The Count of Monte Cristo
This is possibly the most artfully crafted, detailed and poetically written story I have ever read. The characters have infinite depth and beguile the reader with a fascinating realness which is impossible to resist. The rawness of the story, while being composed in a form that is more grand than a Michelangelo painting, creates a titillating contrast which further reveals the starkness of revenge, hate, and-perhaps most significantly, love.