Show your feedback: https://open.firstory.me/user/cln9oxg7r007d01xyhd0fadj5/comments
CostasNarrativeXP end of the year feature 
Alexandre Dumas "The Count of Monte Cristo"
Plot outline by Auguste Maquet

A sweeping tale of betrayal, vengeance, and redemption, following Edmond Dantès as he transforms from wronged sailor to cunning, resourceful Monte Cristo.

Volume IV Chapter 77
00:30 77 Monte Cristo introduces Albert to Haydée, Ali Pasha’s daughter, who recounts her father’s betrayal and enslavement. Albert listens, unaware that his own father was the traitor responsible for her family’s downfall.

Main Characters of Volume IV
Edmond Dantès / Count of Monte Cristo – Brilliant, resourceful, and vengeful; uses intelligence and disguise to manipulate events and punish wrongdoers.
Baron Danglars – Ambitious, greedy, and scheming banker; morally corrupt and self-serving.
Gérard de Villefort – Calculating, ambitious prosecutor; obsessed with reputation and hiding family secrets.
Madame de Villefort – Cold, manipulative, and ruthless; prioritizes wealth and status over morality.
Valentine de Villefort – Gentle, kind, and virtuous; represents innocence and moral integrity.
Noirtier de Villefort – Wise, strong-willed patriarch; paralyzed but mentally sharp and influential.
Haydée – Loyal, intelligent, and devoted; embodies gratitude and love toward Monte Cristo.
Maximilien Morrel – Courageous, honorable, and passionate; driven by loyalty and love.

Costa's Wordbook
Saint Bartholomew's Day massacre - a targeted group of assassinations and a wave of Catholic mob violence directed against the Huguenots (French Calvinist Protestants) during the French Wars of Religion. Traditionally believed to have been instigated by Queen Catherine de' Medici
To pay one's addresses - arch. Of a man, to court, woo, or formally pursue someone for marriage
Cajolery n coaxing or flattery intended to persuade someone to do something (ca Jole ry)
Isis - The goddess Isis (from Egyptian mythology) was associated with mystery cults in ancient times, secret religious rites only known to initiates
Latakia n a highly aromatic Turkish smoking tobacco (la te Kia)
Enjoin v instruct or urge (someone) to do something (inJoin)
Interdict v prohibit or forbid
Εἰπέ - grk, speak
Palikari (Palikares pl) - grk, n a young, brave man, or historically, a Greek soldier in the War of Independence against the Ottomans
Seraskier n hist. the commander-in-chief and minister of war of the Ottoman Empire (seres Skier)
Kataphygion - grk, refuge or shelter
Priming n gunpowder placed in the pan of a firearm to ignite a charge; a substance that prepares something for use or action (Prime ming)
Firman n an edict issued by an Ottoman or Middle Eastern ruler; a grant or permit (Fur men)
Chasten v (of a rebuke or misfortune) have a restraining or moderating effect on (Chasen)

Complete Features
Songs of Dead Dreamer, Last Unicorn, Brothers Karamazov, Fellowship of the Ring, Winnie the Pooh, Jane Eyre, Angels & Demons, Perfume, Great Gatsby, Jekyll & Hyde, Maigret, 1984, Metamorphosis, Dracula, Don Quixote, Dorian Gray, Anne Frank, Lord of the Flies, Liar's Poker, Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Great Expectations

Milestone
2021: 0 Full soundtrack, no editing, wife commentary, summary outline, irregular release
2022: 2.0 DaVinci editing, wordbook, book intro, AI host + illustration, chapter summary, scheduled release
2023: 2.1 Descript, CapCut, Suno score, character intro, weekly release
2024: 2.2 Standard condenser mic, Audacity, ChatGPT annotation + illustration, timestamp, 1-hour content

Patreon: costasaudiobook
Podcast: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Reddit, Amazon Music, Firstory, Pocket Casts, KKBOX, Noice, Podcast Addict, SoundOn

Show your feedback: https://open.firstory.me/user/cln9oxg7r007d01xyhd0fadj5/comments
CostasNarrativeXP end of the year feature 
Alexandre Dumas "The Count of Monte Cristo"
Plot outline by Auguste Maquet

A sweeping tale of betrayal, vengeance, and redemption, following Edmond Dantès as he transforms from wronged sailor to cunning, resourceful Monte Cristo.

Volume IV Chapter 74,75,76
00:30 74 Two days after the Saint-Mérans’ funeral, Villefort insists Franz and Valentine sign the marriage contract; preparations proceed, but Barrois announces Noirtier wishes to see Franz immediately, prompting them to follow him.
21:42 75 Noirtier directs Franz to a document detailing his father's death. The General was killed in a fair duel by a Bonapartist president after refusing their plot. Franz asks the killer's name. Noirtier confesses himself.
45:58 76 Monte Cristo visits the Danglars, learns of financial losses and broken engagements. Andrea courts Eugénie; Albert appears indifferent. Danglars favors Andrea, hinting at Fernand’s scandalous past in Greece.

Main Characters of Volume IV
Edmond Dantès / Count of Monte Cristo – Brilliant, resourceful, and vengeful; uses intelligence and disguise to manipulate events and punish wrongdoers.
Baron Danglars – Ambitious, greedy, and scheming banker; morally corrupt and self-serving.
Gérard de Villefort – Calculating, ambitious prosecutor; obsessed with reputation and hiding family secrets.
Madame de Villefort – Cold, manipulative, and ruthless; prioritizes wealth and status over morality.
Valentine de Villefort – Gentle, kind, and virtuous; represents innocence and moral integrity.
Noirtier de Villefort – Wise, strong-willed patriarch; paralyzed but mentally sharp and influential.
Haydée – Loyal, intelligent, and devoted; embodies gratitude and love toward Monte Cristo.
Maximilien Morrel – Courageous, honorable, and passionate; driven by loyalty and love.

Costa's Wordbook
Dignitary n a person considered to be important because of high rank or office (Dig nit tary)
Devotee n a person who is very interested in and enthusiastic about someone or something (Dev ve tee)
Tenacem propositi virum - latin, a man steadfast in purpose
Marengo - Battle of Marengo, Napoleon’s French forces defeated the Austrians in northern Italy, solidifying his power as First Consul.
Austerlitz - Battle of Austerlitz, Napoleon’s decisive victory over Russian and Austrian armies, considered his greatest tactical triumph.
Eo rus - latin, I go to the country; In context, the quote on Voltaire to convey a desire for a simple, peaceful death in the countryside, away from pomp and grandeur. 
Trestle n a framework consisting of a horizontal beam supported by two pairs of sloping legs, used in pairs to support a flat surface such as a table top (Tressel)

hoar frost n a greyish-white crystalline deposit of frozen water vapour formed in clear still weather on vegetation, fences, etc
Deliberation n long and careful consideration or discussion

Sappho - an ancient Greek lyric poet from the island of Lesbos, flourishing in the 6th century BCE and renowned for her passionate and personal poetry
Thalberg - Sigismond Thalberg, an Austrian composer and one of the most distinguished virtuoso pianists of the 19th century
Cavatina n a short operatic aria in simple style without repeated sections (ita, Ca va tina)

Complete Features
Songs of Dead Dreamer, Last Unicorn, Brothers Karamazov, Fellowship of the Ring, Winnie the Pooh, Jane Eyre, Angels & Demons, Perfume, Great Gatsby, Jekyll & Hyde, Maigret, 1984, Metamorphosis, Dracula, Don Quixote, Dorian Gray, Anne Frank, Lord of the Flies, Liar's Poker, Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Great Expectations

Milestone
2021: 0 Full soundtrack, no editing, wife commentary, summary outline, irregular release
2022: 2.0 DaVinci editing, wordbook, book intro, AI host + illustration, chapter summary, scheduled release
2023: 2.1 Descript, CapCut, Suno score, character intro, weekly release
2024: 2.2 Standard condenser mic, Audacity, ChatGPT annotation + illustration, timestamp, 1-hour content

Patreon: costasaudiobook
Podcast: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Reddit, Amazon Music, Firstory, Pocket Casts, KKBOX, Noice, Podcast Addict, SoundOn

Show your feedback: https://open.firstory.me/user/cln9oxg7r007d01xyhd0fadj5/comments
CAB - Costa's Audio Book end of the year feature 
Alexandre Dumas "The Count of Monte Cristo"
Plot outline by Auguste Maquet

Early 19th-century Europe, France.
Dantès the protagonist, a young sailor, is cruelly betrayed and wrongfully imprisoned.
Finally breaking free, he uses a hard-earned treasure to accelerate his plans for vengeance.
Re-entering Paris, he dazzles society with wealth and charm.
Weaving subtle schemes, he tests the morals of those around him.
New allies and rivals emerge, shaping the path of his journey.

Volume III Chapter 48-73
00:30 48 Villefort thanks Monte Cristo for saving his family; they debate civilized versus natural justice. Villefort then discloses that his father, Noirtier, a once-powerful Jacobin and senator, now lives paralyzed after a devastating stroke.
49 Monte Cristo visits Haydée in her lavish rooms, offers her freedom, but she vows loyalty; he reminds her of youth, urging independence, and only asks she conceal her true parentage in Paris.
50 Monte Cristo visits Maximilian, Julie, and Emmanuel, admiring their blissful home. They recall their benefactor through relics; Monte Cristo suggests Lord Wilmore, while Maximilian’s father insists it was Edmond Dantès’s spirit.
1:02:03 51 Maximilian meets Valentine, who feels unloved and trapped in an arranged marriage. They vow not to give up hope, but Monte Cristo’s arrival forces Valentine to leave.
52 Monte Cristo reminds Madame de Villefort of their past meeting in Italy, discusses poisons and antidotes, and offers her a deadly potion disguised as medicine, subtly fueling her dangerous curiosity.
2:11:42 53 Monte Cristo and Haydée attend the opera, drawing great attention. From her seat, Haydée recognizes Fernand as the man who betrayed her father, Ali Pacha, and sold her into slavery.
54 Albert and Debray visit the Count. They discuss Albert’s unwanted engagement to Eugénie. Debray reveals Madame Danglars gambles with stock money. Albert jokes about false news. Count suspects Debray leaks secrets.
3:14:21 55 Major Cavalcanti visits Monte Cristo, guided by Abbe Busoni’s instructions, to reunite with his long-lost son. He reveals his late wife Olivia and a retroactive marriage making their son Andrea legitimate and heir.
56 Monte Cristo instructs the younger man to pose as Andrea Cavalcanti, the Major’s long-lost son. He provides both men with forged papers, fine clothes, and invites them to his Saturday dinner.
57 Valentine and Maximilien meet secretly, lamenting her forced marriage and family greed. Eugénie wishes for artistic freedom. Valentine distrusts Monte Cristo despite Maximilien’s faith, urging secrecy in their forbidden love.
4:30:14 58 Villefort informs paralyzed Noirtier of Valentine’s arranged marriage to Franz d’Epinay, son of his old enemy. Enraged, Noirtier signals for a notary, hinting at a plan to help Valentine escape the union.
59 Noirtier dictates a will through blinks, leaving his fortune to Valentine only if she refuses to marry Franz d’Epinay. Should she wed him, her inheritance goes to charity. Villefort furiously insists otherwise.
60 The Count visits the Villeforts, gives his country house address, discusses Valentine’s marriage, notes family and political tensions, Madame de Villefort’s anger, coming inheritance, and departs to inspect a telegraph station.
5:32:59 61 Monte Cristo visits a telegraph office, bribing the gardener-operator to send a false message to the ministry, causing Debray to mislead Madame Danglars. Her husband sells Spanish bonds at a loss.
62 Count's Auteuil house, transformed under Bertuccio’s design, receives nine guests. Danglars, sour from financial loss, probes the wealthy Cavalcantis. Bertuccio recognizes Mme Danglars, Villefort, and Andrea as Benedetto.
63 At dinner, Monte Cristo describes a murder in his house’s old bedroom, terrifying Villefort and Madame Danglars. He shows them the garden, revealing a buried infant’s remains, forcing the guilty pair into panic and secrecy.
6:31:07 64 Caderousse, escaped from prison, stops Andrea's departing carriage. He threatens to reveal Andrea’s true identity as Benedetto unless paid 200 francs monthly. Reluctantly, Andrea agrees, securing the beggar’s silence.
65 Danglars confronts Madame Danglars about losing 700,000 francs from false bond tips, linking her and Debray’s roles, demands repayment, and reveals he knows her first husband’s suicide secret, shocking her.
66 Danglars reports Manfredi’s bankruptcy to the Count, discusses Cavalcanti’s wealth, hints at Andrea marrying Eugénie, expresses reservations about Albert de Morcerf, and alludes to Morcerf’s Greek past and Janina inquiry.
7:32:39 67 Villefort confides to Madame Danglars that Monte Cristo’s discovery terrifies him; he buried their newborn thinking it dead, was stabbed, and later found the box gone. He suspects Monte Cristo’s deliberate revenge plot.
68 Albert returns from the seaside and invites Monte Cristo to his parents’ ball. He says his mother is eager to see him and admits dreading marriage to Eugénie, relieved by Monte Cristo’s hint otherwise.
69 Villefort investigates Monte Cristo, meeting Abbé Busoni and Lord Wilmore (both his disguises). Each gives a cover story about his origin and Auteuil house, leaving Villefort reassured the count poses no immediate threat.
8:33:37 70 At the Morcerfs’ Saturday ball, Monte Cristo is the focus; Madame de Morcerf notes he refuses food, opens the garden doors, and invites him to accompany her there.
71 In the greenhouse, Madame de Morcerf offers the Count fruit; he declines. They discuss friendship and lost love before Albert interrupts, announcing Villefort has come for Valentine’s grandfather, Saint-Méran, died en route.
72 Villefort stays home; the marchioness falls ill and fears death, insisting Valentine marry Franz. She finalizes her will, claims a ghost visited, and Valentine informs the doctor before walking in the garden.
9:30:09 73 Maximilien plans to elope with Valentine after her grandmother’s death, but finds her weeping. Meeting Noirtier, he explains their plan; the grandfather insists Maximilien wait, promising a better strategy.

