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Sep 28, ISBN Paperback —. Also by Alexandre Dumas. See all books by Alexandre Dumas. About Alexandre Dumas Alexandre Dumas — lived a life as romantic as that depicted in his famous novels. Product Details. Inspired by Your Browsing History. Pride and Prejudice. George Eliot. Elizabeth Gaskell. Don Quixote. Miguel de Cervantes. Sir Walter Scott. Jane Eyre. All for one and one for all. Probably THE most well-known quote from any book in history.
From then on, it is a swashbuckling adventure full of intrigues, sword fights, heartbreak and much more. The story has been adapted too many times to count them all, making the names of the Musketeers as immortal as those of their adversaries: ca All for one and one for all.
The story has been adapted too many times to count them all, making the names of the Musketeers as immortal as those of their adversaries: cardinal Richelieu, count de Rochefort, Milady de Winter. Alexandre Dumas has written what I call a true classic. It is a pure satire about all layers of society from the ruling nobility and the Church to the poorest farmer.
The author makes equal fun of what was supposedly honorable, how easily love was declared, how people were constantly in debt the rich as much as the poor , about what useless and ridiculous topics clerics argued and philosophized, reasons for loyalty and so much more.
Therefore, you have to read this adventure story with more than just one grain of salt. However, considering the age of the tale, it is all the more remarkable how modern it is written. They all have suffered from great injustice and make their own fates.
They stand opposite men like Athos, who hung his wife simply for a brand, not even listening to the story of how it was given it was given justly, for sure, but at the time he didn't know that! We have the politics of the day nicely interwoven in this social critique.
The Battle of La Rochelle, the ever changing loyalties of certain provinces and cities. These are but a few examples as there are many more people and aspects here.
The people breathe life into an action-packed story of politics, religion, treachery, love, and friendship before a most intricately drawn background. Dumas has an impeccable writing style as well. I have to point out how ageless the story is, but the engaging, colorful writing style that so perfectly conveys the scorn and mockery of the ways of life portrayed here makes it a delight to read and doesn't give away the book's age at all.
Jun 28, Karen Jackson rated it it was amazing. Remarkable book. Reading this novel was awesome and fun. I'm really at a loss as to how I should review this book. I'm burdened with mixed feelings, both positive and negative.
They are equally strong that I'm not sure how I exactly feel about the book. I will not venture to state the story or any part of it, for there cannot be many who have not read it, or if not, have watched a movie adaptation. I will only express what I felt for the story, the characters, and writing. First I'll begin with the writing. This is Dumas's forte. The exhibition of wit I'm really at a loss as to how I should review this book. The exhibition of wit and humour coupled with his ability to create an intriguing tale, keeping the reader in suspense as to what would unfold, is amazing.
Over and over he has displayed his mastery in writing, making him one of the widely read and popular French Classicists. Here too was no exception. The story is a mixture of fiction with an actual historical account of the events that unfolded in the court of Louise XIII of France, and in England, focusing on George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, at the time of siege la Rochelle. The roles played by France and England in this siege, and the power struggle between these two great enemies at the time divided by religion is well portrayed.
This allowed the reader to gain a good insight as to the history while enjoying the fictitious story. All these inclusions made the book an interesting read and a quick page-turner. Now to the characters, and this is where I fell out with the book. However, to do justice to Dumas, I will admit that though some characters had been presented with favour, others have been presented neutrally, letting the readers be their judges.
The favoured characters, as anybody would guess, are the three musketeers - Athos, Pothos, Aramis, and the young Gascon hero, D'Artagnan.
While I accepted D'Artagnan in the favourable light in which he was portrayed, for the most part, I couldn't do the same for the three musketeers. If Cardinal Richelieu, Comte de Rochefort, and cardinal's guards were bad, the actions of the defending King's musketeers were equally bad. Though the author tried his best to justify them, he utterly failed before my tribunal. The only favoured character that Dumas and I could fully agree on was Madame Bonacieux, the truly loyal servant of the persecuted Anne of Austria, the Queen of France.
However, surprisingly my interest was piqued and held by those characters Dumas has portrayed neutrally. Cardinal Richelieu is one. Though I wouldn't for the life of me sanction his actions and his persecution towards the Queen, he was not despicable as I expected him to be.
