This is not the most profound of novels, but it may be the most compelling. Many of its sequences--the Diamond Studs, Milady's seduction of Felton, the attempt of D'Artagnan and The Three to rescue Constance--move with remarkable rapidity. More notable than these, however, is the entire exposition, something many novelists have found to be a thankless chore, if not a stumbling block. It occupies a full sixty pages, 10% of the book, and, although it covers much ground--the introduction of our her...

I thought that Queen Margot couldn't be topped. I should have known better. Honestly, I do not have enough space to fully explain all the ways I adore this book. But I'll try to condense it. -First, the four main characters. Love, love, love, and more love. Aramis and Porthos - the Merry and Pippin of the group, if you'll excuse the extremely dorkish LOTR cross-reference - made me laugh; D'Artagnan was charming even though (or maybe because) he had multiple moments where, were I in the story, I

This review has been a long time coming. I read The Three Musketeers last year in August. Back then, I had high expectations for the book because a couple of months prior, Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo had become one of my favorite novels of all time and I couldn’t wait to check out more by this brilliant writer. Unfortunately, The Three Musketeers was a huge disappointment. Sure, there were some funny scenes and captivating moments but all in all, I was truly shocked by how unlikeable (and h...

This is a kick-ass novel, and I am indeed kicking my own ass for not having read it earlier. I'm ashamed to say that I thought it was a children's book. My wife indignantly refuses any responsibility for my mistake... as she points out, it's entirely my fault if I drew the wrong inferences from the fact that her mother read it aloud to her as an eight year old. It turns out, on closer examination of the facts, that Elisabeth's mom must have skipped about a quarter of the text - but I digress. No...

(Book 908 from 1001 books) - Les Trois Mousquetaires = The Three Musketeers, Alexandre DumasThe Three Musketeers is a historical adventure novel written in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. Set in 1625–1628, it recounts the adventures of a young man named D'Artagnan after he leaves home to travel to Paris, to join the Musketeers of the Guard. Although D'Artagnan is not able to join this elite corps immediately, he befriends the three most formidable musketeers of the age—Athos, Porthos and

This is going to take some explaining, but my guiltiest pleasure when it comes to books is Alexandre Dumas' The Three Musketeers.I hear you saying, "How on Earth can that be a guilty pleasure?" I know. It's a recognized classic. It has far reaching pop culture impact.It's considered one of the greatest adventures ever written. It has two of the most memorable "villains" in literature; it has four kick ass action heroes. It has sword fights, romance, intrigue, and most people think it has big lau...

Random thoughts on The Three Musketeers (because my brain refuses to write a full review)‣ Reading The Three Musketeers was long overdue. The truth is, it was the very first story I loved as a child. I was four years old, and my favorite game was riding my imaginary steed in a desperate race to save Constance from evil Cardinal Richelieu. I grew up swallowing tales of the valiant Musketeers, and they became a part of my soul.‣ Apparently there is a literary genre called swashbuckler that focu

I am a drama addict. I admit it. I don’t generally go for comedy. I will pick a movie that makes me cry over one that makes me laugh every time, and it is pretty much the same with my books. But when I do read something humorous, I love satire, wit, subtle humor. Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde or Will Rogers are my style. Imagine my surprise that Alexander Dumas has made me laugh aloud in The Three Musketeers. They are so over-the-top, while written as if he is endeavoring to take them seriously. I hav...

I'm not going to waste more time than necessary for this classic. The problem seems to come from me, since I couldn't follow a lot of the dialog. I couldn't make any sense of what transpired here, especially in the last third of the book.I liked the intrigue with the royal couple of LouisXIII and Anne d'Autruche. And as soon as these historical characters disappeared from the book did my enjoyment evaporate as well. Like I said, I don't want to dwell on this one starred book too much(one for all...

Did you know there were 4 musketeers? Did you also know they were not very nice guys? One guy won't let his servant ever speak. One is having an affair with a married woman, and ridicules her for gifts she buys him. Another can't decide whether to have an affair or be a priest, but constantly pinches his ears to make them a more attractive color. Since they don't seem to be paid much to be musketeers they are constantly grifting off of other people. One of their brave deeds is to have breakfast

I DID ITSee my video: https://youtu.be/_TPQV-0ctFs

Most people know the story. At the very least, they know about the story or they can quote that famous line. I was one of those peeps. I had never bothered to read the book because I saw an adaptation or two. lolI'm so silly. So I finally read the book and it was better! Surprise, surprise, right? There's even MORE pathos, chivalry, swordplay, hails of bullets, swooning maidens, and truly an evil Cardinal and a nasty Milady to butt heads against. At first, I honestly thought the over-the-top pre...