Main Characters of Volume III
Edmond Dantès / Count of Monte Cristo – Orchestrates the central schemes of justice and revenge, observing and manipulating events in Paris.
Baron Danglars – His proud obsession with wealth leads to his downfall as his greed is being manipulated, exposing his moral emptiness.
Madame Danglars – Humiliated as her secret affair with Villefort resurfaces, tarnishing her social ambitions.
Gérard de Villefort – Ambitious royal prosecutor whose household intrigues and past actions against Dantès drive the main conflict in this volume.
Valentine de Villefort – Villefort’s virtuous daughter, central to the household subplot and the target of scheming characters.
Heloïse de Villefort – Villefort’s ruthless second wife, scheming to advance her own family’s interests and create tension in the household.
Maximilien Morrel – Loyal suitor to Valentine, representing virtue and directly involved in protecting her and supporting the emotional core of the subplot.
Albert de Morcerf – Present in Paris, socially prominent, manipulated by Monte Cristo, and part of key social observations and schemes.
Bertuccio – Monte Cristo’s agent, whose knowledge of Villefort’s hidden crimes and investigative work enables parts of the revenge plot.

Costa's Wordbook
Protestation n an emphatic declaration in response to doubt or accusation; an objection or protest (Prot test taytion)
Irremediable adj impossible to cure or put right (ir re Me dia ble)
Billet n a short note or letter (fr meaning)
Tetanus n a serious disease caused by bacteria entering the human body through small cuts, causing the muscles, especially around the mouth, to become tight and stop working 破傷風 (Tet tin nis)
Excitation n the action of exciting or the state of being excited, excitement (exit Tay tion)
errare humanum est - latin, To err is human
Strychnine n a bitter and highly poisonous compound obtained from nux vomica and related plants. An alkaloid, it has occasionally been used as a stimulant. (strick neen)
Correggio - Antonio Allegri da Correggio, was an Italian Renaissance painter who was the foremost painter of the Parma school of the High Renaissance, who was responsible for some of the most vigorous and sensuous works of the sixteenth century.
Cabriolet n a light two-wheeled carriage with a hood, drawn by one horse; a car with a roof that folds down (Cab brio lay)
Hark v arch. Listen
Interrogative adj having the force of a question (inter Rog get tive)
Jupiter - In ancient Roman religion and mythology, also known as Jove, is the god of the sky and thunder, and king of the gods.
Docility adj willingness to accept control or instruction, submissiveness (doe Cil lity)

Complete Features
Songs of Dead Dreamer, Last Unicorn, Brothers Karamazov, Fellowship of the Ring, Winnie the Pooh, Jane Eyre, Angels & Demons, Perfume, Great Gatsby, Jekyll & Hyde, Maigret, 1984, Metamorphosis, Dracula, Don Quixote, Dorian Gray, Anne Frank, Lord of the Flies, Liar's Poker, Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Great Expectations

CAB Milestone
2021: 0 Full soundtrack, no editing, wife commentary, summary outline, irregular release
2022: 2.0 DaVinci editing, wordbook, book intro, AI host + illustration, chapter summary, scheduled release
2023: 2.1 Descript, CapCut, Suno score, character intro, weekly release
2024: 2.2 Standard condenser mic, Audacity, ChatGPT annotation + illustration, timestamp, 1-hour content

Patreon: costasaudiobook
Podcast: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Firstory, Pocket Casts, KKBOX, Noice, Podcast Addict, SoundOn

Show your feedback: https://open.firstory.me/user/cln9oxg7r007d01xyhd0fadj5/comments
CAB - Costa's Audio Book end of the year feature 
Alexandre Dumas "The Count of Monte Cristo"
Plot outline by Auguste Maquet

Early 19th-century Europe, France.
Dantès the protagonist, a young sailor, is cruelly betrayed and wrongfully imprisoned.
Finally breaking free, he uses a hard-earned treasure to accelerate his plans for vengeance.
Re-entering Paris, he dazzles society with wealth and charm.
Weaving subtle schemes, he tests the morals of those around him.
New allies and rivals emerge, shaping the path of his journey.

Volume III Chapter 70,71,72
00:30 70 At the Morcerfs’ Saturday ball, Monte Cristo is the focus; Madame de Morcerf notes he refuses food, opens the garden doors, and invites him to accompany her there.
20:24 71 In the greenhouse, Madame de Morcerf offers the Count fruit; he declines. They discuss friendship and lost love before Albert interrupts, announcing Villefort has come for Valentine’s grandfather, Saint-Méran, died en route.
29:41 72 Villefort stays home; the marchioness falls ill and fears death, insisting Valentine marry Franz. She finalizes her will, claims a ghost visited, and Valentine informs the doctor before walking in the garden.

Main Characters of Volume III
Edmond Dantès / Count of Monte Cristo – Orchestrates the central schemes of justice and revenge, observing and manipulating events in Paris.
Baron Danglars – His proud obsession with wealth leads to his downfall as his greed is being manipulated, exposing his moral emptiness.
Madame Danglars – Humiliated as her secret affair with Villefort resurfaces, tarnishing her social ambitions.
Gérard de Villefort – Ambitious royal prosecutor whose household intrigues and past actions against Dantès drive the main conflict in this volume.
Valentine de Villefort – Villefort’s virtuous daughter, central to the household subplot and the target of scheming characters.
Heloïse de Villefort – Villefort’s ruthless second wife, scheming to advance her own family’s interests and create tension in the household.
Maximilien Morrel – Loyal suitor to Valentine, representing virtue and directly involved in protecting her and supporting the emotional core of the subplot.
Albert de Morcerf – Present in Paris, socially prominent, manipulated by Monte Cristo, and part of key social observations and schemes.
Bertuccio – Monte Cristo’s agent, whose knowledge of Villefort’s hidden crimes and investigative work enables parts of the revenge plot.

Costa's Wordbook
Camellia n an evergreen East Asian shrub related to the tea plant, grown for its showy flowers and shiny leaves 茶花
Myosotis n a plant of a genus which includes the forget-me-nots 毋忘我 (my Ow so tis)
Elssler - Fanny Elssler, an Austrian ballerina of the Romantic Period
Le Diable boiteux - a novel by the French writer Alain-René Lesage. It is set in Madrid, and tells the story of the demon king Asmodeus, Don Cleophas Leandro Perez Zambullo and his beloved, Donna Thomasa
Cachucha n a lively Spanish solo dance in triple time, performed with castanet accompaniment (ca Chu cha)
Danseuse n a female ballet dancer (Dawn sirs, fr)
Whalebone n an elastic horny substance which grows in a series of thin parallel plates in the upper jaw of some whales and is used by them to strain plankton from the seawater 鯨鬚
Le Siècle - fr, The Age, a daily newspaper that was published from 1836 to 1932 in France
Franck & Poulmann - 19th-century German bankers in Frankfurt. In the early 1830s, they went bankrupt, causing ripples in European financial circles at the time.
Partant pour la Syrie - the de facto national anthem of the Second French Empire, used between 1852 and 1870. The music was composed by Hortense de Beauharnais, and the lyrics were written by Alexandre de Laborde, in or around 1807.

Muscatel n a muscat grape, especially as grown for drying to make raisins 麝香葡萄 (Mus ca tel)

Laboriously adv n a way that takes considerable time and effort (la Bor riously)
Phosphoric adj relating to or containing phosphorus, yellowish (phos Phoric)
Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin - aramaic, Numbered, numbered, weighed, divided; a prophetic judgment, God “counted” the days of the kingdom, “weighed” it and found it wanting, and “divided” it among others
Orangeade n a carbonated drink flavoured with orange (Orange jade)
Consumptive adj n a person with a wasting disease, especially pulmonary tuberculosis

Complete Features
Songs of Dead Dreamer, Last Unicorn, Brothers Karamazov, Fellowship of the Ring, Winnie the Pooh, Jane Eyre, Angels & Demons, Perfume, Great Gatsby, Jekyll & Hyde, Maigret, 1984, Metamorphosis, Dracula, Don Quixote, Dorian Gray, Anne Frank, Lord of the Flies, Liar's Poker, Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Great Expectations

CAB Milestone
2021: 0 Full soundtrack, no editing, wife commentary, summary outline, irregular release
2022: 2.0 DaVinci editing, wordbook, book intro, AI host + illustration, chapter summary, scheduled release
2023: 2.1 Descript, CapCut, Suno score, character intro, weekly release
2024: 2.2 Standard condenser mic, Audacity, ChatGPT annotation + illustration, timestamp, 1-hour content

Patreon: costasaudiobook
Podcast: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Firstory, Pocket Casts, KKBOX, Noice, Podcast Addict, SoundOn

Show your feedback: https://open.firstory.me/user/cln9oxg7r007d01xyhd0fadj5/comments
CAB - Costa's Audio Book end of the year feature 
Alexandre Dumas "The Count of Monte Cristo"
Plot outline by Auguste Maquet

Early 19th-century Europe, France.
Dantès the protagonist, a young sailor, is cruelly betrayed and wrongfully imprisoned.
Finally breaking free, he uses a hard-earned treasure to accelerate his plans for vengeance.
Re-entering Paris, he dazzles society with wealth and charm.
Weaving subtle schemes, he tests the morals of those around him.
New allies and rivals emerge, shaping the path of his journey.

Volume III Chapter 67,68,69
00:30 67 Villefort confides to Madame Danglars that Monte Cristo’s discovery terrifies him; he buried their newborn thinking it dead, was stabbed, and later found the box gone. He suspects Monte Cristo’s deliberate revenge plot.
27:01 68 Albert returns from the seaside and invites Monte Cristo to his parents’ ball. He says his mother is eager to see him and admits dreading marriage to Eugénie, relieved by Monte Cristo’s hint otherwise.
41:35 69 Villefort investigates Monte Cristo, meeting Abbé Busoni and Lord Wilmore (both his disguises). Each gives a cover story about his origin and Auteuil house, leaving Villefort reassured the count poses no immediate threat.

Main Characters
Edmond Dantès / Count of Monte Cristo – Orchestrates the central schemes of justice and revenge, observing and manipulating events in Paris.
Gérard de Villefort – Ambitious royal prosecutor whose household intrigues and past actions against Dantès drive the main conflict in this volume.
Valentine de Villefort – Villefort’s virtuous daughter, central to the household subplot and the target of scheming characters.
Heloïse de Villefort – Villefort’s ruthless second wife, scheming to advance her own family’s interests and create tension in the household.
Noirtier de Villefort – Paralyzed father whose intellect and eye-based communication continue to influence decisions within the Villefort household.
Maximilien Morrel – Loyal suitor to Valentine, representing virtue and directly involved in protecting her and supporting the emotional core of the subplot.
Albert de Morcerf – Present in Paris, socially prominent, manipulated by Monte Cristo, and part of key social observations and schemes.
Bertuccio – Monte Cristo’s agent, whose knowledge of Villefort’s hidden crimes and investigative work enables parts of the revenge plot.

Costa's Wordbook
Sanguinary adj arch. involving or causing much bloodshed (Sang gwin nary)
Resilition n arch. The act of springing back, resilience (res sil Lit tion)

Queen Mab - a fairy referred to in William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, in which the character Mercutio famously describes her as "the fairies' midwife", a miniature creature who rides her chariot over the bodies of sleeping humans during the nighttime, thus helping them "give birth" to their dreams.
Titania - a character in Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream, the Queen of the fairies and wife of the Fairy King, Oberon. The pair are depicted as powerful natural spirits who together guarantee the fertility or health of the human and natural worlds. Yet their falling out has severely disrupted both worlds.
Worldling n preoccupied with worldly matters; a cosmopolitan and sophisticated person
Put on a white tie - an instruction for the most formal dress code
Cagliostro - Alessandro Cagliostro, was an Italian occultist and confidence trickster, an Italian adventurer and self-styled magician.
Count of St. Germain - whose real name and origins remain unknown, was a European adventurer who had interests and achievements in science, alchemy, philosophy, and the arts.
d'Aguesseau - Henri François d'Aguesseau, Chancellor of France three times between 1717 and 1750 and pronounced by Voltaire to be "the most learned magistrate France ever possessed”

Prie-dieu n a kneeling bench designed for use by a person at prayer and fitted with a raised shelf on which the elbows or a book may be rested =pray god
Quaker n typically pacifist, virtuous, and charitable; a member of the Religious Society of Friends, a Christian movement founded by George Fox c.1650 and devoted to peaceful principles. Central to the Quakers' belief is the doctrine of the ‘Inner Light’, or sense of Christ's direct working in the soul. This has led them to reject both formal ministry and all set forms of worship.
Sèvres vase - a fine porcelain or crystal vessel produced by the prestigious French Sèvres porcelain manufactory. The factory, which has operated since the 18th century, has been renowned for its craftsmanship and elaborate designs. Sèvres vases are highly sought after by collectors for their quality and historical significance.
Hulk n an old ship stripped of fittings and permanently moored, especially for use as storage or (formerly) as a prison; a large, clumsy-looking person
Kerseymere n a fine twilled woollen cloth (Ker se mere)
Belisarius - a military commander of the Byzantine Empire under Emperor Justinian I. Belisarius was instrumental in the reconquest of much of the Mediterranean territory belonging to the former Western Roman Empire, which had been lost less than a century prior. He is considered one of the greatest military commanders of Byzantium and in history generally.
Badhaus - ger, bath house
Grisier - Augustin Grisier, a renowned French fencing master and a close associate of Alexandre Dumas. Grisier was known for his expertise in fencing and his role in training Dumas in the art of swordsmanship.

Complete Features
Songs of Dead Dreamer, Last Unicorn, Brothers Karamazov, Fellowship of the Ring, Winnie the Pooh, Jane Eyre, Angels & Demons, Perfume, Great Gatsby, Jekyll & Hyde, Maigret, 1984, Metamorphosis, Dracula, Don Quixote, Dorian Gray, Anne Frank, Lord of the Flies, Liar's Poker, Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Great Expectations

CAB Milestone 
2021: 0 Full soundtrack, no editing, wife commentary, summary outline, irregular release
2022: 2.0 Full soundtrack, DaVinci editing, mini-dictionary, work intro, AI host + illustrations, text outline, scheduled release
2023: 2.1 DaVinci, Descript, CapCut, Suno, outline + character intro + dictionary, weekly release
2024: 2.2 Basic condenser mic, Audacity, ChatGPT annotations + illustrations, timestamped, 1-hour content

Patreon: costasaudiobook
Podcast: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Firstory, Pocket Casts, KKBOX, Noice, Podcast Addict, SoundOn

Show your feedback: https://open.firstory.me/user/cln9oxg7r007d01xyhd0fadj5/comments
CAB - Costa's Audio Book end of the year feature 
Alexandre Dumas "The Count of Monte Cristo"
Plot outline by Auguste Maquet

Early 19th-century Europe, France.
Dantès the protagonist, a young sailor, is cruelly betrayed and wrongfully imprisoned.
Finally breaking free, he uses a hard-earned treasure to accelerate his plans for vengeance.
Re-entering Paris, he dazzles society with wealth and charm.
Weaving subtle schemes, he tests the morals of those around him.
New allies and rivals emerge, shaping the path of his journey.

