Inspiration Ramblings: I :Alexandre Dumas

      I haven't thought deep in a while...deep thought...deep thunk?...(sigh) anyways, I was reading through some old notebook's of mine and found a report I wrote for a critical writing course I took in college, I wrote it about J.R.R.Tolkien (which was my topic of choice in those days). The topic was The inspirations of Tolkien, which was really a synopsis of his life, (at least the parts that ended up in his book's.) At the time If you asked me who my inspirations where, I would have said him of who I speak, buuut there are so many writers that have taught me so much that they must be mentioned.
      This will not be a list, NO LIST's!, just more of a rambling; I'm the kid in the forest who is supposed to be picking up sticks for the fire but instead  am poking at deer berries, and kicking mushrooms, and collecting sap, and chasing a squirrel then...you get the picture.
      I will ramble over to Alexandre Dumas and his great book The Count of Monte Cristo. This is the first novel I ever read that didn't have pictures (I.E. Comic books and graphic novels) I remember I was 17 driving around with my older brother and his friend one day and they were talking about it. by the time they had told me the whole story I wanted to read it for my self, and has become one of my favorite stories; this book launched me into a joy for reading which also encouraged a love of writing.
      Here is the jist, Edmond Dantes Is a successful merchant sailor who is awarded a championship early. due to jealousy and such he is falsely accused of being a bonapartist and is committed to life imprisonment without a trial, while in jail he meets an old man who accidentally tunnels into his cell while trying to escape. The old man tells him about the island of Monte Cristo and a treasure that is hidden there. Edmond soon escapes, procures the treasure and returns home to exact revenge on those who ruined his life and his familys.
      It's such a great story!
      What I like is that it is less about revenge then you think, because he also is incredibly benevolent to those who were kind to him before he went to prison. I have often thought how fun it was be to go around helping people who were nice to me without them knowing it is me RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEIR FACES...it would be awesome. My favorite parts are his conversations with the old man.
      It is truly an inspirational story, in fact two show on t.v. have been written based on it.

 Revenge which is a little whinny for my tastes
and Arrow which is awesome...(but the island parts remind me of Lost, which I don't know if thats good or bad)







Besides, Count of Monte Cristo was the first movie that my wife and I ever went to so the story has impacted my life as a gateway of some of the most important times of my life.

Thanks Alex. Dumas