My Lady De Winter is another story. She is a novelty in the history of classics. A heartless, vengeful woman with an evil disposition, she was the only character I found who roused my emotions. If I may say so, I despised her with passion and didn't feel any remorse at her tragic death. Overall, however, keeping my perceptions of the characters at bay, I was able to enjoy it.
The big question now is whether I would read the sequels? For the time being, the answer is "no". I'm not enamoured much with the musketeers to indulge myself immediately with the sequels. I have read the synopsis of the two and feel I might be able to enjoy them.
But when may I lay my hands on them is a question for the future. View all 14 comments. May 13, J. Keely rated it it was amazing Shelves: reviewed , french , novel , favorites , swashbuckling.
I have been, on occasion, accused of some sort of self-set elitism which suffuses my opinions and critiques on literature. It seems people are often more likely to think one has an ulterior motive for liking or not liking a book rather than looking at the presented arguments.
In any case, I would posit this book as the countermand to that sentencing. It is not a literary book, as such, as it does not place itself in a deep referential or metaphorical state. Though it is certainl Remarkable book. Though it is certainly influenced by many great works, it is, in its whole, no more nor less than the reigning king of the pulp adventures.
Built on the ridiculous, the humorous, the exciting, and deeply in the characters, this work creates a world of romance in that oh-so-classic sense and adventure which conscripts the reader and delivers him to the front lines. I am alway amazed by this book's ability to invoke lust, pity, wonder, respect, scorn, and hatred, all while driving along a plot filled with new events and characters.
Should there be any future for Fantasy, it lies not in the hands of Tolkien-copying machines, nor even in Moorecock's 'un-fantasy', but in whatever writer can capture Beowulf , The Aeneid , The Three Musketeers , or The White Company and make a world which is exciting not because everything is magical and strange, but because everything is entirely recognizable, but much stranger. Of course, one may want to avoid going Mervyn Peake 's route with this, and take a lesson from the driving plot and carefree frivolity that Dumas Pere and his innumerable ghostwriters adhered to.
It is amusing here to note that Dumas has accredited to his name far more books than he is likely to have ever written. As he was paid for each book with his name on it, he made a sort of 'writing shop' where he would dictate plots, characters, or sometimes just titles to a series of hired writers and let them fill in the details.
So, praises be to Dumas or whichever of his unrecognized hirees wrote such a work. Jun 30, luce rated it did not like it Shelves: insufferable-protagonists , reviews , vi-not-for-me. I enjoy books by Agatha Christie and Shirley Jackson, which are often populated by entirely by horrible people.
Unlike those authors, however, blog tumblr ko-fi While I understand historical context and I am quite able to appreciate classics without wanting them to reflect 'modern' sensibilities, I have 0 patience for books that glorify rapists. Unlike those authors, however, Alexandre Dumas goes to great lengths in order to establish that his musketeers are the 'good guys'.
Their only flaw is that of being too daring. The omniscient narrator is rooting hard for these guys and most of what they say or do is cast in a favourable light and we are repeatedly reminded of their many positive or admirable character traits. If this book had been narrated by D'Artagnan himself, I could have sort of 'accepted' that he wouldn't think badly of himself or his actions Not only does the omniscient narrator condone and heroicizes his behaviour, but the storyline too reinforces this view of D'Artagnan as honourable hero.
Our not so chivalrous heroes What soon became apparent to me was that the narrator was totally off-the-mark when it came to describing what kind of qualities the musketeers demonstrate in their various adventures.
This is the same guy who picks a fight with every person who gives him a 'bad' look? And no, he doesn't back down, even when he knows that his opponent is more experienced than he is.
D'Artagnan is not only a hothead but a dickhead. The guy is aggressive, impetuous, rude to his elders and superiors, and cares nothing for his country. Yet, he's described as being devout to his King, a true gentleman, a good friend, a great fighter, basically an all-rounder! I was willing to give D'Artagnan the benefit of the doubt. The story begins with him picking up fights left and right, for the flimsiest reasons.