Volume III Chapter 64,65,66
00:30 64 Caderousse, escaped from prison, stops Andrea's departing carriage. He threatens to reveal Andrea’s true identity as Benedetto unless paid 200 francs monthly. Reluctantly, Andrea agrees, securing the beggar’s silence.
19:00 65 Danglars confronts Madame Danglars about losing 700,000 francs from false bond tips, linking her and Debray’s roles, demands repayment, and reveals he knows her first husband’s suicide secret, shocking her.
41:15 66 Danglars reports Manfredi’s bankruptcy to Monte Cristo, discusses Cavalcanti’s wealth, hints at Andrea marrying Eugénie, expresses reservations about Albert de Morcerf, and alludes to Morcerf’s Greek past and Janina inquiry.

Main Characters
Edmond Dantès / Count of Monte Cristo – Orchestrates the central schemes of justice and revenge, observing and manipulating events in Paris.
Gérard de Villefort – Ambitious royal prosecutor whose household intrigues and past actions against Dantès drive the main conflict in this volume.
Valentine de Villefort – Villefort’s virtuous daughter, central to the household subplot and the target of scheming characters.
Heloïse de Villefort – Villefort’s ruthless second wife, scheming to advance her own family’s interests and create tension in the household.
Noirtier de Villefort – Paralyzed father whose intellect and eye-based communication continue to influence decisions within the Villefort household.
Maximilien Morrel – Loyal suitor to Valentine, representing virtue and directly involved in protecting her and supporting the emotional core of the subplot.
Albert de Morcerf – Present in Paris, socially prominent, manipulated by Monte Cristo, and part of key social observations and schemes.
Bertuccio – Monte Cristo’s agent, whose knowledge of Villefort’s hidden crimes and investigative work enables parts of the revenge plot.

Costa's Wordbook
Landau n a horse-drawn four-wheeled enclosed carriage with a removable front cover and a back cover that can be raised and lowered (Lan daw)
nil admirari - latin, to wonder at nothing
Tilbury n a light open two-wheeled carriage
Facchino - ita, porter

proprio motu - latin, of one’s own accord or initative
Athalie - a 1691 play, the final tragedy of Jean Racine, plot: Athalie, widow of the king of Judah, rules the country and believes she has eliminated all the rest of the royal family. She has abandoned the Israelite religion for the worship of Baal. However, the late king's grandson Joash was rescued by the wife of the high priest.
Pactolus - A river, formerly an important feature of ancient Lydia and said to contain gold, now rising and emptying in modern Turkey
Conversant adj familiar with or knowledgeable about something (con Ver sent)
Danseuse - fr, dancer

Kine n arch. cows collectively (Kine like fine)
“Seven fat and the seven lean kine” - a biblical reference (Genesis 41). Pharaoh dreamed of seven fat cows (years of abundance) and seven lean cows (years of famine).
Ultramontane n situated on the other side of the Alps from the point of view of the speaker
podestàs, condottieri - ita, magistrates, mercenary
Coupé n arch. a four-wheeled carriage with outside front seat for the driver and enclosed passenger seats for two persons

Complete Features
Songs of Dead Dreamer, Last Unicorn, Brothers Karamazov, Fellowship of the Ring, Winnie the Pooh, Jane Eyre, Angels & Demons, Perfume, Great Gatsby, Jekyll & Hyde, Maigret, 1984, Metamorphosis, Dracula, Don Quixote, Dorian Gray, Anne Frank, Lord of the Flies, Liar's Poker, Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Great Expectations

《讀你聽》里程碑 
2021: 0 太太陪同旁聽 全配樂 無剪接 附旁述 總結 文字大綱 不定時播出 
2022: 2.0 全配樂 DaVinci剪接 小字典 作品介紹 智能主持+插畫 文字大綱 定時播出 
2023: 2.1 DaVinci, Descript, CapCut, Suno 大綱+人物介紹+字典 每周播出 
2024: 2.2 初階電容咪 Audacity, ChatGPT注解+插畫 分秒顯示 一小時内容 

Patreon: costasaudiobook
Podcast: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Firstory, Pocket Casts, KKBOX, Noice, Podcast Addict, SoundOn

CAB - Costa's Audio Book Halloween feature
Shirley Jackson "The Lottery"

A small town holding an annual lottery,
Only the chosen one is far from lucky.
Published in 1948,
Critics reacted negatively and Jackson received hate mail,
Subscriptions to The New Yorker were canceled.
When heat subsided,
The story is adapted into radio, film, and graphic novels.
To this day, it is iconic of short story in the history of American literature.

00:23 In a small American village, residents gather annually for the lottery, a tense tradition with folks preparing stones and adults following the decaying ritual, reflecting long-standing customs and community distortion.

Complete Features
Songs of Dead Dreamer, Last Unicorn, Brothers Karamazov, Fellowship of the Ring, Winnie the Pooh, Jane Eyre, Angels & Demons, Perfume, Great Gatsby, Jekyll & Hyde, Maigret, 1984, Metamorphosis, Dracula, Don Quixote, Dorian Gray, Anne Frank, Lord of the Flies, Liar's Poker, Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Great Expectations

《讀你聽》里程碑 
2021: 0 太太陪同旁聽 全配樂 無剪接 附旁述 總結 文字大綱 不定時播出 
2022: 2.0 全配樂 DaVinci剪接 小字典 作品介紹 智能主持+插畫 文字大綱 定時播出 
2023: 2.1 DaVinci, Descript, CapCut, Suno 大綱+人物介紹+字典 每周播出 
2024: 2.2 初階電容咪 Audacity, ChatGPT注解+插畫 分秒顯示 一小時内容 

Patreon: costasaudiobook
Also Available: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Firstory, Pocket Casts, KKBOX, Noice, Podcast Addict, SoundOn

Show your feedback: https://open.firstory.me/user/cln9oxg7r007d01xyhd0fadj5/comments
CAB - Costa's Audio Book end of the year feature 
Alexandre Dumas "The Count of Monte Cristo"
Plot outline by Auguste Maquet

Early 19th-century Europe, France.
Dantès the protagonist, a young sailor, is cruelly betrayed and wrongfully imprisoned.
Finally breaking free, he uses a hard-earned treasure to accelerate his plans for vengeance.
Re-entering Paris, he dazzles society with wealth and charm.
Weaving subtle schemes, he tests the morals of those around him.
New allies and rivals emerge, shaping the path of his journey.

Volume III Chapter 61,62,63
00:30 61 Monte Cristo visits a telegraph office, bribing the gardener-operator to send a false message to the ministry, causing Debray to mislead Madame Danglars. Her husband sells Spanish bonds at a loss.
19:05 62 Count's Auteuil house, transformed under Bertuccio’s design, receives nine guests. Danglars, sour from financial loss, probes the wealthy Cavalcantis. Bertuccio recognizes Madame Danglars, Villefort, and Andrea as Benedetto.
37:37 63 At dinner, Monte Cristo describes a murder in his house’s old bedroom, terrifying Villefort and Madame Danglars. He shows them the garden, revealing a buried infant’s remains, forcing the guilty pair into panic and secrecy.

Main Characters
Edmond Dantès / Count of Monte Cristo – Orchestrates the central schemes of justice and revenge, observing and manipulating events in Paris.
Gérard de Villefort – Ambitious royal prosecutor whose household intrigues and past actions against Dantès drive the main conflict in this volume.
Valentine de Villefort – Villefort’s virtuous daughter, central to the household subplot and the target of scheming characters.
Heloïse de Villefort – Villefort’s ruthless second wife, scheming to advance her own family’s interests and create tension in the household.
Noirtier de Villefort – Paralyzed father whose intellect and eye-based communication continue to influence decisions within the Villefort household.
Maximilien Morrel – Loyal suitor to Valentine, representing virtue and directly involved in protecting her and supporting the emotional core of the subplot.
Albert de Morcerf – Present in Paris, socially prominent, manipulated by Monte Cristo, and part of key social observations and schemes.
Bertuccio – Monte Cristo’s agent, whose knowledge of Villefort’s hidden crimes and investigative work enables parts of the revenge plot.

Costa's Wordbook
Aphis n an aphid, especially one of the genus Aphis (which includes the common greenfly and blackfly) 蚜 (Aey fis)
Jardinière - fr, planter
Petronius - a Roman courtier during the reign of Nero (r. 54–68). He is generally believed to be the author of the Satyricon, a satirical novel believed to have been written during the Neronian era
Jardin des Plantes - fr, Garden of Plants
Supernumerary adj extras (acting); not wanted or needed, redundant; n a supernumerary person or thing (super New mer ary)
Scourge n a person or thing that causes great trouble or suffering; a whip used as an instrument of punishment; v cause suffering to (Scur ch)
Le Messager - fr, The Messenger

Peristyle n a row of columns surrounding a space within a building such as a court or internal garden or edging a veranda or porch 柱庭 (Per ris style)
Hobbema - Meindert Hobbema, a Dutch Golden Age landscape painter known for his wooded scenes
Paul Potter - a Dutch painter who specialized in animals within landscapes, usually with a low vantage point
Mieris - a Dutch Golden Age genre and portrait painter. The leading member of a Leiden family of painters, his sons Jan and Willemand his grandson Frans van Mieris the Younger were also accomplished genre painters
Gerard Douw - Gerrit Dou, a Dutch Golden Age painter, whose small, highly polished paintings are typical of the Leiden fijnschilders. He specialised in genre scenes and is noted for his trompe-l'œil "niche" paintings and candlelit night-scenes with strong chiaroscuro. He was a student of Rembrandt.
Zurbarán - a Spanish painter, known primarily for his religious paintings depicting monks, nuns, and martyrs, and for his still-lifes. He gained the nickname "Spanish Caravaggio", owing to the forceful use of chiaroscuro (light and shade) in which he excelled.
Murillo - Bartolomé Esteban Murillo was a Spanish Baroque painter. Although he is best known for his religious works, Murillo also produced a considerable number of paintings of contemporary women and children.
Bourse n a stock market in a non-English-speaking country, especially France (Burrs)
Dissimulate v conceal or disguise (one's thoughts, feelings, or character)
Enceinte - fr, pregnant
Banquo - a Scottish general in Shakespeare's play Macbeth, who is initially an ally of Macbeth but is later murdered by him out of fear and paranoia (Bang kwoe)

Apicius - Marcus Gavius Apicius, a Roman gourmet who lived sometime in the 1st century CE during the reign of Tiberius, writes De re culinaria, a collection of Roman cookery recipes, which may have been compiled in the fifth century CE, or earlier.
Lorenzo de' Medici - an Italian statesman, the de facto ruler of the Florentine Republic, and the most powerful patron of Renaissance culture in Italy. He were said to drink liquors laced with gold leaf, powdered or flaked gold, believing it symbolized luxury, vitality, or even conferred health and longevity.
Superfluity n an unnecessarily or excessively large amount or number of something (super Flui ty)
Sterlet n a small sturgeon of the Danube basin and Caspian Sea area, farmed and commercially fished for its flesh and caviar 小鱘 (Stare let)
Lamprey n an eel-like aquatic jawless vertebrate that has a sucker mouth with horny teeth and a rasping tongue. The adult is often parasitic, attaching itself to other fish and sucking their blood 七鰓鰻 (Lam pree)
cupitor impossibilium - latin, a desirer (or lover) of the impossible
Pliny - Pliny the Elder (Gaius Plinius Secundus, 23–79 CE) was a Roman naturalist, author, and philosopher, best known for his massive encyclopedia Naturalis Historia (Natural History).
Mulus - latin, red mullet
Lucullus - a Roman general, consul, and politician during the late Roman Republic, best known for his military campaigns and legendary wealth, most famous for his extravagant lifestyle, particularly his feasts, which became a byword for luxury.
Promptitude n the quality of acting quickly and without delay (Promp ti tude)
Abbé de Ganges - refers to Henri de Ganges, one of the brothers of the Marquis de Ganges who, along with his brother the Chevalier, murdered their sister-in-law, the Marquise de Ganges, in 1667. The crime, which was sensational for its time and motive (to gain her large fortune), was famously fictionalized by the Marquis de Sade in his novel The Marquise de Ganges
mon Dieu! - fr, my god!
Plantain n a banana containing high levels of starch and little sugar, which is harvested green and widely used as a cooked vegetable in the tropics; a low-growing plant that typically has a rosette of leaves and a slender green flower spike, widely growing as a weed in lawns. 芭蕉 (Plan tin)

Coming Features
The Lottery (Horror), Metamorphosis (Absurd)

Complete Features
Songs of Dead Dreamer, Last Unicorn, Brothers Karamazov, Fellowship of the Ring, Winnie the Pooh, Jane Eyre, Angels & Demons, Perfume, Great Gatsby, Jekyll & Hyde, Maigret, 1984, Metamorphosis, Dracula, Don Quixote, Dorian Gray, Anne Frank, Lord of the Flies, Liar's Poker, Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Great Expectations

《讀你聽》里程碑 
2021: 0 太太陪同旁聽 全配樂 無剪接 附旁述 總結 文字大綱 不定時播出 
2022: 2.0 全配樂 DaVinci剪接 小字典 作品介紹 智能主持+插畫 文字大綱 定時播出 
2023: 2.1 DaVinci, Descript, CapCut, Suno 大綱+人物介紹+字典 每周播出 
2024: 2.2 初階電容咪 Audacity, ChatGPT注解+插畫 分秒顯示 一小時内容 

Patreon: costasaudiobook
Podcast: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Firstory, Pocket Casts, KKBOX, Noice, Podcast Addict, SoundOn

Show your feedback: https://open.firstory.me/user/cln9oxg7r007d01xyhd0fadj5/comments
CAB - Costa's Audio Book end of the year feature 
Alexandre Dumas "The Count of Monte Cristo"
Plot outline by Auguste Maquet

Early 19th-century Europe, France.
Dantès the protagonist, a young sailor, is cruelly betrayed and wrongfully imprisoned.
Finally breaking free, he uses a hard-earned treasure to accelerate his plans for vengeance.
Re-entering Paris, he dazzles society with wealth and charm.
Weaving subtle schemes, he tests the morals of those around him.
New allies and rivals emerge, shaping the path of his journey.

Volume III Chapter 58,59,60
00:30 58 Villefort informs paralyzed Noirtier of Valentine’s arranged marriage to Franz d’Epinay, son of his old enemy. Enraged, Noirtier signals for a notary, hinting at a plan to help Valentine escape the union.
21:03 59 Noirtier dictates a will through blinks, leaving his fortune to Valentine only if she refuses to marry Franz d’Epinay. Should she wed him, her inheritance goes to charity. Villefort furiously insists otherwise.
40:47 60 The Count visits the Villeforts, gives his country house address, discusses Valentine’s marriage, notes family and political tensions, Madame de Villefort’s anger, upcoming inheritance, and departs to inspect a telegraph station.

