Der Graf von Monte Christo, Band 1: Der Gefangene von If
Retold in easy German (B2) from the novel by Alexandre Dumas
Marseilles, 1815: nineteen-year-old Edmond Dantès sails back into port as first mate of the Pharaon. He is to be made captain and to marry Mercédès tomorrow. But an envious man writes a letter, a jealous man carries it to the post, and an ambitious prosecutor burns it because it could ruin his own father. Edmond vanishes into the dungeons of the Château d'If. Fourteen years later there is a knocking on the wall: in the next cell sits an abbé who knows everything, even who betrayed Edmond, and where a treasure lies. An escape in a shroud, a leap into the sea, an island. Alexandre Dumas' famous novel, its first twenty-four chapters retold chapter by chapter for young readers.
In German and English · 25 chapters · about 39,700 words · 4 h 45 min to read.
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How it begins
Marseille – die Ankunft
Marseilles – The Arrival
Am 24. Februar 1815 meldete der Ausguck von Notre-Dame de la Garde einen Dreimaster, und ganz Marseille wusste sofort, wer da kam: die Pharaon, aus Smyrna, Triest und Neapel. Aber sie kam zu langsam. Irgendetwas stimmte nicht, und die Leute spürten es, lange bevor sie es erklären konnten.
On the 24th of February 1815 the lookout at Notre-Dame de la Garde signalled a three-master, and all Marseilles knew at once who it was: the Pharaon, from Smyrna, Trieste and Naples. But she was coming too slowly. Something was wrong, and the people sensed it long before they could have explained it.
Wie immer lief ein Lotsenboot hinaus, und wie immer füllten sich die Mauern von Fort Saint-Jean mit Schaulustigen. Die Pharaon war der Stolz der Stadt, denn sie war in Marseille gebaut und beladen worden, und sie gehörte einem Reeder, der hier zu Hause war. Doch sie glitt so gemächlich zwischen den Inseln hindurch, dass die Müssiggänger auf der Mauer unruhig wurden. «Wer gute Nachrichten bringt, lässt sich nicht so viel Zeit», grummelte ein alter Fischer.
As always, a pilot boat put out, and as always the walls of Fort Saint-Jean filled with onlookers. The Pharaon was the pride of the city, for she had been built and loaded in Marseilles, and she belonged to a shipowner who lived there. Yet she glided between the islands so leisurely that the idlers on the wall grew uneasy. “A man who brings good news doesn’t take his time like that,” grumbled an old fisherman.
Languages
- Der Graf von Monte Christo, Band 1: Der Gefangene von If · German (original)B2 Intermediate · 39,725 words · ~4 h 30 min
- The Count of Monte Cristo, Volume 1: The Prisoner of If · EnglishB2 Intermediate · 42,710 words · ~4 h 45 min
Open it in the reader: all 2 language pairs
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Reading it as a parallel text
A parallel text puts a story next to its translation, paragraph by paragraph. Read in the language you are working on and glance across only when a sentence stops you: the story keeps moving, and the words you look up stay in context. More in how to read with a parallel text.
Questions
- Which languages can I read Der Graf von Monte Christo, Band 1: Der Gefangene von If in?
- German and English. Pick the language you want to read and the one to keep beside it: every paragraph sits next to its translation, so you can check a sentence without losing your place.
- What level is it?
- The original German is B2 Intermediate. In translation, English is B2 Intermediate. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from A1 (beginner) to C2.
- How long is it?
- About 39,725 words in 25 chapters: around 4 h 45 min of reading, with the translation beside it. The time depends on the edition's level: an easier edition is read more slowly.
- Is it free?
- Yes. Read it online with no account. The downloads (PDF, EPUB, and AZW3 and MOBI for Kindle) need a free account.
- Can I read it on a Kindle or Kobo?
- Yes. Download the EPUB for Kobo, Apple Books and most e-readers, or the AZW3 or MOBI for a Kindle, with each paragraph followed by its translation. There is also a side-by-side PDF to print, and each language on its own.