The perceived insults that drive him to 'duel' brought to mind Ridley Scott's The Duellists , so I was temporarily amused. When I saw that his attitude did not change, he started to get on my nerves. Especially when the narrative kept insisting that he was a 'prudent' and 'smart' young man. D'Artagnan's been in Paris for 5 minutes and he already struts around like the place as if he owned the streets.
Soon after D'Artagnan is approached by his landlord who asks his help in finding his wife, Constance Bonacieux, who has been kidnapped While Constance never gives any clear indication that she might reciprocate his feelings or attraction, as she is embroiled in some subterfuge and has little time for love, D'Artagnan speaks of her as his 'mistress'. Even when he becomes aware that Constance may be up to no good, as she repeatedly lies to him about her whereabouts and motives, D'Artagnan decides to help her because he has the hots for her.
Our 'loyal' hero goes behind his King's back and helps Constance, who is the Queen's seamstress and confidante, hide the Queen's liaison with the Duke of Buckingham. Let me recap: D'Artagnan, our hero , who hates the Cardinal and his guards because they are rivals to the King and his musketeers, decides to help the Queen deceive their King and in doing so ends up helping an English Duke. Do I detect a hint of treachery? And make no mistake. D'Artagnan doesn't help the Queen because he's worried that knowledge of her disloyalty might 'hurt' the King's feelings nor is he doing this because of compassion for the Queen.
He decides to betray his country because he's lusting after a woman he's met once or twice. Like, wtf man? Anyway, he recruits his new friends, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, to help him him out. Their plan involves travelling to England so the Duke can give to D'Artagnan the Queen's necklace given to him as a token of her affection.
Along the way the musketeers are intercepted by the Cardinal's minions the Cardinal wants to expose the Queen's affair and Athos, Porthos, and Aramis are either wounded or incapacitated. D'Artagnan completes his mission, he returns to Paris, caring little for his friends' whereabouts, and becomes once again obsessed by Constance.
The Queen shows her gratitude by giving him a flashy ring. He buys them some horses what a great friend, right? He then forgets all about Constance and falls in love with Milady de Winter. He knows that Milady is in cahoots with the Cardinal but he's willing to ignore this. In order to learn Milady's secrets, D'Artagnan recruits her maid who—for reasons unknown to me—is in love with him.
Our hero forces himself on the maid, and manipulates her into helping him trick Milady. He pretends to be Milady's lover and visits her room at night, breaking the maid's heart and putting her life at risk. He later on convinces Milady that her lover has renounced her and visits her once more at night and rapes Milady.
D'Artagnan knows that Milady is in love with another man, but idiotically believes that forcing himself on her will have magically changed her feelings. When he reveals that her lover never called things off with her, and it was him who visited her room a few nights prior, well And D'Artagnan, who until that moment was happy to forget that she is a 'demon' and 'evil', discovers her secret identity. D'Artagnan remembers that he's in love with Constance who is then killed off by Milady, just in case we needed to remember that Milady is diabolical D'Artagnan, alongside his bros, plays judge, jury, and executioner and corners and condemns to death Milady.
In spite of our hero's stupidity he goes to dubious meeting points, ignores other people's warnings, wears his new ring in front of the Cardinal he wins. This guy is a menace. He abuses women, emotionally and physically, manipulates them into sleeping with him, forces himself on them, or makes them agree to do his bidding. Women are disposable for D'Artagnan. He uses them and throws them to the side. But, you might say, the story is set in the 17th century.
Things were different then. Women weren't people. Okay, sure. So let's have a look at the way in which our young D'Artagnan treats other men. He beats and verbally abuses his servant, he goes behind the King's back and commits treason, he forgets all about his friends unless he needs help in getting 'his' women. The other musketeers are just as bad. Athos is a psychopath.
He later discovers that she has a fleur-de-lis branded on her shoulder, meaning that she was a criminal. Rather than having a conversation with her, asking what her crime was, he decides to hang her himself. Because he's the master of the land. Athos also treats men rather poorly as he forbids his servant from speaking not kidding, his servant isn't allowed to talk. Porthos gaslights an older married woman, forcing her to give him money otherwise he will start seeing other women.