Main Characters
Edmond Dantès / Count of Monte Cristo – Orchestrates the central schemes of justice and revenge, observing and manipulating events in Paris.
Gérard de Villefort – Ambitious royal prosecutor whose household intrigues and past actions against Dantès drive the main conflict in this volume.
Valentine de Villefort – Villefort’s virtuous daughter, central to the household subplot and the target of scheming characters.
Heloïse de Villefort – Villefort’s ruthless second wife, scheming to advance her own family’s interests and create tension in the household.
Noirtier de Villefort – Paralyzed father whose intellect and eye-based communication continue to influence decisions within the Villefort household.
Maximilien Morrel – Loyal suitor to Valentine, representing virtue and directly involved in protecting her and supporting the emotional core of the subplot.
Albert de Morcerf – Present in Paris, socially prominent, manipulated by Monte Cristo, and part of key social observations and schemes.
Bertuccio – Monte Cristo’s agent, whose knowledge of Villefort’s hidden crimes and investigative work enables parts of the revenge plot.

Costa's Wordbook
ill turn n an act intended to help that has negative or harmful results, or a harmful deed

Testator n a person who has made a will or given a legacy 立遺囑人 (test Day ter)
Residuary adj relating to the residue of an estate 最終剩餘財產 (re Sid dury)

Deprivation n the lack or denial of something considered to be a necessity; the damaging lack of material benefits considered to be basic necessities in a society (de priv Vaytion)
Meritorious adj deserving reward or praise (merit Tor rious)
Sylph n an imaginary spirit of the air (Silf)
têle, graphein - gr, two words combine become telegraph
Redound v contribute greatly to (a person's credit or honour); arch. come back upon, rebound 助益

Coming Features
The Lottery (Horror), Metamorphosis (Absurd)

Complete Features
Songs of Dead Dreamer, Last Unicorn, Brothers Karamazov, Fellowship of the Ring, Winnie the Pooh, Jane Eyre, Angels & Demons, Perfume, Great Gatsby, Jekyll & Hyde, Maigret, 1984, Metamorphosis, Dracula, Don Quixote, Dorian Gray, Anne Frank, Lord of the Flies, Liar's Poker, Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Great Expectations

《讀你聽》里程碑 
2021: 0 太太陪同旁聽 全配樂 無剪接 附旁述 總結 文字大綱 不定時播出 
2022: 2.0 全配樂 DaVinci剪接 小字典 作品介紹 智能主持+插畫 文字大綱 定時播出 
2023: 2.1 DaVinci, Descript, CapCut, Suno 大綱+人物介紹+字典 每周播出 
2024: 2.2 初階電容咪 Audacity, ChatGPT注解+插畫 分秒顯示 一小時内容 

Patreon: costasaudiobook
Podcast: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Firstory, Pocket Casts, KKBOX, Noice, Podcast Addict, SoundOn

Show your feedback: https://open.firstory.me/user/cln9oxg7r007d01xyhd0fadj5/comments
CAB - Costa's Audio Book end of the year feature 
Alexandre Dumas "The Count of Monte Cristo"
Plot outline by Auguste Maquet

Early 19th-century Europe, France.
Dantès the protagonist, a young sailor, is cruelly betrayed and wrongfully imprisoned.
Finally breaking free, he uses a hard-earned treasure to accelerate his plans for vengeance.
Re-entering Paris, he dazzles society with wealth and charm.
Weaving subtle schemes, he tests the morals of those around him.
New allies and rivals emerge, shaping the path of his journey.

Volume III Chapter 55, 56, 57
00:30 55 Major Cavalcanti visits Monte Cristo, guided by Abbe Busoni’s instructions, to reunite with his long-lost son. He reveals his late wife Olivia and a retroactive marriage making their son Andrea legitimate and heir.
23:08 56 Monte Cristo instructs the younger man to pose as Andrea Cavalcanti, the Major’s long-lost son. He provides both men with forged papers, fine clothes, and invites them to his Saturday dinner.
49:58 57 Valentine and Maximilien meet secretly, lamenting her forced marriage and family greed. Eugénie wishes for artistic freedom. Valentine distrusts Monte Cristo despite Maximilien’s faith, urging secrecy in their forbidden love.

Main Characters
Edmond Dantès / Count of Monte Cristo – Orchestrates the central schemes of justice and revenge, observing and manipulating events in Paris.
Gérard de Villefort – Ambitious royal prosecutor whose household intrigues and past actions against Dantès drive the main conflict in this volume.
Valentine de Villefort – Villefort’s virtuous daughter, central to the household subplot and the target of scheming characters.
Heloïse de Villefort – Villefort’s ruthless second wife, scheming to advance her own family’s interests and create tension in the household.
Noirtier de Villefort – Paralyzed father whose intellect and eye-based communication continue to influence decisions within the Villefort household.
Maximilien Morrel – Loyal suitor to Valentine, representing virtue and directly involved in protecting her and supporting the emotional core of the subplot.
Albert de Morcerf – Present in Paris, socially prominent, manipulated by Monte Cristo, and part of key social observations and schemes.
Bertuccio – Monte Cristo’s agent, whose knowledge of Villefort’s hidden crimes and investigative work enables parts of the revenge plot.

Costa's Wordbook
Frog n an ornamental coat fastener or braid consisting of a spindle-shaped button and a loop through which it passes
Alicante - luxurious, old-world vintage, south of spain; a strong, sweet red dessert wine, somewhat similar to port or Madeira. It was popular among the European upper classes and often served after meals
Marchioness n the wife or widow of a marquess 侯爵夫人 (Mar sian ness)
Notwithstanding conj in spite of
Perbacco - ita, gosh, my, golly
O peccato! - ita, O sin!
Baptismal adj relating to the Christian rite of baptism
Curé n a parish priest in a French-speaking country (french, Cure ray)

Surety n a person who takes responsibility for another's performance of an undertaking, for example their appearing in court or paying a debt; money given to support an undertaking that someone will perform a duty, pay their debts, a guarantee 擔保人 (Shur rity)
Phaeton n a light, open four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage (Fey ton)

Sabring (Sabre) v arch. cut down or wound with a sabre (Say bring)
Banditti pl n bandit (Ban dit ti)
Reciprocity n the practice of exchanging things with others for mutual benefit, especially privileges granted by one country or organization to another (re sip Pros city)
Pretension n a claim or assertion of a claim to something; the use of affectation to impress, pretentiousness
Cabriolet n arch. a light two-wheeled carriage with a hood, drawn by one horse; a car with a roof that folds down (Cab brio lay)
Bouillotte - fr, an 18th-century French gambling card game of the Revolution based on Brelan, very popular during the 19th century in France and again for some years from 1830. It was also popular in America. The game is regarded as one of the games that influenced the open-card stud variation in poker. (Boo e yote)

Coming Features
The Lottery (Horror), Metamorphosis (Absurd)

Complete Features
Songs of Dead Dreamer, Last Unicorn, Brothers Karamazov, Fellowship of the Ring, Winnie the Pooh, Jane Eyre, Angels & Demons, Perfume, Great Gatsby, Jekyll & Hyde, Maigret, 1984, Metamorphosis, Dracula, Don Quixote, Dorian Gray, Anne Frank, Lord of the Flies, Liar's Poker, Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Great Expectations

《讀你聽》里程碑 
2021: 0 太太陪同旁聽 全配樂 無剪接 附旁述 總結 文字大綱 不定時播出 
2022: 2.0 全配樂 DaVinci剪接 小字典 作品介紹 智能主持+插畫 文字大綱 定時播出 
2023: 2.1 DaVinci, Descript, CapCut, Suno 大綱+人物介紹+字典 每周播出 
2024: 2.2 初階電容咪 Audacity, ChatGPT注解+插畫 分秒顯示 一小時内容 

Patreon: costasaudiobook
Podcast: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Firstory, Pocket Casts, KKBOX, Noice, Podcast Addict, SoundOn

Show your feedback: https://open.firstory.me/user/cln9oxg7r007d01xyhd0fadj5/comments
CAB - Costa's Audio Book end of the year feature 
Alexandre Dumas "The Count of Monte Cristo"
Plot outline by Auguste Maquet

Early 19th-century Europe, France.
Dantès the protagonist, a young sailor, is cruelly betrayed and wrongfully imprisoned.
Finally breaking free, he uses a hard-earned treasure to accelerate his plans for vengeance.
Re-entering Paris, he dazzles society with wealth and charm.
Weaving subtle schemes, he tests the morals of those around him.
New allies and rivals emerge, shaping the path of his journey.

Volume III Chapter 53-54
00:30 53 Monte Cristo and Haydée attend the opera, drawing great attention. From her seat, Haydée recognizes Fernand as the man who betrayed her father, Ali Pacha, and sold her into slavery.
38:19 54 Albert and Debray visit Monte Cristo. They discuss Albert’s unwanted engagement to Eugénie. Debray reveals Madame Danglars gambles with stock money. Albert jokes about false news. Count suspects Debray leaks secrets.

Main Characters
Edmond Dantès / Count of Monte Cristo – Orchestrates the central schemes of justice and revenge, observing and manipulating events in Paris.
Gérard de Villefort – Ambitious royal prosecutor whose household intrigues and past actions against Dantès drive the main conflict in this volume.
Valentine de Villefort – Villefort’s virtuous daughter, central to the household subplot and the target of scheming characters.
Heloïse de Villefort – Villefort’s ruthless second wife, scheming to advance her own family’s interests and create tension in the household.
Noirtier de Villefort – Paralyzed father whose intellect and eye-based communication continue to influence decisions within the Villefort household.
Maximilien Morrel – Loyal suitor to Valentine, representing virtue and directly involved in protecting her and supporting the emotional core of the subplot.
Albert de Morcerf – Present in Paris, socially prominent, manipulated by Monte Cristo, and part of key social observations and schemes.
Bertuccio – Monte Cristo’s agent, whose knowledge of Villefort’s hidden crimes and investigative work enables parts of the revenge plot.

Costa's Wordbook
Robert le diable - an opera in five acts composed by Giacomo Meyerbeer between 1827 and 1831, to a libretto written in French by Eugène Scribe and Germain Delavigne. Robert le diable is regarded as one of the first grand operas at the Paris Opéra. It has only a superficial connection to the medieval legend of Robert the Devil.
Levasseur - Jean Théophile Levasseur, a French revolutionary and Jacobin politician active during the late 18th century.
Omnibus adj comprising several items
Gainsay v deny or contradict (a fact or statement)
Nautilus n a cephalopod mollusc with a light external spiral shell and numerous short tentacles around the mouth; argonaut 鸚鵡螺 (Naw til lus) 
Roan adj denoting an animal, especially a horse or cow, having a coat of a main colour thickly interspersed with hairs of another colour, typically bay, chestnut, or black mixed with white (roam with n)
Actaeon - In Greek mythology, he was the son of the priestly herdsman Aristaeus in Boeotia, and a famous Theban hero. Through his mother Autonoe he was a member of the ruling House of Cadmus. He is a hunter who accidentally saw the goddess Artemis bathing. As punishment for this forbidden sight, she transformed him into a stag, and his own hunting dogs tore him to pieces.
Cagliostro - an 18th C Italian occultist and confidence trickster
Nabob n a person of conspicuous wealth or high status; a Muslim official or governor under the Mogul empire (Nay bob)
Potemkin - Grigory Potemkin (1739–1791) a powerful Russian statesman, military leader, and favorite (and likely lover) of Catherine the Great.
Shah n a title of the former monarch of Iran (sha)
Marmot n a heavily built, gregarious burrowing rodent of mountainous country in both Eurasia and North America 土撥鼠
Biped n an animal that uses two legs for walking
Regale v lavishly supply (someone) with food or drink; entertain or amuse (someone) with talk
Seraphic adj characteristic of or resembling a seraph or seraphim, angelic
Hashish n cannabis
Guzla n a gusle, a traditional single-stringed, bowed musical instrument from the Balkan region of Southeastern Europe (Goo sla)
Pirouette n (ballet) an act of spinning on one foot, typically with the raised foot touching the knee of the supporting leg.
Tepelini - Ali Pasha of Tepelena, 1740–1822 an Ottoman Albanian ruler of Ioannina. He was known for his wealth, ambition, and ruthlessness, sometimes called “the Lion of Janina.” Yanina is the city ruled by him
Pasha n the title of a Turkish officer of high rank
Burnouse n a long, loose, hooded cloak, typically made of wool and historically worn by Arabs and Berbers in North Africa, often in white for important events. (burn noose)

Bayard, Duguesclin - fr, historical references to legendary French knights
Disinterestedness n the quality of having no personal involvement or receiving no personal advantage, and therefore being free to act fairly
Ennoble v give (someone) a noble rank or title; lend greater dignity or nobility of character to (in Noble)
Poussin - Nicolas Poussin (1594 –1665) was a French painter, a leading painter of the classical French Baroque style, although he spent most of his working life in Rome. Most of his works were on religious and mythological subjects painted for a small group of Italian and French collectors.
Denaro e santità, metà della metà - ita, Money and sanctity, half of half - a cynical proverb implying that both wealth and moral purity are rare; people pretend to have them, but in reality, they have only a fraction
Écarté - fr, a popular 19th-century French card game, fashionable among aristocrats and social elites — somewhat like whist or poker in English society
Stockjobbing n speculative exchange dealings, speculative or manipulative stock trading, often with an undertone of corruption or deceit.
Bouillotte -fr, a French card game popular during the French Revolution, which is the origin of the lamp's 
name.
Referendary n a number of administrative positions, of various rank, in chanceries and other official organizations in Europe (Ref fer ren dary)

Coming Features
The Lottery (Horror), Metamorphosis (Absurd)

Complete Features
Songs of Dead Dreamer, Last Unicorn, Brothers Karamazov, Fellowship of the Ring, Winnie the Pooh, Jane Eyre, Angels & Demons, Perfume, Great Gatsby, Jekyll & Hyde, Maigret, 1984, Metamorphosis, Dracula, Don Quixote, Dorian Gray, Anne Frank, Lord of the Flies, Liar's Poker, Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Great Expectations

《讀你聽》里程碑 
2021: 0 太太陪同旁聽 全配樂 無剪接 附旁述 總結 文字大綱 不定時播出 
2022: 2.0 全配樂 DaVinci剪接 小字典 作品介紹 智能主持+插畫 文字大綱 定時播出 
2023: 2.1 DaVinci, Descript, CapCut, Suno 大綱+人物介紹+字典 每周播出 
2024: 2.2 初階電容咪 Audacity, ChatGPT注解+插畫 分秒顯示 一小時内容 

Patreon: costasaudiobook
Podcast: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Firstory, Pocket Casts, KKBOX, Noice, Podcast Addict, SoundOn

CAB - Costa's Audio Book Anniversary Release
Franz Kafka "The Metamorphosis" 110th Anniversary

《讀你聽2.1》周年紀念呈獻
卡夫卡《變形記》
故事荒誕寓言
主角化身昆蟲
反映作者經常刻畫的疏離命題
作品對現代主義文學影響深遠
探討近代社會的孤立無援
階級主義 身份責任
和隨之而來的壓力

00:24 I Gregor Samsa wakes transformed into an insect, struggles with work anxieties, family pressure, and suspicion from his employer. Revealed to all, he horrifies them, attempts to reason, but is violently forced back into his room.
38:50 II Gregor adapts to insect life, hiding from family while Grete feeds him. Furniture removal threatens his humanity; he clings to a picture. His mother faints, father misjudges, and in rage hurls fruit, embedding an apple painfully.
1:19:10 III Gregor weakens, neglected and burdened by guilt. Family takes boarders, clutter fills his room. Drawn by Grete’s violin, he emerges, horrifying guests. Grete declares he isn’t Gregor. Resigned, he dies, freeing family to embrace renewal.

