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The Three Musketeers (Barnes & Noble Classics)
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Product Description
Mixing a bit of seventeenth-century French history with a great deal of invention, Alexandre Dumas tells the tale of young D’Artagnan and his musketeer comrades, Porthos, Athos and Aramis. Together they fight to foil the schemes of the brilliant, dangerous Cardinal Richelieu, who pretends to support the king while plotting to advance his own power. Bursting with swirling swordplay, swooning romance, and unforgettable figures such as the seductively beautiful but deadly femme fatale, Milady, and D’Artagnan’s equally beautiful love, Madame Bonacieux, The Three Musketeers continues, after a century and a half of continuous publication, to define the genre of swashbuckling romance and historical adventure.
Barbara T. Cooper is Professor of French at the University of New Hampshire. She is a member of the editorial boards of Nineteenth-Century French Studies and the Cahiers Alexandre Dumas and specializes in nineteenth-century French drama and works by Dumas.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #280154 in Books
- Published on: 2004-11-25
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Paperback
- 768 pages
Editorial Reviews
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
If Dumas’s serialized novel quickly attracted a faithful and fervent audience, it was not only because the author proved to be a master storyteller whose writing was vividly alive with emotions and actions, dialogues and duels, but also because it skillfully combined literary genres then popular with readers. By the time Dumas composed The Three Musketeers, Honoré de Balzac and others had already made the novel of initiation, or Bildungsroman, a familiar and successful form of French realist fiction. The Three Musketeers shares many of the characteristics of that genre. Like most such works, Dumas’s story focuses on an inexperienced youth who travels from the provinces to Paris in search of a broader knowledge of the world and in the hope of earning fame or fortune or both.
In chapter 1 of Dumas’s book, young D’Artagnan leaves his parents’ home in southwestern France and sets off on the road to Paris, where he hopes to join the corps of the King’s Musketeers. Before D’Artagnan leaves, his father gives him three “gifts”—fifteen crowns; a letter of introduction to Monsieur de Tréville, a fellow Gascon and former comrade-in-arms of D’Artagnan père and now the captain of the Musketeers; and a horse whose peculiar yellow color and old age significantly detract from the young man’s image as a noble and dashing hero. He also gives the lad his sword. Together with these items, the senior D’Artagnan offers his son three bits of advice: Never sell this horse; do not brook insults or fear duels for, although by law the latter are illegal, “it is by his . . . courage alone, that a gentleman can make his way nowadays”; and always serve the King and the Cardinal.
Soon after leaving home, D’Artagnan’s paternally encouraged susceptibility leads him to quarrel with a gentleman whom he will subsequently refer to as “the man from Meung” (the name of the town where they meet and where he also glimpses a beautiful woman addressed as Milady). The encounter does not end well for young D’Artagnan. Not only will he be wounded in the confrontation with the man from Meung; he will also have his letter of introduction taken from him and his sword split in two. Later, when he arrives in Paris, D’Artagnan will already be short of funds and will sell his risible and exhausted horse for cash. That sale provides him with the means to procure inexpensive lodgings and to have a new blade made for his sword. This inauspicious beginning is followed by a series of squabbles with three men (the Musketeers Athos, Porthos, and Aramis) he meets shortly after his arrival in the French capital. He agrees to a duel with each and, with the same brash courage that he has already displayed in Meung, schedules those contests back to back.
D’Artagnan’s impetuous bravado in these early encounters, along with his ignorance of the codes of behavior and the political rivalries at work in Paris and at the royal court, make it clear that the young man will need more than daring and a certain native intelligence if he is to achieve his goals. He will have to find mentors who can help him understand the complicated relationships, hidden truths, and moral subtleties of modern (that is, seventeenth-century) French life. He finds that help in the form of two surrogate father figures: Monsieur de Tréville, the captain of the King’s Musketeers, and Athos, the oldest of the three Musketeers with whom he has recently quarreled. D’Artagnan also meets Constance Bonacieux, the young and beautiful wife of his Parisian landlord and laundress to Queen Anne.