Aramis also speaks poorly of women but at least he isn't a rapist, so I guess we have a golden boy after all. The so-called friendship between the musketeers was one of the novel's most disappointing aspects. These dicks don't give two shits about each other. D'Artagnan forgets all about his friends, and when he then decides to gift them horses as a 'sorry I left you for dead' present, Aramis, Athos, and Porthos end up gambling them or selling them away.
What unites them is their idiocy, their arrogance, and their misogyny. Our diabolical femme fatale and the dignified male villain Milady is a demon. She's diabolical. She's evil. Both the narrative and the various characters corroborate this view of Milady. Much is made of her beauty and her ability to entice men. Sadly, we have very few sections from her perspective, and in those instances she's made to appear rather pathetic.
Our Cardinal on the other hand appears in a much more forgiving light. He's the 'mastermind', the 'brains', and he's a man, so he gets away with plotting against our heroes. This book made me mad. I don't care if this is considered a classic. Fuck this book. View all 7 comments.
Dec 17, Otis Chandler rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: everyone. Shelves: classics , fiction , fiction , adventure , alltimefavorites , france france. And I have to say, Mon dieu! It remains just as good as I remembered! I love the over brashness of the young garcon, D'Argtagnan, and the richness of the backgrounds of each of the four musketeers.
I loved the politics of the King vs the Cardinal too, I hadn't appreciated there was such division there before. And of course, the perspective that nations went to war for the love of a single woman. Upon a word from her, I would betray my country, I would betray my king, I would betray my God. She asked me not to send the Protestants of Rochelle the assistance I promised them; I have not done so. I broke my word, it is true; but what signifies that? I obeyed my love; and have I not been richly paid for that obedience?
It was to that obedience I owe her portrait. Dec 11, Jessica rated it liked it. Well, it was no Count of Monte Cristo, but it was still exciting and dramatic. I was much more into the second half, when it starts focusing on the diabolical Lady de Winter. One disappointment was that I had always envisioned the Three Musketeers to be noble, just, Robin Hood-type characters. It turns out that, though brave, they are quite selfish and immoral, and tend to murder people with little provocation.
None of the musketeers was very likable to me. Women also don't fare very well here a Well, it was no Count of Monte Cristo, but it was still exciting and dramatic. Women also don't fare very well here and are talked about in quite unsettling terms.
Dumas definitely has a gift for dialogue, though, and it's hard not to be sucked into his world of intrigue and passion. View 2 comments. May 27, Debra rated it really liked it. The beginning of this book was a real stinker.
I couldn't believe it was getting 4 star reviews from people. After the first couple of pages, I was ready to throw in the towel but I kept going and I am glad that I did. I am almost finished with this book. I will forgive Dumas for the first couple of pages - okay for me the first pages. Because the rest of the book has been very good I've had more fun reading "The Three Musketeers" than I've had with any book in a long time, and my only regret is that I didn't find my way to Dumas sooner.
It's bursting with swordplay, political intrigue, romance, fortunes won and lost, mistresses kept and stolen, poisoned wine, devious nobility, and vengeance sought and attained. What more could a reader ask for? While "The Three Musketeers" isn't the most intellectually challenging book ever written -- though it does offer, in passing, the I've had more fun reading "The Three Musketeers" than I've had with any book in a long time, and my only regret is that I didn't find my way to Dumas sooner.
While "The Three Musketeers" isn't the most intellectually challenging book ever written -- though it does offer, in passing, the occasional insight into the human race -- it might be the best guilty-pleasure book of all time.
And while it's long for such a book at plus pages, not a word is wasted. Is there a more intriguing villainess in literature than Milady? A more fascinating hate-him-one-moment, forgive-him-the-next character than Cardinal Richelieu? And that's not to ignore d'Artagnan, who, with a youthful foolhardiness and energy that eventually gives way to gravitas, only the hardest hearted of readers could not love.
And while Porthos, Aramis and Athos may spend most of the book as flat characters -- and I'm using that term the same way E. Forster does, not as an insult but to distinguish them from multifaceted, "round" characters -- they each have their more complex moments, Athos especially.