Main Characters
Gregor Samsa - a weary salesman bound by debt and duty, awakens as a monstrous insect. Though grotesque, he clings to fragments of humanity, battling despair while his family recoils, leaving him isolated until death.
Grete Samsa - Gregor’s sister, first nurtures him with care and devotion. Over time, compassion erodes into resentment, burdened by his transformation, until she demands his removal, marking her shift into adulthood.
Mr. Samsa - Gregor’s father, once broken by business failure, regains vigor after returning to work. Yet, his renewed strength comes with hostility, as he views Gregor’s insect form with anger, fear, and violent rejection.
Mrs. Samsa - Gregor’s frail mother, torn between love and horror, struggles with his transformation. Shielded by Grete and her husband, she wavers between compassion and fear, unable to reconcile her son’s humanity.
The Charwoman - The Samsa family’s elderly cleaning lady. Blunt and pragmatic, she accepts Gregor’s insect form without fear or disgust, confronting reality directly while performing her duties with honesty and practicality.
The Office Manager - Gregor’s boss. Distrustful and overbearing, the office manager insinuates that Gregor has been doing a poor job at work. He flees in terror upon seeing Gregor.
The Boarders - Three temporary boarders in the Samsas’ house. The boarders greatly value order and cleanliness, and thus become horrified when they discover Gregor.

Complete Features
Songs of Dead Dreamer, Last Unicorn, Brothers Karamazov, Fellowship of the Ring, Winnie the Pooh, Jane Eyre, Angels & Demons, Perfume, Great Gatsby, Jekyll & Hyde, Maigret, 1984, Metamorphosis, Dracula, Don Quixote, Dorian Gray, Anne Frank, Lord of the Flies, Liar's Poker, Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Great Expectations

《讀你聽》里程碑 
2021: 0 太太陪同旁聽 全配樂 無剪接 附旁述 總結 文字大綱 不定時播出 
2022: 2.0 全配樂 DaVinci剪接 小字典 作品介紹 智能主持+插畫 文字大綱 定時播出 
2023: 2.1 DaVinci, Descript, CapCut, Suno 大綱+人物介紹+字典 每周播出 
2024: 2.2 初階電容咪 Audacity, ChatGPT注解+插畫 分秒顯示 一小時内容 

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/costasaudiobook/membership 
Also Available: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Firstory, Pocket Casts, KKBOX, Noice, Podcast Addict, SoundOn

Show your feedback: https://open.firstory.me/user/cln9oxg7r007d01xyhd0fadj5/comments
CAB - Costa's Audio Book end of the year feature 
Alexandre Dumas "The Count of Monte Cristo"
Plot outline by Auguste Maquet

Early 19th-century Europe, France.
Dantès the protagonist, a young sailor, is cruelly betrayed and wrongfully imprisoned.
Finally breaking free, he uses a hard-earned treasure to accelerate his plans for vengeance.
Re-entering Paris, he dazzles society with wealth and charm.
Weaving subtle schemes, he tests the morals of those around him.
New allies and rivals emerge, shaping the path of his journey.

Volume III Chapter 51-52
00:30 51 Maximilian meets Valentine, who feels unloved and trapped in an arranged marriage. They vow not to give up hope, but Monte Cristo’s arrival forces Valentine to leave.
30:25 52 Monte Cristo reminds Madame de Villefort of their past meeting in Italy, discusses poisons and antidotes, and offers her a deadly potion disguised as medicine, subtly fueling her dangerous curiosity.

Main Characters
Edmond Dantès / Count of Monte Cristo – Orchestrates the central schemes of justice and revenge, observing and manipulating events in Paris.
Gérard de Villefort – Ambitious royal prosecutor whose household intrigues and past actions against Dantès drive the main conflict in this volume.
Valentine de Villefort – Villefort’s virtuous daughter, central to the household subplot and the target of scheming characters.
Heloïse de Villefort – Villefort’s ruthless second wife, scheming to advance her own family’s interests and create tension in the household.
Noirtier de Villefort – Paralyzed father whose intellect and eye-based communication continue to influence decisions within the Villefort household.
Maximilien Morrel – Loyal suitor to Valentine, representing virtue and directly involved in protecting her and supporting the emotional core of the subplot.
Albert de Morcerf – Present in Paris, socially prominent, manipulated by Monte Cristo, and part of key social observations and schemes.
Bertuccio – Monte Cristo’s agent, whose knowledge of Villefort’s hidden crimes and investigative work enables parts of the revenge plot.

Costa's Wordbook
Pyramus and Thisbe - (in Greek legend) two lovers of Babylon: Pyramus, wrongly supposing Thisbe to be dead, killed himself and she, encountering him in his death throes, did the same, inspiration to shakespeare’s romeo and juliet
Pilaster n a rectangular column, especially one projecting from a wall (pill Last ter)
Geranium n a herbaceous plant or small shrub of a genus that comprises the cranesbills and their relatives. Geraniums bear a long, narrow fruit that is said to be shaped like the bill of a crane 天竺葵
(ger Rain nium)
Variegated adj exhibiting different colours, especially as irregular patches or streaks; (of a plant or foliage) having or consisting of leaves that are edged or patterned in a second colour, especially white as well as green (Vary uh gated)
Horticulture n the art or practice of garden cultivation and management (Hor ty culture)
Lucern n another term for alfalfa, a leguminous plant with clover-like leaves and bluish flowers, native to south-western Asia and widely grown for fodder 苜蓿 (lu Cern)
Preferment n promotion or appointment to a position or office (pre Fer ment)
Salutary adj (especially with reference to something unwelcome or unpleasant) producing good effects, beneficial; arch. Health-giving (Sal lu tree)

Toxicology n the branch of science concerned with the nature, effects, and detection of poisons 毒理學 (toxic Col logy)
Paroquet n any of numerous small slender long-tailed parrots (Paro ket)
Cochin-China n historical term for Southern Vietnam, particularly the region including the Mekong Delta 交趾支那 (Cok chin china)
Fête - fr, festival
Arbor n a shady garden alcove with the sides and roof formed by trees or climbing plants trained over a framework (Ar ber)
Corpus Christi - latin, also known as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, is a liturgical solemnity celebrating the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist; the feast is observed by the Catholic Church, in addition to certain Western Orthodox, Lutheran, and Anglican churches 基督聖體聖血節
Perugino - Pietro Perugino, an Italian Renaissance painter of the Umbrian school, developed some of the qualities that found classic expression in the High Renaissance. Raphael became his most famous pupil.
Aqua Tofana - ita, a legendary slow-acting poison, likely arsenic-based, that gained notoriety in 17th-century Italy, purportedly made and sold by Giulia Tofana to help women poison their husbands.
Molière, Beaumarchais - influential French playwrights of different eras, both known for their comedic and satirical works, but Molière is celebrated for his classic satires of the 17th century like Tartuffe, while Beaumarchais is known for the 18th century Figaro plays, The Barber of Seville and The Marriage of Figaro. Beaumarchais was also a successful diplomat, inventor, and businessman, who played a crucial role in the American Revolution, whereas Molière focused on a career in theatre as an actor, director, and playwright.
Mithridates - Mithradates VI Eupator was the ruler of the Kingdom of Pontus in northern Anatolia from 120 to 63 BC, and one of the Roman Republic's most formidable and determined opponents. He was an effective, ambitious, and ruthless ruler who sought to dominate Asia Minor and the Black Sea region, waging several hard-fought but ultimately unsuccessful wars (the Mithridatic Wars) to break Roman dominion over Asia and the Hellenic world. He has been called the greatest ruler of the Kingdom of Pontus. He cultivated an immunity to poisons by regularly ingesting sub-lethal doses; this practice, now called mithridatism, is named after him. After his death, he became known as Mithridates the Great.
Rex Ponticus - latin, King of Ponticus
Scamp n a person, especially a child, who is mischievous in a likeable or amusing way
Urchin n a young child who is poorly or raggedly dressed; imp
Cornelius Nepos - latin, a Roman biographer, known for writing De Viris Illustribus (“On Famous Men”), a collection of brief lives of notable Greeks and Romans. His work often emphasized virtue, moral judgment, and examples of conduct: who was noble, who was corrupt, and how power and character interacted.
Efficacious adj (of something inanimate or abstract) successful in producing a desired or intended result effective (ef fic Kay xious)
Counterfeit v resemble closely
Neapolitan n a native or inhabitant of Naples; adj relating to Naples (nea Poli ten)
Brucine n a poisonous alkaloid found with strychnine especially in nux vomica (Brew seen)
Angostura n an aromatic bitter bark from certain South American trees, used as a flavouring, and formerly as a tonic and to reduce fever (Ang gost steer ra)
Philtre n a drink supposed to arouse love and desire for a particular person in the drinker; a love potion (filter)
Harun al-Rashid - was the fifth Abbasid caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate, reigning from September 786 until his death in March 809. His reign is traditionally regarded to be the beginning of the Islamic Golden Age. His epithet al-Rashid translates to "the Just", "the Upright", or "the Rightly-Guided"
Vizier n a high official in some Muslim countries, especially in Turkey under Ottoman rule (fis Seer)
Desrues - Antoine-François Desrues (1744–1777) a French poisoner and swindler. He was a grocer in Paris who murdered a noblewoman, Mme. de la Motte, by poisoning her in order to steal her property and assume her identity. He was eventually caught, tried, and executed — a case that horrified the public and became one of France’s most notorious early-modern poison scandals.
Borgias- ita, Especially Lucrezia and Cesare Borgia, Renaissance figures with an infamous reputation for poisoning enemies, part history, part legend
Medici - Italian Renaissance dynasty, particularly Catherine de’ Medici, queen of France, long rumored (often unfairly) to have used poison to maintain political power
Asmodeus - a powerful demon, primarily known as the king of demons from the Book of Tobit and other Jewish and Christian legends (as Moe deus)
Montyon - Montyon Prize, a series of prizes awarded annually by the French Academy of Sciences and the Académie française. They are endowed by the French benefactor Baron de Montyon, since 18th C
Renées - René the Florentine, Catherine de’ Medici’s personal perfumer and alchemist, who supposedly concocted poisons and cosmetics for the court.
Ruggieri - an astrologer and occultist attached to Catherine’s court, involved in magical and chemical experiments
Baron de Trenck - (1726–1794) a Prussian soldier, adventurer, and author, famous for his daring imprisonments and escapes
Magendie, Flourens - French physiologists, colleagues and rivalries, known for their scientific experimentation
Abscess n a swollen area within body tissue, containing an accumulation of pus; ulcer (Ab cis)
Pylorus n the opening from the stomach into the duodenum 幽門 (pie Lor rus)
Strychnine n a bitter and highly poisonous compound obtained from nux vomica and related plants. An alkaloid, it has occasionally been used as a stimulant 番木鱉鹼 (Strik neen)
Strychnos colubrina - latin, a plant species, a poisonous tree related to Strychnos nux-vomica, produces strychnine
Jean Jacques Rousseau - a Genevan philosopher, philosophe, writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolution and the development of modern political, economic, and educational thought.
Mandarin n a powerful official or senior bureaucrat, especially one perceived as reactionary and secretive
Syncope n medical term for a temporary, rapid loss of consciousness and muscle control = fainting or passing out. It occurs due to a sudden, temporary decrease in blood flow to the brain. The loss of consciousness is typically short-lived, followed by a spontaneous complete recovery 暈厥 (Syn co pee)
Anti-spasmodic adj (chiefly of a drug) used to relieve spasm of involuntary muscle; n antispasmodic drug解痙藥

Coming Features
The Lottery (Horror), Metamorphosis (Absurd)

Complete Features
Songs of Dead Dreamer, Last Unicorn, Brothers Karamazov, Fellowship of the Ring, Winnie the Pooh, Jane Eyre, Angels & Demons, Perfume, Great Gatsby, Jekyll & Hyde, Maigret, 1984, Metamorphosis, Dracula, Don Quixote, Dorian Gray, Anne Frank, Lord of the Flies, Liar's Poker, Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Great Expectations

《讀你聽》里程碑 
2021: 0 太太陪同旁聽 全配樂 無剪接 附旁述 總結 文字大綱 不定時播出 
2022: 2.0 全配樂 DaVinci剪接 小字典 作品介紹 智能主持+插畫 文字大綱 定時播出 
2023: 2.1 DaVinci, Descript, CapCut, Suno 大綱+人物介紹+字典 每周播出 
2024: 2.2 初階電容咪 Audacity, ChatGPT注解+插畫 分秒顯示 一小時内容 

Patreon: costasaudiobook
Podcast: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Firstory, Pocket Casts, KKBOX, Noice, Podcast Addict, SoundOn

Show your feedback: https://open.firstory.me/user/cln9oxg7r007d01xyhd0fadj5/comments
CAB - Costa's Audio Book end of the year feature 
Alexandre Dumas "The Count of Monte Cristo"
Plot outline by Auguste Maquet

Early 19th-century Europe, France.
Dantès the protagonist, a young sailor, is cruelly betrayed and wrongfully imprisoned.
Finally breaking free, he uses a hard-earned treasure to accelerate his plans for vengeance.
Re-entering Paris, he dazzles society with wealth and charm.
Weaving subtle schemes, he tests the morals of those around him.
New allies and rivals emerge, shaping the path of his journey.

