The Three Musketeers

Ah Mr. Dumas!

This was a light, enthralling novel for me. I never felt like I had to do much thinking when reading this book, and I enjoyed it for the racing plot that bound it together. I usually read heady bullshit if we're being honest here, and picking this up amidst a difficult time of bereavement and being able to just escape into a world was welcome. At times I was just flying through chapters, and as the plot unfolded I found myself honestly not wanting to stop. It was fun, and I loved the four boys we were privy to.

Ironically, I think the points of the book I liked least were the action sequences (which there are many). It's a failing of my own, but I kept going for the character interactions. With the likes of Athos, Porthos, show more Aramis, and our boy d'Artagnan, the interactions between the four were amusing, and the boyish (and yet gallant) reactions to the wildness of their lives in this plot were often hilarious and something I would read again and again. If you're like me and don't like action, try it out regardless, but don't tell I didn't warn you.

Not necessarily injuring my opinion of the novel, but definitely making me a bit uncomfortable was the flagrant abuse for the servants. It honestly appalled me that it was treated so blasé, and combined with the rampant misogyny and very odd and sexist characterization of Milady, the book dates itself pretty bad. It rubbed me, but I didn't take stars away from it because of it. I understand it's a product of its time... but damn son...

Anyways, I usually grade books beginning with a 5, and go down as I see fit. This book went down to a 4 only because I felt like it really slogged in middle, and me not being one for action, I don't believe I would honestly reread it (800 pages ... yeah no. Sorry Mr. Dumas) I'm still happy I read it though; I think we should be acquainted with the source material of such large cultural staples, and I feel like I have an understanding of that now. The likes of the four friends were a joy and the #wild historical fanfiction plot had me reveling in equal parts hilarity and drama, and it was a truly pleasant read. show less

So based on my experience with half a dozen movie versions of this book, I assumed the Cardinal was the big baddie and the story was mainly about the three musketeers. Reading it proved it to be a very different book. The Cardinal is certainly not the hero, but his role is more ambiguous than I expected. The true villain is actually the Lady DiWinter and oh my gosh, she is fantastic! I wish this book was called Don’t Mess with DiWinter. I have never encountered a more manipulative genius in literature! She’s a deadly version of Scarlett O’Hara. Everything she does is perfectly calculated. The book didn’t really click for me until she took center stage.

Honestly, I could have done without about half of the scenes with D'Artagnan, show more Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. They are all great swashbuckling scenes, but their silliness is a bit exhausting. Aramis wants to be a priest, but he doesn’t really because he’s in love with a woman. Porthos is a preening fool who uses different women to fund his extravagant lifestyle. Athos, also known as emo boy, is moody and dramatic. Sure we soon learn why he is the way he is and it’s a great reason, but still the emo tendencies get a bit old.

D'Artagnan is the biggest goof of them all. When he isn’t challenging every man he meets to a duel, he’s falling in love with every woman he meets. Ironically the woman who he first falls for and who continues to love him is named Constance; her love is constant, while his certainly is not.

The book begins as D'Artagnan heads to Paris to join the king’s guard and become a musketeer. He meets three musketeers along the way, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, and after a few misunderstandings the four become inseparable. The cocky quartet is constantly getting into trouble because of the unnecessary risks they take. At the same time they are pretty great at what they do and it’s fun to watch them duel their way out of every situation.

“I foresee plainly that if we don’t kill each other, I shall hereafter have much pleasure in your conversation.”

BOTTOM LINE: The Three Musketeers doesn’t have the same complexity and depth as The Count of Monte Cristo and so it’s not quite as satisfying. It is a really fun read and gives us some wonderful characters. Lady DiWinter is certainly one that I’ll never forget. I’m looking forward to reading some of the other books in the D'Artagnan series.

“It was one of those events which decide the life of a man; it was a choice between the king and the cardinal.”

“He gave a sigh for that unaccountable destiny which leads men to destroy each other for the interests of people who are strangers to them and who often do not even know that they exist.” show less

Everybody knows the story of The Three Musketeers and their friend D’Artagnan, right? Well, if you’re like me and you were basing your knowledge upon the various screen adaptations of the story, then you may be amazed by how much of the story – and the characters – that you don’t know. D’Artagnan, a young man from the Gascony area of France, who goes to Paris with the aim of joining the King’s Musketeers. After a few initial misunderstandings, he becomes firm friends with the melancholy Athos, the rambunctious Porthos, and the foppish Aramis. The book follows their adventures as they become embroiled in trying to stop the evil machinations of Cardinal Richelieu, who is determined to bring down Queen Anne, wife of King show more Louis XIII.

