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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