Volume III Chapter 48-50
00:28 48 Villefort thanks Monte Cristo for saving his family; they debate civilized versus natural justice. Villefort then discloses that his father, Noirtier, a once-powerful Jacobin and senator, now lives paralyzed after a devastating stroke.
28:55 49 Monte Cristo visits Haydée in her lavish rooms, offers her freedom, but she vows loyalty; he reminds her of youth, urging independence, and only asks she conceal her true parentage in Paris.
40:56 50 Monte Cristo visits Maximilian, Julie, and Emmanuel, admiring their blissful home. They recall their benefactor through relics; Monte Cristo suggests Lord Wilmore, while Maximilian’s father insists it was Edmond Dantès’s spirit.

Main Characters
Edmond Dantès / Count of Monte Cristo – Orchestrates the central schemes of justice and revenge, observing and manipulating events in Paris.
Gérard de Villefort – Ambitious royal prosecutor whose household intrigues and past actions against Dantès drive the main conflict in this volume.
Valentine de Villefort – Villefort’s virtuous daughter, central to the household subplot and the target of scheming characters.
Heloïse de Villefort – Villefort’s ruthless second wife, scheming to advance her own family’s interests and create tension in the household.
Noirtier de Villefort – Paralyzed father whose intellect and eye-based communication continue to influence decisions within the Villefort household.
Maximilien Morrel – Loyal suitor to Valentine, representing virtue and directly involved in protecting her and supporting the emotional core of the subplot.
Albert de Morcerf – Present in Paris, socially prominent, manipulated by Monte Cristo, and part of key social observations and schemes.
Bertuccio – Monte Cristo’s agent, whose knowledge of Villefort’s hidden crimes and investigative work enables parts of the revenge plot.

Costa's Wordbook
Regnant adj reigning, ruling; currently having the greatest influence 在位
Magistracy n the office or authority of a magistrate 地方行政 (Ma jis tra cy)
Eminence n fame or acknowledged superiority within a particular sphere; such a person (Em min nence)
Harlay, Molé - references to real historical French statesmen, the former, prominent magistrates and officials in France. They symbolized legal and bureaucratic eminence.
Algebraic adj relating to or involving algebra (al je Bray ic)
Barbarous adj primitive and uncivilized; extremely brutal (Bar ber rus)
pede claudo - latin, punishment comes limping or retribution comes slowly but surely
Tobias - in the Bible, is known for his righteousness and adherence to divine law, which aligns with the Count's argument about the divine nature of retributive justice. (toe Bias)
Expounder n person who explains
Whist n a card game, usually for two pairs of players, in which points are scored according to the number of tricks won; origin of bridge (wist)
Oratorical adj relating to the art or practice of public speaking 演講 演說技巧 (au ra TORical)
Analogous adj comparable in certain respects, typically in a way which makes clearer the nature of the things compared 類似 可比擬 (an NAL ligus)
Delineate v describe or portray (something) precisely; indicate the exact position of a border or boundary 準確描述 勾畫
Debilitated adj in a very weakened and infirm state; v make (someone) very weak and infirm 削弱 使衰弱
Cosmopolite n a cosmopolitan person; cosmopolitan 世界性 (cos MOPolite)
Chicanery n the use of deception or subterfuge to achieve one's purpose 詭辯 詭計 欺詐 (shi CANE nery)
Dissertation n a long essay on a particular subject, especially one written for a university degree or diploma 專題論文 論説
Theologian n a person who engages or is an expert in theology 神學家 神學研究者 (theo LOW gian)
Collegiate adj belonging or relating to a college or its students; (of a university) composed of different colleges 大學 學院 院生 (col LEE giate)
Redoubtable adj (of a person) formidable, especially as an opponent 強敵 可敬 令人敬畏 (re doubt table)
Predominance n the possession or exertion of control or power; the state or condition of being greater in number or amount
non bis in idem - latin, Latin legal principle, also known as the double jeopardy rule in many systems, meaning "not twice in the same thing" or "not twice for the same". It prevents individuals from being tried or punished more than once for the same conduct or crime, acting as a safeguard against abuse of power and promoting legal certainty.
Seneca - Lucius Annaeus Seneca the Younger (c. 4 BC – AD 65), a prominent Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, and dramatist known for his philosophical writings on ethics and his influential role in Roman politics under Emperor Nero. 

Narghile n a hookah (Nar gew lay)
Epirus - a historical region and a modern administrative region in southeastern Europe, now split between northwestern Greece and southern Albania
Parian adj relating to the Greek island of Paros or the fine white marble for which it is renowned (Pair rian)
Whithersoever adv arch. wherever 
Clime n a region considered with reference to its climate 氣候帶

Reciprocally adv in a way that involves two people, or groups of people, who behave in the same way towards each other or agree to help each other (re Sip pre cully)
Noisette - fr, hazelnut
Probity n the quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and decency (Pro bit ty)
Rouleau - fr, roll

Coming Features
The Lottery (Horror), Metamorphosis (Absurd)

Complete Features
Songs of Dead Dreamer, Last Unicorn, Brothers Karamazov, Fellowship of the Ring, Winnie the Pooh, Jane Eyre, Angels & Demons, Perfume, Great Gatsby, Jekyll & Hyde, Maigret, 1984, Metamorphosis, Dracula, Don Quixote, Dorian Gray, Anne Frank, Lord of the Flies, Liar's Poker, Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Great Expectations

《讀你聽》里程碑 
2021: 0 太太陪同旁聽 全配樂 無剪接 附旁述 總結 文字大綱 不定時播出 
2022: 2.0 全配樂 DaVinci剪接 小字典 作品介紹 智能主持+插畫 文字大綱 定時播出 
2023: 2.1 DaVinci, Descript, CapCut, Suno 大綱+人物介紹+字典 每周播出 
2024: 2.2 初階電容咪 Audacity, ChatGPT注解+插畫 分秒顯示 一小時内容 

Patreon: costasaudiobook
Podcast: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Firstory, Pocket Casts, KKBOX, Noice, Podcast Addict, SoundOn

CAB - Costa's Audio Book feature 
"Songs of a Dead Dreamer" by Thomas Ligotti

《讀你聽2.2》另類分享
驚異短篇小說集 怪奇文學基石
托馬斯·利戈蒂 八六年出版《死夢者之歌》
風格融合超現實與存在恐懼
探索腐敗城市與夢境

Dreams for Sleepwalkers
00:28 The Frolic- A prison psychiatrist, Dr. Munck, meets John Doe, a charismatic, supernatural patient whose chilling, otherworldly crimes unsettle Munck’s rational worldview, threatening his family’s safety with eerie, ominous implications in a tense narrative.
32:04 Les Fleurs- A narrator’s romance with florist Daisy unravels amid his secretive life. Her curiosity and a detective’s probing hint at dark secrets, ending ambiguously with looming dread and wilting connections.
49:41 Alice’s Last Adventure- Alice, an aging writer, revisits her surreal children’s stories, blurring reality and fiction. Strange events and a sinister figure haunt her, leading to an ambiguous, unsettling end hinting at her possible demise.
1:27:44 Dream of a Manikin- A psychologist analyzes Miss Locher’s dream of working in a clothing shop, where a lifelike manikin unsettles them. Paranoia grows, blurring dream and reality, as they suspect a mysterious conspiracy involving “you.”
The Nyctalops Trilogy
1:59:20 I The Chymist - Simon, a cryptic chemist, is led to Rosemary’s home in a decaying city, where his talk of an alchemical process warps reality, drawing her into a disturbing, dreamlike mystery with eerie, irreversible consequences.
2:25:13 II Drink to Me Only with Labyrinthine Eyes - A hypnotist showcases his eerily beautiful assistant at a society party, scorns his entranced audience, confronts a skeptical child, and prepares to reveal her horrifying corpse-like reality.
2:47:18 III Eye of the Lynx - An unnamed narrator explores the House of Chains, a BDSM brothel, guided by a dominatrix through surreal, fantasy-laden scenes, blending reality and imagination in a hypnotic, seductive power play.
3:06:35 Notes on the Writing of Horror - what appears to be a guidebook on horror fiction, but slowly this apparatus of learning collapses into the grotesque performance of the horror it aims to describe.
Dreams for Insomniacs
3:50:02 Jack visits Aunt Elise on Christmas Eve, hears a neighbor’s eerie tale, and faces a parallel reality, reliving past holidays with themes of possession and dread amidst festive terror.
4:08:16 A half-vampire painter, raised in the U.S. after his mother’s vampire-related death, is fully transformed by paternal relatives who took over his existence, revealing their terrifying, inhuman nature.
4:47:47 Misanthropic artist Alb Indys, isolated and drawing still lifes, overhears tales of Dr. Thoss, a mad, murderous physician. Thoss, real and legendary, claims Alb, whose death spawns a new urban legend.
5:15:24 Swordsman Faliol, with spectacles revealing existential horror, aids a prince rescuing his beloved from a duke. Wizard-guided, he infiltrates a masked pageant, confronting god Anima Mundi in philosophical torment.
6:01:26 Veech seeks Voke’s aid for a love triangle, luring rivals to a street where unseen forces transform them into a hideous hybrid. Distraught, he confronts Voke, who dies laughing, animating a manikin in a chaotic loft.
6:24:26 An essay on supernatural horror’s appeal, transforming normalcy into darkness, explores morbidity as time’s depletion, pessimism as a gloomy gift, and “existence equals nightmare,” with sardonic harmony evading life’s tormenting affirmations.
Dreams for the Dead
6:37:03 Dr. Locrian’s Asylum - Mr. Crane recalls the town haunted by Dr. Locrian’s abandoned asylum, where apparitions appear in windows; after its destruction, the hauntings persist, and Locrian imparts secrets, ultimately confining Crane in the asylum’s legacy.
6:59:27 The Sect of the Idiot - A traveler visits an unnamed, decaying town, meets a strange figure, uncovers a hidden hooded sect performing rituals in an attic; after contact he’s absorbed into their rites and leaves haunted, changed forever.
7:24:01 The Greater Festival of Masks - Noss visits a town’s mask festival, finds a perfect mask, and helps the shopkeeper. At a party, the mask no longer fits; discarding it, he realizes he has changed before the true festival begins.
7:40:37 The Music of the Moon - Tressor, a sleepless wanderer, attends a bizarre concert by eerie musicians fused with their instruments. Finally asleep, only he awakens to webbed, eyeless spectators, entranced by the moon’s call.
7:58:40 The Journal of J.P. Drapeau - A Poe-like writer’s 1890s diary begins with eerie fantasies and dreamlike visions, but gradually his entries shift into existential dread, self-doubt, and a haunting collapse of identity that consumes his reflections.
8:13:02 Vastarien - Victor Keirion, obsessed with finding the perfect book, discovers a peculiar shop where a crow-like man helps him obtain a mysterious volume. Able to read it uniquely, Victor is transformed, ultimately confessing murder and confined.

Costa's Wordbook
Peregrination n a journey, especially a long or meandering one (pair re grin Nation)
Gauzy adj resembling gauze, thin and translucent

Ensor - a Belgian painter and printmaker, an important influence on expressionism and surrealism who lived in Ostend for most of his life. He was associated with the artistic group Les XX.
Kermesse - fr, a traditional Flemish festival or fair, often with music, dancing, and masked pageantry — the kind of medieval, grotesque, and slightly uncanny celebrations that Bruegel and Ensor depicted in their paintings.
Waif n a homeless, neglected, or abandoned person, especially a child; a young person who is thin and looks unhealthy or uncared for (wave)
Ubiquitous adj present, appearing, or found everywhere (you Bik quit tus)
Prestidigitation n conjuring tricks performed as entertainment (Pres ti digit Taytion)
Mote n a tiny piece of a substance, a speck (like note)

Claustral adj enveloping, confining; relating to a cloister or religious house (Clos stral)
Paling adj a fence made from pointed wooden or metal posts (Pay ling)
Librairie de Grimoires - fr, Grimoire Bookstore
Liturgy n a form or formulary according to which public religious worship, especially Christian worship, is conducted; arch. the Book of Common Prayer 禮拜儀式 (Lit ter gy)
Esoterica n esoteric or highly specialized subjects or publications 深奥 (Es so terica)
Cynothoglys - a fictional entity created by the author, appears as a shapeless, multiform entity with a single arm used for catching those who summoned her, and bringing them a painless, ecstatic death
Arrantly adv utterly, completely, or thoroughly
Provenance n the place of origin or earliest known history of something (Prov ven nance)
Musculature n the system or arrangement of muscles in a body, part of the body, or an organ
Suchness n the quality or state of being such: essential or characteristic quality

Upcoming features: 
The Count of Monte Cristo (Classic), The Lottery (Horror), Metamorphosis (Absurd)

Complete Collections: 
Last Unicorn, Brothers Karamazov, Fellowship of the Ring, Winnie the Pooh, Jane Eyre, Angels and Demons, Perfume, Great Gatsby, Jekyll and Hyde, Maigret, 1984, Metamorphosis, Dracula, Don Quixote, Dorian Gray, Diary of a Young Girl, Lord of the Flies, Liar's Poker, Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Great Expectations

《讀你聽》里程碑 
2021: 0 太太陪同旁聽 全配樂 無剪接 附旁述 總結 文字大綱 不定時播出 
2022: 2.0 全配樂 DaVinci剪接 小字典 作品介紹 智能主持+插畫 文字大綱 定時播出 
2023: 2.1 DaVinci, Descript, CapCut, Suno 大綱+人物介紹+字典 每周播出 
2024: 2.2 初階電容咪 Audacity, ChatGPT注解+插畫 分秒顯示 一小時内容 

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/costasaudiobook/membership 
Also Available: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Firstory, Pocket Casts, KKBOX, Noice, Podcast Addict, SoundOn

CAB - Costa's Audio Book feature 
"Songs of a Dead Dreamer" by Thomas Ligotti

《讀你聽2.2》八九月另類分享
驚異短篇小說集 怪奇文學基石
托馬斯·利戈蒂 八六年出版《死夢者之歌》
風格融合超現實與存在恐懼
探索腐敗城市與夢境

Dreams for the Dead
00:25 Dr. Locrian’s Asylum - Mr. Crane recalls the town haunted by Dr. Locrian’s abandoned asylum, where apparitions appear in windows; after its destruction, the hauntings persist, and Locrian imparts secrets, ultimately confining Crane in the asylum’s legacy.
22:50 The Sect of the Idiot - A traveler visits an unnamed, decaying town, meets a strange figure, uncovers a hidden hooded sect performing rituals in an attic; after contact he’s absorbed into their rites and leaves haunted, changed forever.
47:24 The Greater Festival of Masks - Noss visits a town’s mask festival, finds a perfect mask, and helps the shopkeeper. At a party, the mask no longer fits; discarding it, he realizes he has changed before the true festival begins.

