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    The Three Musketeers
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    The Three Musketeers
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    The Three Musketeers
    Ebook910 pages13 hours

    The Three Musketeers

    By Alexandre Dumas

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    The Three Musketeers, by French writer Alexandre Dumas, was first released in serial form in 1844, a year before Dumas’ publication of The Count of Monte Cristo. The story was an instant success, largely due to Dumas’ transformation of the historical fiction genre. In The Three Musketeers, contrary to popular practice at the time, history acted as a backdrop for the story rather than the primary element, making it a fun and accessible read. The story follows young d’Artagnan and his friends Athos, Porthos, and Aramis as they defend honor amidst the power struggles of 17th century France. Still popular with readers today, this classic is now available in a chic and affordable edition as part of the Word Cloud Classics series from Canterbury Classics.

    Lexile score: 990L
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCanterbury Classics
    Release dateMay 19, 2014
    ISBN9781626861268
    Author

    Alexandre Dumas

    Alexandre Dumas was born in 1802. After a childhood of extreme poverty, he took work as a clerk, and met the renowned actor Talma, and began to write short pieces for the theatre. After twenty years of success as a playwright, Dumas turned his hand to novel-writing, and penned such classics as The Count of Monte Cristo (1844), La Reine Margot (1845) and The Black Tulip (1850). After enduring a short period of bankruptcy, Dumas began to travel extensively, still keeping up a prodigious output of journalism, short fiction and novels. He fathered an illegitimate child, also called Alexandre, who would grow up to write La Dame aux Camélias. He died in Dieppe in 1870.

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    Reviews for The Three Musketeers

    4/5

    3,736 ratings89 reviews

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    • 2/5
      I almost put it down in the beginning, despite the better translation, when the only thing that happens is d'Artagnan getting into duels with every single person he meets. The story did become interesting after a while, but the characters really weren't (with the exception of Milady).

      And can you use the term "fridging" for a book that takes place prior to the invention of the refrigerator?
    • 4/5
      The plot was more intrigue, perhaps like a political spy novel of a sort, than swashbuckling, but very entertaining, nevertheless.Dumas starts a bit less than the first quarter of the book introducing his characters in humorous fashion. Then, it becomes steadily more serious with each passing page, and from the humorous to the grave and dark, while the characters seem to grow, especially D'Artagnan, from irresponsible seeming like children to men handling the affairs and maintaining their character as men, proud, yet honest men. A character study each person would be quite interesting.The ending was a bit gruesome.Dumas' writing is genius and conveys much of the sense of that is most of all challenged in the story is a man's honor. It inspires one to accept honor as something of value to die for; and, it's anonymous translation, whenever the book is put down, inspires one to speak in proper English.
    • 5/5
      D'Artagnan, Gascon on his unlikely yellow nag gets into a spot of bother with a stranger in Meung. The latter flees with a beautiful lady. D'Artagnan goes to Paris and obtains an audience with M. De Treville, the captain of the King's musketeers who need to be differentiated from the Cardinal's (Richelieu) musketeers.He bumps into three musketeers - literally - Athos, Porthos and Aramis and after petty incidents is challenged to duel with each of them, The duels do not take place as the four team up against some of the Cardinal's men and wreak havoc. I'm out of breath already!
    • 2/5
      After re-reading it (read it back when I was in grade 4 for a book report), I decided to give it 2 stars. I did not like any of the characters maybe except for Lady De Winter (who is smart, beautiful and evil villaneiss). The musketeers are arrogant, rowdy and unprofessional for my taste.
    • 4/5
      The adventures of d'Artagnan after he leaves home to join the Musketeers of the Guard where he befriends the three most formidable musketeers of the age and gets involved in the many intrigues of the state. This is a favorite of mine since childhood, but this was my first read of the full version (having only read abridged versions for children previously) and it is quite long (and has numerous footnotes), but just as fun and exciting as I was hoping it would be. I absolutely love the exaggerated characters who are so ludicrously gung-ho about their causes, whether they are heroes or villains; Milady deserves a special mention since she is so uncommonly wicked that you can't help but laugh at all her schemes. My copy is a Pevear translation, which is faithful, but perhaps not as elegant as other translations.
    • 4/5
      The classic swashbuckler; I would have to give this edition a mere four stars, however, because there were elements of the translation that I found rather clumsy and which jarred. Only elements, though; most of the book is an unmitigated delight.
    • 5/5
      This is a re-read of this most famous of Dumas novels, featuring the derring do of the title characters and their young friend and would be fellow musketeer D'Artagnan, one of the most famous characters in French literature. I remembered almost no detail from my first read nearly twenty years ago. While this is light-hearted and quite comical in places, there are also dramatic passages, episodes of cruelty and horror, and a splendid female villain. The illustrations are well done too. This is a splendidly enjoyable novel that can appeal to readers of all ages.
    • 5/5
      I'd been looking for a good modern translation and this is it. The text flows well and I really appreciated the historical references at the back (though I'd have loved them even more if they were footnotes and I didn't have to keep flicking to the back pages).The story races along. The musketeers are far from being the most ethical of men by modern standards, but we love them anyway. (The TV version tones down Porthos's love of expensive clothes, Athos's drinking, everyone's gambling, etc.)
    • 3/5
      Good read for young people.
    • 3/5
      Ok but hard to follow.
    • 1/5
      I think I do not like classics
    • 5/5
      2006 translation done in a more modern style. Still a wonderful book. Some of the scenes seemed to flow easier since the translator didn't have to dance around the sex parts. It is a great work of plot and dialogue. One of my all time favorite novels.
    • 5/5
      WARNING: This book is highly addictive. It contains extremely high levels of swashbuckling. There are also some very funny scenes. Dogtagnan's first meeting with his landlord is particularly well done. The construction is impressive: it's manages to be episodic without losing sight of the plot.
    • 5/5
      Loved it, of course! Really, how could you not!
    • 5/5
      Trust and honor and the fellowship of battle against wrong. It's as though the characters always keep saying, "Stick with me and you'll be safe."
    • 3/5
      A great and sad adventure.
    • 5/5
      Some classic novels are hard to slog through. This is an adventure tale that more than lives up to its billing. Although it is a long book, the author doesn't waste a lot of time with long passages where nothing is happening. This is a real page turner, with incredible heroes, and really despicable villains.
    • 4/5
      It's always interesting to read the original of such an extremely well-known story to see what the differences between the actual book and the popular consciousness are....