I do have one minor complaint about "The Three Musketeers. And while Milady's corruption of Felton does have its interests, we as readers don't spend enough time with him ahead of it to really feel as bad as we should.
But this is a minor quibble. As should be obvious by my five stars, which I give unreservedly, I really did love the book on the whole. And, on a side note, I like that "The Three Musketeers" concludes with a brief what-happened-to-each-character section, something Dumas did long before the film "Animal House" or Van Halen's "Hot for Teacher" video. And this, by the way, may mark a rare time Van Halen and Dumas are mentioned in the same sentence.
Someone please Google that to make sure. View all 13 comments. Feb 24, Robin Hobb rated it it was amazing Shelves: books-from-my-past. Accept no substitutes! Movies cannot do it justice. Read it. You won't regret it. It has took me longer than usual to get through this book, but hell, there are so many amazing books to be devoured! Thus, almost immediately after his arrival in Paris, D'Artagnan becomes an intimate friend of the three musketeers.
One day, d'Artagnan's elderly landlord, Bonacieux, comes to ask him for help; the landlord's young wife, Constance, has been kidnapped — probably by the cardinal's men because she is the queen's linen maid and knows many of the queen's secrets, secrets which the cardinal desperately wants revealed so that he can discredit the queen, who earlier rejected his romantic advances.
D'Artagnan is able to rescue Madame Bonacieux from her abductors and, while doing so, falls in love with her. Later, when he inadvertently sees her cross a bridge with a strange man, he stops them and discovers that the man is an English nobleman, the duke of Buckingham, the queen's secret lover; being an Englishman, the man is also an enemy of France.
That night, the queen gives the duke an elegant gift of twelve diamond tags in a rosewood box. When the cardinal, through his extended and vast network of spies one of whom is among the queen's ladies-in-waiting discovers that the queen has given Buckingham the diamond tags, he asks the king to give a fabulous ball and demand that the queen wear the king's gift to her: the twelve diamond tags.
The queen is terrified when she learns about the ball and hears her husband order her to wear the diamond tags. She knows very well that they are in London, in the possession of the duke of Buckingham. Meanwhile, the cardinal sends one of his spies — the elegant and beautiful Milady — to London; he instructs her to dance with the duke, snip off at least two of the diamond tags, and return them to the cardinal so that he can use them in a blackmail scheme.
Ready to help the queen regain the diamond tags, whatever the cost, Constance Bonacieux pleads with d'Artagnan to undertake the dangerous trip to London in order to retrieve the diamond tags from the duke before the ball and thereby save the queen's reputation.
D'Artagnan readily accepts Constance's request, and accompanied by the three musketeers, he begins the hazardous trip to London.
On the way, they are continually ambushed by the cardinal's spies, and one by one, the musketeers are foiled from accompanying d'Artagnan to London. When d'Artagnan reaches London, he reports the situation to Buckingham, who discovers in horror that two of the tags are missing. Immediately, he calls in his personal jeweler and instructs him to work furiously in order to make exact copies.
He gives the copies to d'Artagnan, along with the remaining ten tags, and a superb, prearranged series of horses that will take d'Artagnan from London to Paris in twelve hours. Thus, the queen is able to appear in what seems to be all twelve of the diamond tags — to the utter astonishment of the cardinal.
For d'Artagnan's heroic efforts, the queen secretly presents him with a large, magnificent diamond ring. After agreeing to a rendezvous with Constance which never takes place because she is again abducted by the cardinal's men , d'Artagnan is told that it is dangerous to remain in Paris: the cardinal knows everything that happens in Paris; it will not be long, before he learns about d'Artagnan's role in the diamond tag escapade.
D'Artagnan therefore decides that this would be a good time to discover what happened to his musketeer friends. He returns to each of the places where he left them, and finding them all safe, they return to Paris — only to discover that they must buy equipment for the king's next military maneuver: the siege of La Rochelle. Each of the musketeers must find some way of getting money — something they are always short of. While pondering how to get some cash, d'Artagnan sees Milady by accident and is overwhelmed by her beauty; he follows her and tries to protect her from a bothersome man who turns out to be her brother-in-law.
The brother-in-law challenges d'Artagnan to a duel and they fight.
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