About the Author
Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870) is best known for his adventure novels such as The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte-Cristo. It's hard to overstate the cultural significance of his works, they influence the culture to this day and are well known around the entire world.
His father was Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, a French general who was born to a French nobleman and an enslaved African woman. Notably, he chose to be known as Dumas, not taking his father's name de la Pailleterie. Dumas is said to mean "of the farm", referring to the fact that his mother was a slave.
Alexandre was only four years old when his father died of stomach cancer. Thomas-Alexandre retired from the army after spending two years in captivity as a war prisoner. His family was forced to live in poverty as they didn't get a pension upon his death.
I'd like to include this striking snippet from Wikipedia, to add to the portrait of the general.
Alexander Dumas was one of the most productive writers of all time, he was also known to have numerous coauthors, most of whom weren't credited. His writing is, nevertheless, very easy to recognise, it's always sharp and witty.
His novels based on historic events are full of numerous distinct and complex characters, all with clear motivations and paths in their stories. I'd really recommend checking out his novels, they cover the history of France, giving vivid images of old rulers and their courts. They aren't always 100% historically accurate, but it can be excused, as they still do transport the reader both in time and space.
As an established writer, Dumas travelled a lot, he even was forced to flee France for a few years due to political reasons. He wrote about his travels and was able to enjoy the fruits of his work.
At one point, he built himself Castle Monte-Cristo, a dream home that was lavish and extravagant. However, he had to sell the mansion after a while, being unable to keep up with the spendings.
He enjoyed life to the fullest, known to have multiple mistresses and being interested in all sort of things, including such obvious things as history, along with the less obvious cooking that he wrote a book on later in his life.
His son, Alexandre Dumas, son, was also an acclaimed writer. In 2002, Alexandre Dumas's remains were placed in the Pantheon, the resting place of France's greats.
A true celebrity of his time, he's still as relevant as ever. His books take us on fascinating journeys and allow us to dream.
The Count of Monte-Cristo was one of the most significant books written in the 19th century, it's present in most lists of the most important fictional books. It was also a very personal book for its author. It reflected his own pain and projected his hope for a just world.
Monte-Cristo Daily starts today, February, 24!
The project is run by @theniftycat