Costa's Wordbook
Pocked adj US marked with pustules or with pits
Funereal adj having the mournful, sombre character appropriate to a funeral (Few ner real)
Curiosa n curiosities, especially erotic or pornographic books or articles (Que rioe sa)
Mysteriarch n One who rules over mysteries (mis Steer riarch)
Habiliment n arch. Clothing (ha Billi ment)

Azathoth - a fictional, supreme, and chaotic deity from H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, known as the "Nuclear Chaos," "Daemon Sultan," and "Blind Idiot God"
Necronomicon - a fictional book of forbidden knowledge, most famously appearing in the horror stories of H. P. Lovecraft, and is often translated as "the Book of the Law of the Dead"
Adumbrate v represent in outline; foreshadow a future event (Adam brate)
Arcana n secrets or mysteries (ar Kay na)
Cache n a collection of items of the same type stored in a hidden or inaccessible place (cash)
Malign adj evil in nature or effect; v speak about (someone) in a spitefully critical manner (me Line)
Cataleptic adj affected by or characteristic of catalepsy (cata Lep tic)

Amble v walk or move at a slow, relaxed pace; n a walk at a slow, relaxed pace, especially for pleasure
Reliquiae n remains (re Lick qui ee)

Upcoming features: 
The Count of Monte Cristo (Classic), The Lottery (Horror), Metamorphosis (Absurd)

Complete Collections: 
Last Unicorn, Brothers Karamazov, Fellowship of the Ring, Winnie the Pooh, Jane Eyre, Angels and Demons, Perfume, Great Gatsby, Jekyll and Hyde, Maigret, 1984, Metamorphosis, Dracula, Don Quixote, Dorian Gray, Diary of a Young Girl, Lord of the Flies, Liar's Poker, Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Great Expectations

《讀你聽》里程碑 
2021: 0 太太陪同旁聽 全配樂 無剪接 附旁述 總結 文字大綱 不定時播出 
2022: 2.0 全配樂 DaVinci剪接 小字典 作品介紹 智能主持+插畫 文字大綱 定時播出 
2023: 2.1 DaVinci, Descript, CapCut, Suno 大綱+人物介紹+字典 每周播出 
2024: 2.2 初階電容咪 Audacity, ChatGPT注解+插畫 分秒顯示 一小時内容 

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/costasaudiobook/membership 
Also Available: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Firstory, Pocket Casts, KKBOX, Noice, Podcast Addict, SoundOn

Show your feedback: https://open.firstory.me/user/cln9oxg7r007d01xyhd0fadj5/comments
CAB - Costa's Audio Book end of the year feature 
Alexandre Dumas "The Count of Monte Cristo"
Plot outline by Auguste Maquet

Early 19th-century Europe, France.
Dantès the protagonist, a young sailor, is cruelly betrayed and wrongfully imprisoned.
Finally breaking free, he uses a hard-earned treasure to accelerate his plans for vengeance.
Re-entering Paris, he dazzles society with wealth and charm.
Weaving subtle schemes, he tests the morals of those around him.
New allies and rivals emerge, shaping the path of his journey.

Volume II Chapter 28-47
00:27 28 Disguised as a Thomson & French representative, Dantès visits Marseilles' mayor, who redirects him to prison inspector Boville, holding large Morrel stakes. Dantès buys them at full price, views Faria's records, secretly pockets his own Danglars-Fernand accusation letter, and confirms Villefort's life sentence order.
14:50 29 The British man arrives at Morrel Shipping to collect debts. Coincidentally, Pharaoh's crew reports the ship sunk, but all safe. The boss pays wages, urges them to leave; crew hesitates. He grants three months' extension and whispers a mystery to the daughter.
40:31 30 Insolvent Morrel, refusing bankruptcy's shame, plans suicide but is stopped by returning son Maximilian. Even the visitor despairs over debts. Then, the daughter announces joy: a mysterious giant diamond dowry arrives, and Pharaoh returns loaded with cargo, fully restored.
1:13:48 31 Baron Franz, at sea hunting, heeds sailor Gaetano's suggestion to hunt goats on Monte Cristo island. He stumbles upon smugglers; their leader invites him to dine at his mansion, blindfolded. Craving adventure and sensing immense wealth, Franz agrees without suspicion. A lavish feast in a luxurious cavern follows, where the two bond joyfully.
2:03:47 32 The next morning, Franz searches for hours for Sinbad’s hidden grotto entrance but fails. He heads to Rome to meet Viscount Albert de Morcerf, son of Count Fernand Mondego, for the pre-Lent carnival. Arriving late and unprepared, they can't rent a coach needed for festivities.
2:16:11 33 The hotel owner warns Franz and Albert of bandit dangers, especially Luigi Vampa. Skeptical guests prompt Vampa's tale: a quick-minded young shepherd who loved learning, sculpting, shooting, and beautiful Teresa. Fleeing bandit chief Cucumetto hides with them, despite a large capture reward.
3:17:27 34 The hotel owner continues: At a splendid party, Teresa danced with a nobleman, coveting the hostess's ornate costume. Envious Vampa, desperate to claim her, promises it, then sets the house ablaze, stealing it amid panic. He guides lost traveler Sinbad, earning two jewels in return.
4:25:26 35 At the Colosseum, Franz overhears Monte Cristo (Dantès) promise bandit chief Vampa to buy innocent shepherd Peppino's freedom from a beheading for aiding bandits with food; Vampa pledges eternal loyalty. Next evening at the opera, Monte Cristo arrives with stunning Haydée in Greek attire. Countess G— fears him as a vampire. Morning brings news of his loaned coach for the carnival. Franz and Albert visit, shocked he's the island host.
4:57:05 36 Before breakfast, Monte Cristo invites Franz and Albert to view an execution from his private windows, confessing his fascination with them. They debate human justice's flaws. At the event, Peppino is reprieved; Monte Cristo impassively watches the other's brutal death, savoring vengeance's fulfillment.
5:37:39 37 During the three days of the carnival, Albert becomes engaged in an elaborate flirtation with a beautiful woman. He is eager to have several love affairs while in Rome and decides to devote all his energies to pursuing this opportunity.
6:11:27 38 The beautiful woman is Luigi Vampa’s mistress Teresa, setting a trap to kidnap Albert during flirtation. Franz gets a ransom note, seeks Monte Cristo's aid. Peppino guides them to the Catacombs of Saint Sebastian lair. Vampa warmly greets Monte Cristo, frees Albert with apologies. Unfazed yet grateful, Albert thanks his savior.
6:29:57 39 For saving his life, Monte Cristo requests Albert introduce him to Parisian society in three months. Delighted, Albert agrees. Franz, wary after noting Monte Cristo's involuntary shudder shaking hands, warns of the island encounter and overheard Colosseum talk with Vampa—yet Albert grows more enchanted.
6:46:26 40 On the day Monte Cristo is due at Albert’s house, Albert hosts a breakfast with friends eagerly awaiting the Count's arrival. Key guests include Lucien Debray, secretary to the interior minister, and Beauchamp, a prominent journalist.
7:36:42 41 At Albert’s, Monte Cristo charms all but singles out Maximilian, who once saved Château-Renaud. Maximilian annually marks his father’s miraculous deliverance with heroic deeds. Monte Cristo recounts capturing Luigi Vampa, sparing him under lasting protection.
8:07:40 42 Albert tours Monte Cristo through his home, displaying a sorrowful portrait of Mercédès. Introduced to his parents, Fernand is charmed, failing to recognize Dantès. Mercédès knows him instantly, terrified, and cryptically warns Albert against danger.
8:17:23 43 After taking leave of the Morcerf family, Monte Cristo purchases a summerhouse in Auteuil. The previous owner was the Marquis of Saint-Méran, whose daughter married Villefort and died soon after.
8:31:50 44 Monte Cristo inspects his summerhouse, while steward Bertuccio grows visibly distraught. Pressed for answers, Bertuccio reveals a tangled, ominous history tied to the estate, setting the stage for confessions that deepen Monte Cristo’s unfolding designs.
9:21:53 45 Bertuccio recounts vengeance on Villefort: stabbing him at Auteuil, discovering and rescuing a buried infant, Benedetto, who grew vicious and vanished. Later, smuggling in France, Bertuccio hid in Caderousse’s inn, witnessing a sinister plot unfold.
9:54:29 46 Caderousse murders jeweler and wife, framing Bertuccio, who’s jailed until Abbé Busoni intervenes. Freed after Caderousse confesses, Bertuccio becomes Monte Cristo’s steward. Meanwhile, Benedetto, cruel from childhood, murders his adoptive mother for money, sealing his monstrous path.
10:26:00 47 Monte Cristo schemes to charm Danglars and Villefort: he overpays for Madame Danglars’s prized horses, then flaunts them pulling his coach while establishing limitless credit with Danglars, leaving the banker humbled and astonished.

Main Characters
Count of Monte Cristo/ Edmond Dantès – now fully assuming his role, manipulating Parisian society.
Albert de Morcerf – Fernand and Mercédès’s son, Monte Cristo’s key link into Parisian aristocracy.
Fernand Mondego (Count de Morcerf) – now a senator, married to Mercédès.
Mercédès (de Morcerf)– Fernand’s wife, Albert’s mother, who instantly recognizes Monte Cristo.
Baron Danglars – now a wealthy banker, ambitious, one of Monte Cristo’s main targets.
Eugénie Danglars – talented pianist, pressured toward a marriage alliance.
Heloïse de Villefort – Dominates the household intrigue; her secretive, manipulative actions drive much tension.
Valentine de Villefort – moral center, target of Heloïse’s schemes, and love interest of Maximilien Morrel.
Maximilian Morrel – son of Dantès’s former employer, a French army captain, admired by Monte Cristo.
Haydée – mysterious, dignified companion/slave who accompanies the Count in Paris society.

End of the year features: 
Horror- Songs of a Dead Dreamer, The Lottery; Classic- The Count of Monte Cristo; Absurd- Metamorphosis 

Complete Collections: 
Last Unicorn, Brothers Karamazov, Fellowship of the Ring, Winnie the Pooh, Jane Eyre, Angels and Demons, Perfume, Great Gatsby, Jekyll and Hyde, Maigret, 1984, Metamorphosis, Dracula, Don Quixote, Dorian Gray, Diary of a Young Girl, Lord of the Flies, Liar's Poker, Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Great Expectations

《讀你聽》里程碑 
2021: 0 太太陪同旁聽 全配樂 無剪接 附旁述 總結 文字大綱 不定時播出 
2022: 2.0 全配樂 DaVinci剪接 小字典 作品介紹 智能主持+插畫 文字大綱 定時播出 
2023: 2.1 DaVinci, Descript, CapCut, Suno 大綱+人物介紹+字典 每周播出 
2024: 2.2 初階電容咪 Audacity, ChatGPT注解+插畫 分秒顯示 一小時内容 

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/costasaudiobook/membership 
Podcast: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Firstory, Pocket Casts, KKBOX, Noice, Podcast Addict, SoundOn

Show your feedback: https://open.firstory.me/user/cln9oxg7r007d01xyhd0fadj5/comments
CAB - Costa's Audio Book end of the year feature 
Alexandre Dumas "The Count of Monte Cristo"
Plot outline by Auguste Maquet

Early 19th-century Europe, France.
Dantès, a young sailor, is cruelly betrayed and wrongfully imprisoned.
His only consolation is an elder who imparts knowledge and guidance.
Long imprisonment breeds Dantès thoughts of escape and revenge.
Finally breaking free, he uses a hidden treasure to accelerate his plans for vengeance.
Now reveals his first target of his revenge...

Volume I Chapter 1-27
00:27 1 After the Pharaon’s captain dies, Edmond Dantès, the young first mate, brings the ship safely to Marseilles, explains their stop to Moréchal Bertrand, praises Danglars despite envy, and is promised promotion to captain.
18:26 2 Dantès returns home to find his father starved after paying Caderousse’s debt, gives him money and news of his promotion, then meets Caderousse and Danglars, who grumble about Mercédès’s companion.
33:10 3 Dantès visits Mercédès, finds her with Fernand, who leaves enraged after her passionate embrace. Fernand meets Danglars and Caderousse, sharing anger at Dantès. When told of the planned wedding, Danglars plots secretly.
57:04 4 Danglars drafts a letter accusing Dantès of carrying Napoleon’s message to the Bonapartist Committee. Caderousse objects, Danglars discards it, but Fernand retrieves it, intending to send it and ensure Dantès’s imprisonment.
1:10:19 5 Royal guards arrest Dantès at his betrothal feast with Mercédès, and Danglars becomes the captain of the Pharaon until Dantès's release.
1:43:29 6 During his betrothal party to the daughter of the Marquis of Saint-Méran, Villefort, the royalist deputy public prosecutor of Marseilles and son of a prominent Bonapartist, is called away to deal with a Bonapartist plot.
2:11:13 7 Despite Morrel's intercession and his own belief in Dantès's innocence, Villefort decides to send him away after Dantès mentions the Bonapartist letter was addressed to Villefort's father, Noirtier.
2:32:26 8 When Dantès is sent to the dungeon in the Château D'If prison, he hears about a prisoner who often promises the guards a fortune for his liberation.
2:51:52 9 As Villefort leaves his fiancée's home to see King Louis XVIII in Paris, he encounters Mercédès seeking information about Dantès and feels regret.
3:03:04 10 Villefort rushes to Paris and tells the king there is a conspiracy to bring Napoleon back to power.
3:20:59 11 Villefort's warning has come too late, as Napoleon is already marching on Paris, but he wins the king's gratitude.
3:54:09 12 Villefort tells his father the police are looking for someone like him who has murdered a royalist general. Noirtier shaves his beard, changes his clothes, and leaves, telling Villefort Napoleon is advancing.
2:52:55 13 After Napoleon returns, Morrel pleads for Dantès unsuccessfully, Danglars flees to Madrid, Fernand joins Napoleon’s army, Dantès’s father dies, and after a hundred days, Napoleon is deposed, restoring Louis XVIII.
4:10:48 14 Dantès begs the inspector-general of prisons for a fair trial, but when he sees Villefort's note saying Dantès took an active part in Napoleon's return, he decides he cannot help him.
4:30:35 15 When Dantès, after six years in prison, decides to kill himself, he hears a scratching sound coming from the other side of his cell. He manages to make a hole in the wall and meet his neighbor.
5:05:14 16 Dantès learns his neighbor is Abbé Faria, imprisoned for being an agitator for a unified Italy and who believed he was digging a tunnel to freedom.
5:31:47 17 After hearing Dantès’s story, Faria reveals Danglars, Fernand, and Villefort’s betrayals, sparking thoughts of revenge. Over two years, Faria teaches Dantès and they plan escape, but Faria becomes paralyzed, and Dantès stays.
6:21:09 18 Faria reveals a hidden treasure on Monte Cristo Island left by his former employer’s last descendant, now belonging to Dantès as his spiritual son, and shows him a paper detailing the treasure’s exact location.
6:50:56 19 Faria makes Dantès memorize the directions to the treasure and, some days later, dies.
7:14:17 20 Dantès cuts open Faria’s shroud, places Faria’s body in his cell, and hides inside it, planning to dig out after burial, but the guards tie a cannonball to him and throw him into the sea.
7:25:31 21 Dantès manages to escape from the shroud and swim to an island. After a storm, he floats toward a ship and convinces the sailors to take him on as one of their crew.
7:46:57 22 Dantès discovers the sailors are smugglers, makes himself useful and respected by them, and learns the captain has decided to go to Monte Cristo for an illegal transaction.
8:05:25 23 On the island, Dantès pretends to injure himself and convinces the men to leave him behind and return after a week.
8:23:37 24 Once the men are gone, Dantès discovers the enormous treasure and prays to God in gratitude.
8:43:27 25 Dantès pockets precious stones, sells diamonds, buys a ship and crew for Jacopo, learns Louis Dantès is dead and Mercédès missing, sails to Marseilles, and secretly purchases his father’s house as Lord Wilmore.
9:03:18 26 Disguised as Abbé Busoni, Dantès visits Caderousse, now a poor innkeeper, tells him Dantès is dead, and that a diamond should be shared among those he loved: his father, Caderousse, Danglars, Fernand, and Mercédès.
9:38:10 27 Caderousse, seeking the diamond, confesses his role in Dantès’s imprisonment, convincing him to give it. Dantès learns Danglars is wealthy, Fernand married Mercédès, and Morrel nears financial ruin via a red silk purse.