The book was a delightful and action packed adventure, full of humour, fighting and romance. I was surprised that there were chunks of the storyline that didn’t actually feature D’Artagnan or the musketeers, and also by the fact that, unlike the screen adaptations, the four servants of the main characters featured almost as heavily as the main characters themselves, and were very instrumental in the musketeers’ plans and actions.

The plot moves on very quickly, and there are LOTS of twists and surprises, but despite this, Dumas still found time to establish each main character’s personality. It’s fair to say that at times they act in a less than gentlemanly manner, but despite this, I still found myself regarding each character with affection. It is also, in parts, a very funny story (there is one particular scene where D’Artagnan visits Aramis, who is constantly planning to leave the musketeers to become a man of the cloth, and finds him in consultation with a curate and Jesuit superior, which had me laughing out loud all the way through).

The seductive but evil Lady de Winter, and Cardinal Richelieu are a substantial part of the story, playing the two main villains, with ‘MiLady’ always trying, and often succeeding to stay one step ahead of the musketeers who seek to bring her down.

Overall, this is a hugely entertaining romp through Paris, and I believe that everybody should read it at least once. For me, it’s a keeper, and one I intend to re-read at some point. show less

Traveling en route to Paris from his home in the provinces, young d'Artagnan is dismayed when his letter of recommendation is stolen by a scoundrel. He nevertheless calls upon his contact, the captain of the Kings Musketeers, to plead his case for a position in the city, but following the meeting a handful of missteps causes him to be challenged to three successive duels by three well-known musketeers: Athos, Porthos and Aramis. The event proves to be merely the first of many storied, swashbuckling adventures for the four young men.

I'm just going to say right now that Dumas, whom I had never read in my life prior to 2024, is today without a doubt my favorite classic author. This novel is delightfully readable for being 150+ years old, show more which I'm guessing is owed in large part to Ellsworth's translation (kudos!). It is also funny! There were scenes in which I could easily visualize comedic beats adapted for stage or screen. There is a fair amount of violence, which is no surprise given the setting and zeitgeist. Despite its length (the edition I read was 750 pages), I highly recommend it to anyone who usually finds "the classics" dry and boring. show less

This is so absurd, it has to be a satire. Most characters demonstrate how deplorable humans can be to each other. Even among this cast, Athos is the clear winner for most terrifying psychopath. But, I like dark - particularly how the casual cruelty was often more horrific than the intentional. And gotta love that after all that violence, death, and destruction - the "hero" ends up in bed with the "villain". But what an endearing story of adventure and friendship! ROFLMAO.

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Then, casting a last glance at the handsome young man, who was barely twenty-five years old, and whom he left lying there, insensible and perhaps dead, d'Artagnan heaved a sigh over the strange destiny that leads men to destroy each other for the interests of people show more who are strangers to them and who often do not even know that they exist.

And Planchet burst into tears, we will not venture to say whether from terror, on account of the threats made against him, or from the emotion of seeing four friends so closely united. [… in threatening him]

The two women embraced each other for a moment. To be sure, if Milady's strength had been equal to her hatred, Mme Bonacieux would never have left that embrace alive. But, not being able to smother her, she smiled at her. show less

To my surprise, I found this classic mostly readable! Usually with books like this I find my mind wandering a lot as the florid prose capers on and on. That happened a bit, but the characters and action save the day. I found the character of Milady de Winter especially fascinating. The complexities of the plot kept me interested to the last minutes and this is (thankfully) not one of those novels that goes on for a hundred pages after the denouement. I find this book to have stood well the test of time. A classic in any age.

Grand story full of swashbuckling and derring-do, with memorable villains and flawed heroes. Dumas style is very readable, although he was paid by the line and perhaps it is too wordy for its own good sometimes.

As I read, I was impressed by how some of the actions of d'Artagnan and company are less that commendable. They are not as perfect as many cinematographic adaptations might make us think. They can be larger than life, they are loyal, brave and generous, but also too eager to kill or be killed for trivial matters of honor, they don't treat their servants that well, they can be vain, superficial and less than honest in certain dealings of the heart. In the beginning I thought that it was because of how long ago the book was show more written that some of the actions of the protagonists struck me as less than heroic. Later, however, I realized that this moral ambiguity was intended, and the book rose in my estimation because of that.

It has, of course, several moments that are forever engraved in the collective imagination of all who love adventure stories, scenes of enormous melodramatic intensity. show less