      A few things that surprised me...

      "All for one and one for all" - is only said in the book once, and is not made a terribly big deal of!

      Our 'heroes' are really not that heroic. They're constantly starting fights over no cause at all, gambling irresponsibly, being generally lying, deceitful and adulterous - and D'Artagnan can't even be bothered to pay his rent to the guy whose wife he's seducing! (All four musketeers are perennially down-and-out, and can't hang on to a gift or cash past the next tavern....) Of course, all of this makes the book *much* funnier and more entertaining than it would be if they were more upright men...

      I'm pretty sure that in at least one movie version of the story, it's stated outright that Lady de Winter was branded for the crime of murder. Not so! In the book, (at least from a modern perspective) her initial crimes don't really seem to warrant her husband trying to kill her by hanging her naked from a tree. Sure, she gets really evil *later* - but you have to have some sympathy for her situation! (At least I did!)

      It takes a really long time to get into the main part of the story - I got the sense that, since this was published as a serial, Dumas was initially just sending his characters on random exploits, and only once the story had gained some popularity, embarked on the more complex, involved, continuing story, going back and weaving in bits that had been mentioned earlier... I don't know if that's historically accurate, but it's the feeling I got...

      Definitely worth reading....
    • 5/5
      The well-known story is worth the read. Very action packed and engaging. Written as though you were observing, not reading. Great book. Far better than any movie.
    • 4/5
      a great adventure book. you think you kow the story but once you read it you realize that you dont know even half of it. interesting characters. intriegues. love. jeaulosy. duels. swords. kings and queens. just great.
    • 3/5
      Took me quite a while to get through, mainly because I spent a lot of time trying to read it with white text on a black background (which sent me to sleep when I turned the light off in bed at night).Not a time period I'm very familiar with so I wasn't so sure about what the political tensions were about.There were some quite funny bits, especially in the dialogue between the Musketeers.Didn't much like d'Artagnan at the start but he grew on me through the book and by the end I felt quite sorry for him.
    • 4/5
      SO HILARIOUS I wish I was a musketeer all I want to do is run around duelling people who offend me and getting sugar mommas to give me money and stealing wine and having picnics during battles. Athos and porthos are my favorites.
    • 4/5
      An old tale that I will never tire of, for I wished to be a musketeer.
    • 4/5
      Glad I re-read it in the original translation of 1946. There were lots of words I had to look up. I enjoyed the pace of the writing - the musketeers, and others, tearing around, always in a hurry, whether to find their next meal, or chasing a villain - and the short chapters complimented that perfectly. As a teenager I mostly missed the casual violence - enjoying the daring-do and romance - but I've certainly had to revise my opinions of what was my top favourite character Athos, I can't condone his treatment of his young wife no matter how wicked the lady becomes later. And I appreciate far more both Lady De Winter and the cardinal. Still it is a wonderful romp through Paris, France and London, and a heartfelt celebration of brotherhood and loyalty.
    • 4/5
      The Kings Musketeers, Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and their dealings to protect Queen Anne from the Cardinal and his spies most prominently, Milady. With the help of the young d'Artagnan who very much wants to be one of the Musketeers the adventures come forth. The first half of the book tends to drag a bit but by the middle to the end was a pleasant read.
    • 3/5
      Now that I have finally read this book, I think I understand France a bit better.
    • 4/5
      I read this because I wanted to read Man in the Iron Mask, but wanted to know how the stories were tied together first. It was much drier than I expected. Still, interesting for the historical perspective.
    • 5/5
      Even if you know the story of the musketeers, you must read Richard Pevear's translation. If only he would translate the rest of the saga of D'Artagnan. Highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      This was one of those classics I elected to listen to on audio and I'm so happy I did. I loved sitting back and being told this story about the one-for-all-and-all-for-one guys. Funny, smart -- one of the better classics I've experienced. Political intrigue, romance, humor, history -- I really enjoyed reading the story. I also rented the movie with Michael York, Richard Chamberlain, Raquel Welch, Oliver Reed, Charleton Heston and Faye Dunaway having vague but fond memories of it. It didn't match up to my memories, but it was still fun to see it again after having read the book.If a classic is on your need-to-read list, pick this one.
    • 5/5
      This is a classic tale of honor, duty and loyalty. The heroes aren't otherworldly characters, but instead are written to be normal individuals with common problems with only their integrity to set them apart. Even if you know the story, this book is very captivating to the end.