Main Characters
Edmond Dantès – Young sailor, honest and ambitious, betrayed and imprisoned unjustly.
Fernand Mondego – Dantès’s rival, jealous and scheming, responsible for part of his downfall.
Mercédès – Dantès’s fiancée, loyal and loving, caught between hope and despair.
Danglars – Ambitious shipmate, envious of Dantès’s promotion, conspires against him.
Gérard de Villefort – Ambitious deputy prosecutor, prioritizes career over justice, key to Dantès’s imprisonment.
Caderousse – Neighbor and minor accomplice, greedy and morally weak, aware of plots against Dantès.
Abbé Faria – Imprisoned scholar and mentor, educates Dantès and reveals the treasure’s location.
Noirtier de Villefort – Villefort’s father, politically influential, opposed to royalist conspiracies.

End of the year features: 
Horror- Songs of a Dead Dreamer, The Lottery; Classic- The Count of Monte Cristo; Absurd- Metamorphosis 

Complete Collections: 
Last Unicorn, Brothers Karamazov, Fellowship of the Ring, Winnie the Pooh, Jane Eyre, Angels and Demons, Perfume, Great Gatsby, Jekyll and Hyde, Maigret, 1984, Metamorphosis, Dracula, Don Quixote, Dorian Gray, Diary of a Young Girl, Lord of the Flies, Liar's Poker, Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Great Expectations

《讀你聽》里程碑 
2021: 0 太太陪同旁聽 全配樂 無剪接 附旁述 總結 文字大綱 不定時播出 
2022: 2.0 全配樂 DaVinci剪接 小字典 作品介紹 智能主持+插畫 文字大綱 定時播出 
2023: 2.1 DaVinci, Descript, CapCut, Suno 大綱+人物介紹+字典 每周播出 
2024: 2.2 初階電容咪 Audacity, ChatGPT注解+插畫 分秒顯示 一小時内容 

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/costasaudiobook/membership 
Podcast: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Firstory, Pocket Casts, KKBOX, Noice, Podcast Addict, SoundOn

Show your feedback: https://open.firstory.me/user/cln9oxg7r007d01xyhd0fadj5/comments
CAB - Costa's Audio Book feature 
"The Last Unicorn" by Peter S. Beagle

A Timeless fantasy.
A unicorn quests to find her lost kin.
Enchanting prose weaves magic, loss, and love.
A cult classic, cherished by generations.
Inspired a beloved 1982 animated film, of the same title.

I - XIV
00:28 I A unicorn, learning from the hunters that she may be the last, starts a quest to seek others of her kind. Guided by the butterfly’s cryptic words, she encounters Mommy Fortuna’s deceptive carnival in her enchanted journey.
27:23 II Captured by Mommy Fortuna’s Midnight Carnival, the Unicorn meets Schmendrick, a bumbling magician, and encounters Celaeno, a caged harpy, amid the carnival’s deceptive, magical spectacles.
50:18 III Schmendrick frees the Unicorn from Mommy Fortuna’s carnival, whom in turn releases the animals. The harpy, freed, turns on the slave drivers, while the unicorn watches grimly, knowing such fates are inevitable.
1:10:58 IV The Unicorn grants Schmendrick’s wish to join her quest for freeing her. They seek King Haggard and the Red Bull. Schmendrick’s botched magic in a town angers the mayor; raiders abduct him.
1:33:06 V Schmendrick meets Captain Cully, a jovial outlaw leader, and skeptical Molly Grue. Cully’s ballads bore his men; Schmendrick’s magic conjures Robin Hood figures, angering Cully, who ties him up and sings.
1:57:10 VI Schmendrick’s magic misfires, enchanting a tree to love him. The unicorn frees him. Molly Grue, awestruck, joins their quest. Revitalized, she guides them to cursed Hagsgate, near King Haggard’s doomed castle.
2:19:28 VII In thriving Hagsgate, Drinn reveals a curse tying the town to Haggard’s castle. A foundling, now Prince Lír, may doom both. Schmendrick is paid to poison Lír but won’t. The Red Bull charges.
2:47:32 VIII The Red Bull chases the Unicorn toward Haggard’s castle. Schmendrick transforms her into a human girl. She struggles with her new identity, urged to continue the quest despite her despair.
3:14:42 IX Amalthea, now human, enters Haggard’s castle with Schmendrick and Molly. Haggard, seeking change, replaces Mabruk with Schmendrick. Lír admires Amalthea, who feels estranged. Tensions rise, hinting unfulfilled yearn.
3:42:32 X In Haggard’s scullery, Lír laments failing to win Amalthea’s heart despite slaying dragons. Molly suggests kindness, tends a talking cat, and comforts Amalthea, who struggles with her unicorn identity loss.
4:12:41 XI Lír vows to quietly love Amalthea after slaying an ogre. Schmendrick tires of Haggard’s knowing games. Lír and Amalthea bond over her unicorn struggles; Haggard obsesses over sea-bound unicorns, ruled by the Red Bull.
4:47:01 XII Molly, Schmendrick, and Amalthea confront a mocking skull in Haggard’s castle for Red Bull clues. It betrays them as guards attack; Amalthea boldly passes through the clock, vanishing into the unknown.
5:11:04 XIII Amalthea, Lír, Schmendrick, and Molly navigate a dark passage, grappling with identity and love. Amalthea fears losing Lír upon reverting. Lír shields her from the Red Bull, getting injured; she transforms back to unicorn.
5:45:09 XIV The unicorn revives Lír, who becomes king after Haggard’s fall. Hagsgate lies ruined. Lír confronts Drinn, embraces leadership. Schmendrick and Molly depart, meeting Alison, sent to Lír, as hope dawns.

Main Characters
The Unicorn - Immortal and beautiful, albeit a little vain, she leaves the safety of her forest upon learning that she is the last unicorn in the world, with information about the Red Bull as her only clue.
Schmendrick - A bumbling magician, works at Mommy Fortuna’s carnival, craving real magical power; recognizing the captured Unicorn’s true nature, he frees her and joins her quest. 
Molly Grue - Captain Cully’s common-law wife, eloped with him as a young woman, drawn to his outlaw allure, but ended up cooking for his ragged band, her romantic dreams unfulfilled.
King Haggard - A miserable and cruel ruler who cares for no one, not even his adopted son. His loneliness alleviated only by the sight of unicorns, he wishes to capture all unicorns for his own pleasure, in tandem with the Red Bull.
Prince Lir - Haggard’s adopted son, admires Amalthea, unaware she’s a unicorn, he is tied to a curse and known for charm but passive in his father’s bleak court.
Red Bull - A formidable fiery beast with menacing horns that has chased and charged-down unicorns, driving them into the sea. Only the defeat of the Red Bull can release the captive unicorns.

Costa's Wordbook
Harebell n a widely distributed bellflower with slender stems and pale blue flowers in late summer
Lupin n a plant of the pea family with deeply divided leaves and tall colourful tapering spikes of flowers
Foxglove n a tall Eurasian plant with erect spikes of pinkish-purple (or white) flowers shaped like the fingers of gloves, a source of the drug digitalis (Fox glove)
Mallow n a herbaceous plant with hairy stems, pink or purple flowers, and disc-shaped fruit
Roupy adj hoarse or husky (Roo pee)
Gramarye n occult learning, necromancy, magic, or enchantment (Grammary) 
Hull n the outer covering of a fruit or seed, especially the pod of peas and beans, or the husk of grain; the main body of a ship or other vessel, including the bottom, sides, and deck but not the masts, superstructure, rigging, engines, and other fittings 
au secours - fr, help

End of the year features: 
Horror- Songs of a Dead Dreamer, The Lottery; Phantasy- The Last Unicorn; Classic- The Count of Monte Cristo; Absurd- Metamorphosis 

Complete Collections: 
Brothers Karamazov, Fellowship of the Ring, Winnie the Pooh, Jane Eyre, Angels and Demons, Perfume, Great Gatsby, Jekyll and Hyde, Maigret, 1984, Metamorphosis, Dracula, Don Quixote, Dorian Gray, Diary of a Young Girl, Lord of the Flies, Liar's Poker, Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Great Expectations

《讀你聽》里程碑 
2021: 0 太太陪同旁聽 全配樂 無剪接 附旁述 總結 文字大綱 不定時播出 
2022: 2.0 全配樂 DaVinci剪接 小字典 作品介紹 智能主持+插畫 文字大綱 定時播出 
2023: 2.1 DaVinci, Descript, CapCut, Suno 大綱+人物介紹+字典 每周播出 
2024: 2.2 初階電容咪 Audacity, ChatGPT注解+插畫 分秒顯示 一小時内容 

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/costasaudiobook/membership 
Podcast: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Firstory, Pocket Casts, KKBOX, Noice, Podcast Addict, SoundOn

CAB - Costa's Audio Book feature 
"Songs of a Dead Dreamer" by Thomas Ligotti

《讀你聽2.2》八月另類分享
驚異短篇小說集 怪奇文學基石
托馬斯·利戈蒂 八六年出版《死夢者的歌》
風格融合超現實與存在恐懼
探索腐敗城市與夢境

Dreams for Insomniacs
00:29 Jack visits Aunt Elise on Christmas Eve, hears a neighbor’s eerie tale, and faces a parallel reality, reliving past holidays with themes of possession and dread amidst festive terror.
18:39 A half-vampire painter, raised in the U.S. after his mother’s vampire-related death, is fully transformed by paternal relatives who took over his existence, revealing their terrifying, inhuman nature.
58:09 Misanthropic artist Alb Indys, isolated and drawing still lifes, overhears tales of Dr. Thoss, a mad, murderous physician. Thoss, real and legendary, claims Alb, whose death spawns a new urban legend.
1:25:47 Swordsman Faliol, with spectacles revealing existential horror, aids a prince rescuing his beloved from a duke. Wizard-guided, he infiltrates a masked pageant, confronting god Anima Mundi in philosophical torment.
2:11:48 Veech seeks Voke’s aid for a love triangle, luring rivals to a street where unseen forces transform them into a hideous hybrid. Distraught, he confronts Voke, who dies laughing, animating a manikin in a chaotic loft.
2:34:49 An essay on supernatural horror’s appeal, transforming normalcy into darkness, explores morbidity as time’s depletion, pessimism as a gloomy gift, and “existence equals nightmare,” with sardonic harmony evading life’s tormenting affirmations.

Costa's Wordbook
Tenebrous adj dark, shadowy or obscure (Ten ne brus)
Antic adj arch. grotesque or bizarre
Hapless adj (especially of a person) unfortunate

Banality n the fact or condition of being banal, unoriginality 陳腐 (Benality)
Repudiation n rejection of a proposal or idea (re Pew diation)
Polemic n a speech or piece of writing expressing a strongly critical attack on or controversial opinion about someone or something 辯論文 (poe Lem mic)
Velleity n a wish or inclination not strong enough to lead to action 微願 空想 (ve Lee eity) 
Episodically adv something happening occasionally, irregularly, or in distinct, separate parts, rather than continuously or regularly (epi Sodic cally)
Impermanence n the state or fact of lasting for only a limited period of time (im Perm men nance)
Macabre adj disturbing because concerned with or causing a fear of death (Me Ca bre)

End of the year features: 
Horror- Songs of a Dead Dreamer, The Lottery; Phantasy- The Last Unicorn; Philosophical- Brothers Karamazov; Absurd- Metamorphosis 

Complete Collections: 
The Fellowship of the Ring, Winnie the Pooh, Jane Eyre, Angels and Demons, Perfume, Great Gatsby, Jekyll and Hyde, Maigret, 1984, Metamorphosis, Dracula, Don Quixote, Dorian Gray, Diary of a Young Girl, Lord of the Flies, Liar's Poker, Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Great Expectations

《讀你聽》里程碑 
2021: 0 太太陪同旁聽 全配樂 無剪接 附旁述 總結 文字大綱 不定時播出 
2022: 2.0 全配樂 DaVinci剪接 小字典 作品介紹 智能主持+插畫 文字大綱 定時播出 
2023: 2.1 DaVinci, Descript, CapCut, Suno 大綱+人物介紹+字典 每周播出 
2024: 2.2 初階電容咪 Audacity, ChatGPT注解+插畫 分秒顯示 一小時内容 

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/costasaudiobook/membership 
Also Available: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Firstory, Pocket Casts, KKBOX, Noice, Podcast Addict, SoundOn