Constance will not only offer the young man an opportunity to prove his mettle, but will also win his heart. She tells D’Artagnan that the King has ordered the Queen to wear the diamond studs he gave her to an upcoming ball. Unfortunately, Anne no longer has those studs in her possession. She has given them, with her affections, to England’s handsome Duke of Buckingham. Cardinal Richelieu, who is in love with the Queen and has been spurned by her, knows this and hopes to take advantage of the difficulty the situation presents. He sends a ruthlessly seductive agent in his employ—Milady—to England to obtain the diamonds from Buckingham. If she succeeds and is able to bring the studs back before the ball, the Cardinal will be able to prove that the Queen has been unfaithful to Louis and to France. To save the Queen’s reputation and perhaps even her life, D’Artagnan must also seek out Buckingham and return the studs to Anne instead. He must overcome the obstacles of time and distance and evade the Cardinal’s agents who have been sent out to prevent him from crossing the English Channel. However determined he may be, young D’Artagnan cannot hope to prevail alone against his cunning and dogged adversaries. He therefore enlists the help of Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, who will accompany him on this crucial and dangerous voyage. The journey, the final stages of which the young man completes alone (his friends having been variously rendered hors de combat along the way), lies at the heart of the novel. Success, which he achieves with Buckingham’s help, will earn D’Artagnan the gratitude of the Queen and Constance, but also the animosity of Richelieu and Milady.
Customer Reviews
Love, adventure, friendship: The three musketeers
A few months ago I was in the mood to read a good classic, and stumbled across Alexander Dumas' famous narrative The Three Musketeers in a bookstore.
This story has everything you would ever want: romance, camaraderie, heroism, and, above all, adventure.
D'Artagnan is a young boy who dreams of becoming a famous musketeer (the soldiers who protect the king of France in the 17th century). Along the way to achieving this dream, he finds, in Paris, the musketeers disbanded by the evil Cardinal who hopes to undermine the King's reign and rule France on his own. With the help of three famous Musketeers, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, D'Artagnan fights to protect the King and his throne.
The Three Musketeers is written with such eloquence and style that it is obvious why it has gone down in history as a distinguished novel. The sword fights are described with such magic that you feel you are standing with Athos and Porthos to fight the Cardinal's guards.
As a hopeless romantic, I am always looking for a great romance. So if there is one negative, it would be the love story. I don't want to give away the ending. But as an avid reader of Jane Austen, if the lovers don't end up happy and together, I finish the book feeling unfulfilled. Dumas does, however, compensate with the wonderful relationship of the band of musketeers. Even though in the end they follow their own paths, you know they will always be able to rely on each other.
In all other regards, The Three Musketeers is excellent. It leaves you exhilarated and reminds you that true friends come together in troubled times.
The Three Musketeers-- A Timeless Tale (S. Black)
Alexandre Dumas' The Three Musketeers is a thrilling tale of courage, loyalty and love. Anyone who enjoys a fast-paced, intelligent adventure will be intrigued by this story, centered around a young man from the country, D'Artagnan, on his quest to join the ranks of the king's musketeers and later to win the heart of the woman he loves. The story begins in a small town in France in the 17th century. D'Artagnan leaves his country home with hopes of joining the king's Musketeers in Paris. Here he finds three lifelong friends and companions--Athos, Porthos and Aramis--for which the title of the book was given. Together with D'Artagnan, they help thwart the plans of Cardinal Richelieu, the king's advisor and rival, as he plots against the queen, the king, and the musketeers throughout the book. Undoubtedly, The Three Musketeers comes complete with its heroes, villains, surprises and scandals that will captivate readers throughout the world. Alexandre Dumas uses the theme, characterization, and symbolism to appeal to a broad universal audience.
Alexandre Dumas uses close father-son relationships in The Three Musketeers, between different characters to illustrate the theme of friends are like family. One of the most outstanding father-like roles is played by M. de Treville, the captain of the king's Musketeers. He protects his courageous musketeers by vouching for and advising them. In his own words he teaches D'Artagnan, "A captain is nothing by a father of a family, charged with even a greater responsibility than the father of an ordinary family. Soldiers are big children" (30). M. de Treville cares about his men as if they were his own sons. He maintains a close relationship with them and helps guide them in the way they should go. Readers everywhere can identify with M. Treville's relationship with his men, in that they must look after others as others look after them. "M. de Treville was the father of his soldiers. The lowest of least known of them, as soon as he assumed the uniform of the company, was as sure of his aid and support as if he had been his own brother" (148). The company is described here as being a family, with M. de Treville as the father figure. Not only does he play this role in D'Artagnan's life but also in the lives of the other soldiers he has authority over.
