Fairly disappointing. The Man in the Iron Mask makes a quick exit, and the rest is the Last of the Musketeers. ( )

1315. The Man in the Iron Mask, by Alexandre Dumas (16 Feb 1975) This is the 5th and last of the novels involving the three musketeers, I read The Three Musketeers on Nov. 19, 1972, Twenty Years After on Nov 25, 1972, The Vicomte de Bragelonne on Dec 22,1972, Louise de la Valliere on 17 Mar 1974, and now this final volume. The first two are the best, and the others are hard to locate because I suppose they are inferior. The Man in the Iron Mask reaches a high point early in Aramis' effort to put Louis XIV's identical twin on the throne--it fails, to my sorrow. Then the rest of the book tells of the aftermath--and of the deaths of Porthos, and of Athos and his son Raoul, and finally of D'Artagnan, just after he has been named Marshal of France. There is a certain grandeur and sweep at times in Dumas, even in this book and it reminds me of that rather cold night last June when a friend and I went to the courtyard of the Invalides to a sound and light show recounting past moments of French glory. It wells up in me and is inexpressible--much I feel is inexpressible, it seems. Life is odd, when one steps back and looks at it. ( )

back in the days Leo was cool I guess I thought it was cool to read this book. I was into it, but it isnt the best Dumas and its very comical/goofy. made for my age at the time 11-13. ( )

Film edition according to the dustjacket but no stills.

Illustrated with a frontispiece in photogravure, each illustration has tissue guard printed with caption. Very attractive binding in black cloth with floral decoration on covers and spines in light green and orange. Spine titles are gold, most very bright, a few slightly rubbed.