Every person prefers himself firstThat is why love, friendship, and relativs are underestimatedThat is why when they chanted: One  for all, all for one .. We stared at the Three Musketeers for a long time; Because they lived and implemented it Dumas is said to have borrowed their story from the diary of a knight named Charles Patza, better known as Count Dartanian, who had a practice of espionage for Louis XIII, and his memoirs were in the hands of Alexandre Dumas; The strongest story in the nin...

The initial tale where d'Artagnon as a relatively poor, relationless noble arriving in Paris and making friends with the legendary Porthos, Athos and Artemis and subsequently participating in a big adventure is one of the most exhilarating books of the 19th C in French literature. While not a children's book (due to the difficulty of the French text), the story itself is of course widely known and a favourite for story tellers (using abridged or illustrated versions) and for movie makers. My adv...

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'll 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 the writing. First I'll begin with the writing. This is Dumas's forte. The exhibition of w...

| | 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. SPOILERS BELOWI don't mind reading books about terrible people. I read Nabokov's infamous Lolita and Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley. I enjoy books by Agatha Christie and Shirley Jackson, which are often populated by entirely by horrible people. Unlike those authors, however,

If I was a Physicist, I would explain it like this: Athos, Porthos and Aramis are like the protons in an atom. D'Artagnan the neutrons that stabilize it. Actually, this would mean they are Lithium. So, keep them away from water. Or else...unfortunately the King sends them on an expedition to the isles. Now, they would have to cross the channel to get there, would they not? On their way, however, it shows that rivers and winecellars are no good either.action - reaction. Everybody under their desk...

To paraphrase a top reviewer here, Bill Kerwin, this may not be the most profound of novels, but it may be the most compelling. I would add that perhaps its profundity is discounted more than it is deserved. I might add too that it is possibly the most entertaining of novels. Dumas was a bestselling author of his day. The Three Musketeers is not mentioned in the same breath as more literary 19th century works such as War and Peace or A Tale of Two Cities. In fact, I doubt I am not the only reade...

for someone as obsessed with short books as i am, i sure do enjoy pretending i'm going to read long books

All for one and one for all. Probably THE most well-known quote from any book in history. This is the tale of D’Artagnon, a young Gascon traveling to Paris to seek his fortune and finding the three Musketeers Athos, Porthos and Aramis upon his arrival.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

Remarkable book. 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. Reading this novel was awesome and fun.

Accept no substitutes! Movies cannot do it justice. Read it. Then read Ten Years Later, Twenty Years Afterward, and well, just read all the Dumas you can get your hands on. You won't regret it. And it will greatly enhance your pleasure when you read The Phoenix Guards by Steven Brust.

This is one of my favorites, and I just re-read it as I'm in France and we started listening to it on a family road trip to Brittany, where we visited the Ile de Ré, where the siege of Rochelle happens in the book. 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 suc...

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...

That's a captivating story, masterfully led by Alexandre Dumas, who perfectly knows how to manage the twists and turns so that the story does not identify any lengths. So we dive into this novel and are fine until the end.

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

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 45-50 pages. Because the rest of the book has been very good...should finish the book later today.

It has took me longer than usual to get through this book, but hell, there are so many amazing books to be devoured! The Three Musketeers is an exquisite adventure story, with the "Fun" element on overdrive! I mean, this is classic literature with a twist. I just loved the sword fights and the utter sarcasm. The writing style Dumas uses flows with such ease, and is very humorous. I found myself howling a lot more than I thought I would! I loved the relationship between the Musketeers and how ver...

After nearly 5 years of owning this book, I've finally read it (thanks to Rincey hosting the readalong this month that gave me the motivation). I can't say I loved the book, but it was fun and had its moments. It's sort of a bunch of vignettes, especially at the beginning, to acquaint you with the characters. And then the real plot sort of develops later on in the novel. It has all those follies and foibles of classics, with misdirection, confusion, deus ex machinas galore, and is, at times, a t...