Athos is another of the many father characters in this novel. He is the eldest of his three companions, and rightfully would assume this role. His friends, like children, turn to him for advice. Not only does Athos advise his three companions on the whole, but also individually. This relationship is particularly strong between D'Artagnan and Athos. "D'Artagnan began by making his most splendid toilet, then returned to Athos's, and according to custom, related everything to him. Athos listened to his projects, then shook his head, and recommended prudence to him..." (323). D'Artagnan eventually decides not to follow this advice though he continually asks for Athos' guidance, much as a rebelling child would ask a father for advice and end up shunning it in the end. It is a common part of human existence to rebel against one's parents at some point or another. Although his advice at this point may have been ignored, Athos still had a huge influence in the life of D'Artagnan. Athos' continual wisdom, loyalty and distinguished intellect provide this book with another example of a father figure. Though there are many more links to father-son relationships in this novel, these two are definitely the most prominent. There is an overall theme of friendships bordering on the brink of family in their manner of relationships. This theme provides one of the driving forces for this novel, whether in the beginning between D'Artagnan and his true father, M. de Treville and his Musketeers, Athos and D'Artagnan, the Cardinal and his followers, or several other characters in this novel.
The characterizations in this novel are also strong. Though some can be classified as heroes and others as villains, all have their moments of triumph and blunder. One example of this is the main character, D'Artagnan. Although he is a hero in this novel, he is a deeply complex individual with faults and weaknesses as well as strengths. He offends and challenges his future friends Athos, Porthos, and Aramis directly upon his arrival in Paris because of his headstrong discourtesy. This character trait is shown implicitly through his actions and speech when he comes in contact with others. Another multifaceted character is Athos. He is a melancholy man because of the past he attempts to hide from his companions. By far the most distinguished of all the musketeers, he guides them in wisdom. This characterization is shown directly through the way his companions speak of him. " `My dear Athos,' said Aramis, `you speak like Nestor, who was, as everyone knows, the wisest among the Greeks' " (467). In comparing Athos to Nestor, he is directly assisting in the characterization of Athos.
Finally, the main characters are symbols of courage and loyalty. Through the actions of D'Artagnan, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, the reader gains a sense of their undying loyalty to the queen, the king, and each other. They show their loyalty to the queen by helping save her reputation. She secretly gives away a few diamond studs to the English Duke of Buckingham (who is in love with her), and the Cardinal finds out. He plots to ruin her by persuading the king to order her to wear them at an upcoming ball. The musketeers find out about this plot and ride quickly to England facing many dangers along the way to retrieve the two diamond studs. Their efforts effectively show their loyalty and courage. Another example of the musketeers being symbols of loyalty occurs on one of their missions; one by one each of the musketeers falls behind, except D'Artagnan. Once the task is completed, he goes back and searches for his companions, not stopping until they are all reunited. In this and other instances, the musketeers are shown as symbols of loyalty and courage.
The Three Musketeers, a brilliant action-filled novel, is an excellent read. The action and suspense provide the driving force of the novel, while the underlying relationships provide multifaceted characters who are easily identify with, as fantastic and extraordinary as their lives may be. As Dumas wove theme, characterization, and symbolism into his thrilling story, it became a treasure to last for generations. Truly this novel is a timeless attestation of the human experience that readers can relate to throughout the world.
A classic and enjoyable to read at any age
The Three Musketeers should be recommended just on the ubiquitousness of the story in pop culture. Luckily, the story is good that its worth reading. For those who have only a passing familarity with Dumas and the three musketeers a few notes.
1) The movies I've seen are nothing like the books.
2) Dumas was a french playwright and author, and was paid by installment for novels, which is probably why his novels are so long, but you almost don't notice because there is always stuff happening to move the plot. Also, Dumas based most of his works on history so Cardinal Richelieu, King Louis, Anne of Austria are real people, and some events did occur - but Dumas stretches things to tell good stories. Its basically historical fiction.
3) There are 5 books about the musketeers - I think it was originally a trilogy but the last book was so long it was broken into 3 parts. You can read only the first, or the first two and stop without cliff hangers, but the last three should be read together. The chronological order is The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, then Vicomte de Bragelonne, Louise de la Valliere, and the Man in the Iron Mask. Don't read the Man in the Iron Mask without reading the prior books - its so much better with the whole story.
Now, as for the story itself. Dumas is good at making characters and moving the action of the story. His characters don't develop in the traditional sense, and I think in the later books some of the musketeers are very two dimensional. Three Muskeeters is short, full of adventure, and D'Artagnan learns and grows throughout the book. There is some sex, and morality flaws in the book, but nonetheless I recommend it for young readers as well, preteens should be able to handle the content of this book. I think this book is great especially for young boys/teens who don't enjoy reading that much because it is so straightforward and full of adventure.
