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The Three Musketeers (Modern Library Classics) (Paperback) (平装)
by Alexandre Dumas père, Alan Furst, Jacques Le Clercq (Translator)
| Category:
Classics, Fiction |
| Market price: ¥ 138.00
MSL price:
¥ 128.00
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| Stock:
Pre-order item, lead time 3-7 weeks upon payment [ COD term does not apply to pre-order items ] |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
MSL Pointer Review:
Daring deeds and cold steel combine in this classic which has thrilled readers for over one hundred and fifty years.
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AllReviews |
1 Total 1 pages 9 items |
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Dennis Phillips (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-02 00:00>
For years schoolteachers have tried to get their pupils interested in reading by telling them they have to read this book. Of course this seldom works for there is a difference in reading for pleasure and reading because one is forced to do so. I must admit however that if this tact is ever going to work, it should work with this book. Dumas is the master of the adventure story and this just may be his best work. Sex, violence, intrigue, and one purely evil character are to be found in the pages of this book. What more could the modern reader ask for?
The story does not center on the actual three musketeers in question as the book might imply. Instead the young d'Artagnan is the hero of this story as the reader follows him in his successful quest to become one of the King's Musketeers. He soon becomes entangled in disputes with three musketeers who will become his best friends. Aramis, Athos and Porthos are an eclectic and eccentric group whose mere presence in a scene immediately adds color. D'Artagnan's adventures with his three friends have been immortalized on film many times, but do not be fooled. The films bear little resemblance to the book in many instances and seldom do they do Dumas' work justice. For one thing, the activities of our little group that would today be frowned upon seem never to make it to the big screen. For example, I have never seen a film version in which Porthos beats his lackey.
It is of course easy to review a classic like this and rave about how wonderful it is. Others who are no doubt much more intelligent than myself have indicated that this is one of the all time great books, so it must be so. In truth, I don't really care what others have said. What I care about is whether I enjoyed the book or not and I assure you that I did enjoy this book very much. Dumas' writing draws in his reader and it is often quite hard to put the story down in order to look after other important matters, like sleep. The reader will find no deep symbolism here, just good fun and a lot of it. Of course, just by accident the reader might just learn a little history but fear not for there will be no test.
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Tenebricosa (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-02 00:00>
This is one book that has definitely earned its place among tbe top novels of all time. The characters are lively and developed, each with his or her own individual personality and part of what makes this book so appealing is the complex relations between them, ones that evolve through the book to suit new relevations in plot and character.
I haven't watched any film based on this book as of yet so I cannot say with any large degree of truth in the statement that the book is better than the film but I have my doubts that any film can properly display all the subtle nuances and plot details inherent in this book.
Lastly I must address the historical context of this story. Louis XIII is not a commonly discussed historical figure in French history as he is certainly no Henry IV or Lous XIV but it must be told that to say Dumas embroidered on history is an understatement, though he disguises it cleverly and makes it almost believable as a true historical work.
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B. Morse (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-02 00:00>
In 'Musketeers' Alexandre Dumas set the stage for future works as he introduced readers to the exploits and adventures of D'Artagnan and his friends Athos, Aramis, and Porthos, a.k.a. The Three Musketeers. Subsequent books follow, telling further adventures 'Twenty Years Later' and 'Ten Years After' that. But in Musketeers, readers meet the young D'Artagnan and his trio of swashbuckling companions for the first time.
Trying to classify the story into one genre is an exercise in futility, as it encompasses so many. But to me, it is most of all a comedy. Many, many times I found myself chuckling while reading the foibles of French manners in the 17th century, as chronicled in the 19th century by Dumas. The Musketeers are warriors, spies, womanizers, drunkards; but above all they are gentlemen. Two men about to duel discuss a salve one offers the other to heal a prior wound; A lackey who is ordered not to speak is reprimanded for bringing news that will spare the Musketeers from harm and trying to deliver it to them; a duel is avoided as there is not sufficient time to fight it properly; and an innkeeper is maligned for not having better wines in his cellar while one of the Musketeers holes up there for days after not paying his bill.
While the action is well plotted, and the storyline twists and turns are plausible and palpable, the most intriguing, captivating, and charming aspect of this story for me was its humor. In a world full of formulaic, contrived 'adventure tales' it was a treat to step back in time several hundred years and find a real adventure story. Classics survive for a reason, while other stories are relegated to the bargain bins. While Dumas was not exactly thought of as 'high quality' literature, and his intelligence has been the subject of discourse and debate, he had a clever way with words, characters, and stories. His plot here is not at all overblown, and while his characters may be larger than life, their life isn't. Even as his 'over the top' anti-heroes cross blades again and again with the Cardinal Richelieu's forces, bed women time and again, fight off attack after attack, and escape certain death more than once, the world they live in never seems like a work of fiction.
In contrast to Count of Monte Cristo, this book is only 'lighter' in the manner in which the story is unfolded. While that book had a much darker theme, this story is every bit as engrossing. I am happy to have saved this book to savor in adulthood, and highly recommend reading the adventures of the Musketeers to anyone with a love for classics.
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-02 00:00>
For those trying to read The Musketeers Saga:
In the original French, there are only three (3) books - 1. The Three Musketeers 2. Twenty Years After and 3. Ten Years Later. But when translated, most English editions split the behemoth Ten Years Later into a Trilogy (and some four - which make it all the more confusing!).
The reading list should be 1. The Three Musketeers 2. Twenty Years After and 3a. The Vicomte de Bragelonne 3b. Louise de la Valliere and 3c. The Man in the Iron Mask. Five books - that's the total series!
I highly recommend this series from Oxford University Press containing the complete unabridged and annotated versions of all of these books. The notes are located in the back of each book so as not to slow down the flow of the text. Most of the notes give additional info on historic characters and places. And a few point out that Dumas was a better storyteller than historian, as keeping dates seems to be such a nuisance!
