The Man in the Iron Mask. Александр Дюма

Considered one of Dumas' most beloved novels and one of the best-selling works of its day, «The Count of Monte Cristo» is an expansive adventure novel with a huge cast of characters, all revolving around the young sailor Edmond Dantès. Wrongfully accused of aiding the exiled Napoleon, Dantès is arrested on the day of his wedding and imprisoned on the island prison, Chateau d'If. He survives years of cramped confinement and eventually befriends another prisoner, an Italian who knows the location of a treasure: the island of Monte Cristo. After an intrepid escape, Dantès utilizes his new fortune to extract revenge from his enemies, pursuing those who imprisoned him to a bitter end for all concerned. An ageless tale with a remarkable amount of endurance, mercy, courage, and hope, «The Count of Monte Cristo» endures as one of the nineteenth century's classics of literature.