But read the unabridged Count of Monte Cristo

There's a new biography out now, The Black Count which indicates that Dumas was writing about his father in some ways when he wrote Monte Cristo, and also The Man in the Iron Mask.

Pretty fascinating stuff - the only black general in the French army, a legendary warrior who was waylaid and disappeared to a castle cell where he was poisoned.

If there is bread, they're not as poor as I was thinking.

I don't know. At the time, bread cost half a day's wages and pretty much caused the French Revolution.

There's a new biography out now, The Black Count which indicates that Dumas was writing about his father in some ways when he wrote Monte Cristo, and also The Man in the Iron Mask.

I highly recommend this book. I had to return it before finishing, but look forward to getting it back shortly.

If there is bread, they're not as poor as I was thinking.

I don't know. At the time, bread cost half a day's wages and pretty much caused the French Revolution.

a) How much did cake cost?
b) Then it seems even less likely they'd have it, no?

a) Marie Antoinette's head
b) That's why he had to steal it!

I want to say there are three English versions of the Les Miz novel. Full, abridged and super-abridged. We read the middle one in high school English. I remember it being long, but not unreadable. Of course, I had already fallen in love with the sound track at that point, which probably helped.

I remember having a homework assignment where we had to create a Venn Diagram and map the different characters based on the categories we created.

I can't remember what I chose for mine, but I remember one of my friends basing his on the D&D alignment system and us having an argument about Javert. My friend insisted he was Lawful Evil, while I maintained (and still do) he was Lawful Neutral.

As a theatre person, I still feel a little embarrassed about that, as in certain circles liking stuff like Les Mis brands you a not a "real" theatre person. In fact, liking musicals at all is a little suspect.

BAH! It was becoming a real theatre person that made me love musicals again. I've seen too many really great ones to not be able to appreciate the medium. I'm very excited to see Les Miz, myself.

Aren't musicals pretty much like opera, but in English and with more talking?

Aren't musicals pretty much like opera, but in English and with more talking?

Some operas are in English. And -- although I might not be remembering correctly -- Les Miz is totally sung-through. (I don't know about the movie of it, but I think the stage production is.)

As a theatre person, I still feel a little embarrassed about that, as in certain circles liking stuff like Les Mis brands you a not a "real" theatre person. In fact, liking musicals at all is a little suspect.

I hadn't really realized this split in the theatrical world until it was satirized in Slings and Arrows.

t haughty sniff

Some operas are in English.

t /sniff