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Emily (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-02 00:00>
Being only an eigth grader and a thirteen year old, you may think I don't have very much experience with books. However, I have read The Three Musketeers, and I can easily say, it is the best book ever written. It is witty with 18th century humor. It has fencing, fighting, romance, betrayl, action, seduction, death, hatred, true love, and so much more. It is filled with creativity, and Alexandre Dumas has a wonderful style of writing that really lets him connect to the reader.
D'Artagan is a young Gason boy who wants to become a Musketeer. It follows him and his adventures with his three friends and fellow musketeers, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. The journeys that the four of them take together are unforgettable. This book is a must read. It is hard to get into at first, but once you start reading, at least twenty pages, you have to finish.
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-02 00:00>
A few reasons that this book is worshipped by many of its readers, including me.
1. It's the quintessential story of friendship. Many, many sets of good friends over the years have called themselves musketeers, and this novel is why. The four main characters have unforgettable but distinct personalities.
2. No one had ever written action-adventure the way Alexandre Dumas did.
3. Very witty dialogue. Each character has his own brand of humor, making this book even more fun than it otherwise would be.
4. Very evocative of the time period in which it is set.
Read this book! I reccomend it to anyone.
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Guillermo Maynez (MSL quote), Mexico
<2007-02-02 00:00>
I bet everyone who has read this book has lamented not having been born in France, in the 17th century. The plot is well known: a young man from southwestern France, of rather humble origin, travels to Paris, to try to get admitted at the Musketeers corps, the personal guard of king Louis XIII. He achieves his aim partially, as he is accepted by another corps, as a first step towards becoming a Musketeer. D'Artagnan, which is his name, is a courageous, provincial, and impulsive man, with a knack for getting in trouble with powerful and aggressive people. D'Artagnan becomes close friend of three musketeers, each one having a very specific (and superbly created by Dumas) personality. Athos is of noble origin, a very silent and grave man, with an intriguing, mysteryous and tragic past. Porthos is a flamboyant character, an ambitious, pompous, talkative and opinionated guy who likes to party and to womanize, although he's always out of money. Aramis is a strange and, I would say, rather unlikable guy, of refined manners and enigmatic past. Even the valets of each musketeer have a full personality, and they play important and funny roles in all the adventures. These are simply extraordinary, magnificently written. They happen against the background of historical events, and play joyfully with History. The action takes place in 17th century France. Louis XIII was not a very able statesman, he was not a bad person, but he was a frivolous and somehow irresponsible man, not very interested in politics or public affairs. So he has a prime minister, one of the most fascinating historical characters of all time: Armand Duplessis, Cardinal Richelieu. He was, in reality, one of the most important protagonists of the creation of the Nation-state, just at the time where the novel takes place. Richelieu is a first-rate enemy for our heroes. He is an extremely intelligent, astute, and clever person. In this novel he plays bad guy, because the musketeers are always on the other side of problems. But they respect him a lot, knowing he is a formidable mind, without the least trace of cowardice or foolishness. Another important character is Queen Anne of Austria, a beautiful -and unfaithful- woman, who has a secret romance with the English Duke of Buckingham, an enemy of her husband. Amid the perpetual intrigues, back-stabbing, bribes, seductions and general decadence of the Court, the musketeers have incredible and perfectly-written adventures. Adventure pure. The cast of characters is long and fascinating. One important thing other reviewers have correctly noted is that the reader really comes to identify with the characters, and to feel something for them, either friendship or distaste. It is a real classic of literature, even if it is relegated to the "books for children" shelf. It is not jus that. In fact, I have read it several times and I think I have enjoyed it even more at an older age, beacuse now I have a much better knowledge and understanding of the historical aspects of it. But you don't really need that to enojy this novel, since it is one of the quickiest and easiest reading. It's simply fantastic.
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J. Mckinley (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-02 00:00>
I'm the guy who wrote the adaption for the monterey soundworks audio cassette version of Alexandre Dumas' The Three Musketeers. Just to explain what the product isn't: it isn't a book on tape. What it is: is a dramatization of the story with many different voice acters, sound effects and original music. The story is brought to life through the characters and the action. What you don't get is some English guy reading to you out of the book. You will hear the clash and clatter of the swords as the Musketeers battle the cardinal's dreaded guards. The sound of the horses' hooves and the carriage wheels upon the french cobblestone streets will reverberate throughout your car or home.
Remember, this is an adaption, which means the story is presented in a media other than the original novel. Some material, of course, had to be left out. I am proud of this adaption and how faithfully it delivers the bulk of Dumas' exciting adventures with D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers. Any other adaption I've seen always focuses on a very small part of the novel or something other than what the story is really about. Musketeer fans, I believe, will be pleased. The monterey soundworks cassette version also serves as a great introduction for those who have not befriended our intrepid friends, Athos, Porthos, Aramis and of course, D'Artagnan.
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-02 00:00>
The story of the Three Musketeers is really the story of how D'artagnan became the Fourth Musketeer.D'Artagnan overcomes many obstacles and finaly convinces Cardinal Richelieu of his sincerity.The true villain of the story isn't the Cardinal,but his ruthless agent,Milady de Winter, who takes much into her own hands in her revenge on D'Artagnan and his friends.Athos is the noblest musketeer of them all,having come through tragedy which he only gradualy reveals to his friends.Athos becomes D'Artagnan's best friend in the musketeers,while Porthos provides laughs and Aramis shows a sensitive,poetic side.The tale has much of actual French history,and a large percentage of the characters have definite historical counterparts.Dumas is one of the best authors when it comes to historical fiction. |
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1 Total 1 pages 9 items |
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