Twenty Years After (1845)

Ho adorato i 3 moschettieri, un libro che ormai occupa un posto d'onore nella mia libreria, eppure ho fatto una fatica enorme a finire questo secondo libro della serie.Il motivo è molto semplice: "Vent'anni dopo" è troppo lungo. Troppo. Secondo me sarebbe stato perfetto con 200-250 pagine di meno. E invece indugia eccessivamente nella politica del tempo, riempie il lettore di nomi, introduce una selva di personaggi (molti solo abbozzati) in cui districarsi è difficilissimo. La verve dei dialoghi è comunque inalterata e quando la parola passa all'azione dei moschettieri la vicenda prende come un tempo, nonostante Milady e Richelieu avessero un carisma che Mordaunt e Mazarino non possono eguagliare. ( )

Possibly the worst translation of any book I have ever read. The tone and historical period of the language swing wildly within paragraphs. It's like the translator wants to detroy the reader's soul.

I'm not sure I can bear to finish this. Not in this translation (it can't be Dumas, not when Pevear's translation of [book:The Three Musketeers] was so good. It can't.). ( )

Although not nearly as well-known as the first in the d’Artagnan Romances (The Three Musketeers) I think it might be better. Just. It depends on how you look at the books; as individual tales or as parts of a much longer story, which they are, but are also sold as stand-alones to some degree. At least the first one is. And as a stand alone it often takes the pot off the boil for the reader and goes to a lot of trouble describing the home life of our heroes. Much needed for us to get to know them, but not so great for a nail-biter of a plot. Twenty Years After doesn’t give as much characterization to each participant and thus the story moves on relentlessly with no stops for admiring the scenery.

A lot has happened in the twenty years since we last met d’Artagnan, Porthos, Athos and Aramis. D’Artagnan is still only a lieutenant in the Musketeers, he longs to be promoted to Captain since the post is now open. Porthos has married his mistress and inherited vast estates and has more money than he knows what to do with. Athos has adopted a local orphan named Raoul and made him his heir. Aramis has become an abbe, but longs to be a Musketeer again. Cardinal Richelieu has died, replaced by Mazarin, universally loathed by the people, but not by Anne of Austria. Anne is now a widow and regent to her son Louis the XIV who is only 10. Mazarin holds the real power though.

With promises of a captaincy and a baronetcy for d’Artagnan and Porthos respectively, they agree to serve Mazarin. Unfortunately, Athos and Aramis cannot be convinced to join them and instead come out of retirement on the side of the people clamoring for other aristocrats to get their due. One of which is the Duc de Beaufort, imprisoned in Vincennes. Later they both end up with Charles I against Cromwell when Porthos and d’Artagnan end up entangled on the pro-Cromwell side. At first they can’t see their way through their difficulties, but their friendship is too strong for modern politics and they promise to always put it first. The lackeys, too, are present and get involved in most of the plots in one way or another. Grimaud especially has a lot to do with the Duc de Beaufort and springing him from prison. Oh and Planchet, too, even though he’s not serving d’Artagnan anymore.

The plot itself is pretty convoluted, full of underhanded people doing dastardly things. The king of the villains is Mordaunt though; son of Milady and bent on revenge for her death. This, of course, puts him at odds with our four friends and he’s a persistent thorn in their sides for most of the book. I think because there isn’t really much done to round him out as a character, he comes off as more evil and single-minded than his villainous mother. His scenes are great stuff, his malice fairly oozes through the words.

From what I understand the next two books continue in the political vein started in this book and focus on Raoul, the Monarchy Restoration effort in England and the first years of Louis XIV’s reign. I’m looking forward to them - I think I’m a Dumas addict now. ( )

I am on the side of Better than The Three Musketeers because there is more history and more of a story and I like the fact that there are conflicts between the friends. I still love The Three Musketeers just because it has been one of my favourites for such a long time and is still and excellent book and they both still get maximum starage. ( )

While this excellent book may not need another review, I feel that I have to say I enjoyed this one even more than "The Three Musketeers". I was thrilled to see Athos, Aramis, Porthos and D'Artagnan reunited, albeit much older and wiser, to embark on another grand adventure. And this one even had explosions!
If you have read "The Three Musketeers", do not hestiate to pick up "Twenty Years After", it is certainly worth a read!
And reading Dumas taught me some new words, like 'anthropophagi'. :) ( )