The Count of Monte Cristo - Abridged Author:Alexandre Dumas (Pere) Falsely accused during the final days of Napoleon's reign, Edmond Dantès is imprisoned in the bleak Chateau d'If. After a hair-raising escape, he launches an elaborate plot to extract a bitter revenge against those who betrayed him. Amazingly based on actual events, Dumas' labyrinthine tale is popular fiction of the highest mark.