In The Count of Monte Cristo, after Edmond gets his financial freedom, he travels. During this time he learns other culture's customs, he learns the secrets of those he is going to punish, and hardens his heart.
Other than that, we don't really know what he does. If Dumas had writen another book that covered this period of Edmond's life in detail, would you read it or do you think the story works well because we know so little?
I think Edmond went to the east in the first place not to be caught.
In the second place to learn from the muslims, who were far further advanced in sciece than we were in Europe. So he knew about psychology, medicine, etc.
In the third place because he had to learn the manners of high society, and where is there a better place than in arabic countries that were considered as the best mannered of them all...
Also the reason why Edmond had to disappear was to bring other sinistre caracters into the book, who seemed to come from the other world and also disappeared in it after their appearance. First as l'abbé Busoni, then two as Lord Wilmore, then as Simbad le Marin and then, the crown jewel: a caracter that was of fairy tale proportions, like in 1001 night. The Count of Monte-Cristo, with an unknown princess, of unknown origins into the bargain... Probably the psychology bit also applies here: he dazzled the eyes of Paris society so that they accepted him, even without asking questions...
Nobody, apart from his old love Mercédès, recognises him, although he didn't grow a beard, moustache or anything like that. They don't recognise him because they are blinded by his money and manners.
Remember that actually, in the book, it is only revealed at the end that Simbad le Marin and the Count of Monte-Cristo, are one and the same person: Edmond Dantès. Of course, the reader was supposed to guess, but if the caracters would all have been called Edmond Dantès, there would have been no mystery and so no exciting plot like this one...
One has to laugh before being happy, because otherwise one risks to die before having laughed.
"Je crains [...] que l'âme ne se vide à ces passe-temps vains, et que le fin du fin ne soit la fin des fins." (Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac, Acte III, Scène VII)
I just saw that I didn't answer the second question...
If it would be a book from Dumas himself, I would be interested to read it. It would not change the story of the count, whether you read it or not. The story works well without it, but knowing more is always an asset. Who knows maybe there is even more you could find in the acts of the count...
If it would be a book written by another author about this part of the story I wouldn't be interested in the least as it pulls the character out of the context and probably adds an interpretation that Dumas wouldn't have aggreed with...
Other than that I would consider that an act of plagery or opportunism.
One has to laugh before being happy, because otherwise one risks to die before having laughed.
"Je crains [...] que l'âme ne se vide à ces passe-temps vains, et que le fin du fin ne soit la fin des fins." (Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac, Acte III, Scène VII)
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