio, or seen something in the newspaper, I began to think of ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’, the famous book by Alexander Dumas. I’m not sure when I first read it, I was a precocious reader and borrowed all sorts of books from the library, and I read The Three Musketeers when I was really quite young – shocked and horrified at the betrayals, and then the death of Milady. I read The Count of Monte Cristo after that, and maybe it was after I’d watched the BBC TV adaptation, with the great and charismatic actor,  Alan Badel as the unfortunate Edmond Dantes. I’m shocked to discover that Alan died at the age of fifty-eight, so sad at a relatively young age.

Maybe because recently there have been many miscarriages of justice brought to attention, with innocent people spending varying terms in prison for crimes they were completely innocent of committing. There have been many versions of the story but I have only seen the TV version. It was made in twelve episodes – and of course, in those days, if you missed one, there was no repeat or catch-up. I was surprised that the episode length was only twenty-five minutes – I’d remembered it as longer, an hour at least I thought, but no! I see it is available on YouTube – should I watch it? Maybe I should or maybe I should just re-read the book as the core of the story is as relevant today as it was when Dumas wrote it in 1846.

• Alan Badel – Edmond Dantes 
• Natasha Parry – Mercédès
• Philip Madoc – Fernand Mondego
• Morris Perry – Danglars
• Michael Gough – Villefort
• Michael Robbins – Caderousse
• Anthony Newlands M. Morel
• John Wentworth – Abbe Faria
• David Calderisi – Jacopo
• Cyril Shaps – Bertuccio
• Rosalie Crutchley – Mme. Danglars
• Patricia English Mme. Villefort
• Sandor Eles  – Albert Morcerf
• Isobel Black – Eugenie Danglars
• Anna Palk Valentine – Villefort
• Edward de Souza – Maximilian Morel
• Austin Trevor – Cavalcanti
• Richard Kay  – Benedetto
• Valerie Sarruf  – Haydee

I have no photos of French prisons, but my feature image is of The Macquarie Harbour Penal Station, a former British colonial penal settlement, established on Sarah Island.