About this title: The young and dashing d'Artagnan and his compatriots--Athos, Porthos and Aramis--versus the master of intrigue, Cardinal Richelieu and the evil Lady de Winter. This incomparable historical novel is unparalleled as the archetype of literary romance and adventure.
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Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Little, Brown, Boston
Date Published: 1899
Description: Very good in good dust jacket. Very Good, In good dust jacket. 2 v., illus., 19cm. On spine: The D'Artagnan romances. Written in collaboration with Auguste Maquet. Sequel: Twenty years after. read more
"I think I started reading this book once before, in high school. Whether it was the translation or the overall swashbuckling feel of it, I didn't like it, and it took me until this past Monday to pick it up again.
I am officially a convert. What an amazing book. A fantastic, twisty story, plenty of humor and exhilarating plots and swordfights (and a couple of not-so-swordfight, like when they weren't allowed to duel and Porthos hit a guy with a bench...yessss). But most of all, what CHARACTERS. I will admit that I am not a particular fan of d'Artagnan, though it's hard to really dislike him. Athos is my favorite--strong, silent, haunted by a past life, and at times, devastatingly funny. Aramis and his vacillating between the church and the Musketeers, and how he could change his mind on a dime...dear dim Porthos and his wealthy benefactress, and how the others never take him seriously when he has an idea (oh, and how he didn't get Grimaud's plan to place corpses all around the bastion so the enemy would think there were men guarding it...priceless).
I've got the next books in my apartment, ready to be devoured. I actually do kiiiind of know what happens later on because I've seen Man in the Iron Mask (yes, I know, not at all a good movie, and I wish they had cast Gabriel Byrne as Athos instead of d'Artagnan...oh well). I can't wait to get there!"
"On holiday in Turkey some years ago I took this book with me, and became an object of scorn to teenage nieces and nephews, as if I'd slipped into premature senility: 'What are you doing reading that - it's a kid's book!' My reputation as the intellectual heavyweight of the family was shattered at a stroke. They could barely conceal their shock and disgust, and openly sneered at me over their Schopenhauers and Heideggers (yes, they're Germans, so what can you expect...).
But this was grossly unfair. You can't be clever all the time, and the brain needs its holidays as much as the body does. It's not as if I'd sunk to Geoffrey Archer - Dumas's novel is a great classic, much derided by those who know it only through films and comics. It's like knocking Ivanhoe after watching Roger Moore's 50s TV series. It's one of those unfortunate classics that everyone thinks they've read because it has embedded itself in the collective consciousness.
I first read it in my teens, and was hooked from page one. It is the only real 'page turner' that I've ever read. The rest have all turned out to be impostors. My recent holiday reading of it obviously lost something with the loss of my own innocence: a part of me stayed aloof throughout. But it was still a bloody good read, and I make no apologies to the snobs who wanted me to disown it.
The characters are unforgettable: the Musketeers themselves, Athos, Porthos and Aramis, with their companion the dashing D'Artagnon, are models of honour; Cardinal Richelieu is a scheming politician who you wouldn't want to cross; Lady de Winter is a selfish machine, as inexorable as an Exocet missile in homing in on her target; her henchman, the one-eyed Rochefort, makes a splendid villain.
We follow D'Artagnon from his humble but honourable rural origins as he sets off to seek his fortune in the King's service; his first encounter with the musketeers and his winning of their friendship and respect as he fights with them against the Cardinal's men; the unfolding of the plot against the Queen - masterminded by the Cardinal in his political struggle against the King - and the musketeers setting off to forestall disaster, with their ultimate triumph as they outwit and outfight their enemies.
Don't be ashamed to be seen in the company of the three musketeers - one for all and all for one!"
"So because I love Bollywood films and because I was bored one night, I went to see Slumdog Millionaire. Unfortunately, it's not that great of a movie. Fortunately, because "The Three Musketeers" contributes to a pivotal point in the movie, it inspired me to read the actual book. I am happy to report that it is the best part of the movie, even better than the afterthought of a dance sequence in the film.
Thanks to an elementary viewing of Wishbone's "The Three Musketeers," I knew that the story actually involved four musketeers and a large amount of swashbuckling. What I didn't know is how entertaining this book would be. "Musketeers" weighs in at a hefty 500+ pages, but I couldn't put it down. From the moment D'Artagnan manages to insult Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, I was thrilled. It's sort of the 19th-century equivalent of a great summer blockbuster: lots of action, clever one-liners, romantic liaisons, political maneuvering, and a dramatic finale with a (metaphorically) ticking clock.
True, Dumas is not particularly kind to his female characters, but you couldn't ask for a much better villainess than Milady. Compare how she deals with her imprisonment, with, say, a certain man in an iron mask of a later novel. I can't believe it took my 20-some odd years to get around to reading this: don't make the same mistake."
"D'Artagnan was nothing more than a country boy from Gascony, arriving at the gates of Paris like many others...to seek fame and fortune. D'Artagnan's dream is to join the ranks of the king's musketeers, a coveted position worthy of only the most outstanding fighters. D'Artagnan's plans are thrown off track when a mysterious man steals his letter of recommendation, the letter D'Artagnan was counting on to get him into the musketeers. D'Artagnan's bold, hot-headed nature and cunning schemes soon get him noticed by the honorable M. de Treville, leader of the musketeers, who looks upon him with favor. However, D'Artagnan also draws the attention of the sinister Cardinal Richelieu, the most powerful man in France besides the King himself. Before he knows it, the young Gascon finds himself flung headfirst into the dangerous web of intrigue that surrounds the King, the Cardinal and the Queen. Fortunately, he has his three companions, musketeers he has befriended in his escapades, to help him. They are the flashy Porthos, the scholarly Aramis, and the dark and brooding Athos. Together (with impeccable style, of course) the four friends must face their most dangerous enemy yet, the Cardinal's spy Milady. This femme fatale will stop at nothing to get what she wants...namely, revenge.
I really enjoyed this. I have to say that Milady is probably my favorite villainess ever. Honestly, she was more fun to root for than the protaganists, who seemed very flat characters in comparison. They are the typical male heros of the era, whose chief concerns are eating, drinking, fighting, womanizing...and looking good while doing it. But really, you have to expect that, given the type of book it is and when it was written. It's best to just take it as it was meant, a swashbuckling adventure yarn, and sit back and enjoy the ride."
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