The Three Musketeers

by Deborah G. Felder

It is the year 1627, and young D'Artagnan comes to Paris with a dream - to become a King's Musketeer. Three of these brave soldiers - Porthos, Athos and Aramis - soon become his friends. After a short time d'Artagnan has fallen in love - and into great danger. Can the three musketeers and d'Artagnan fight against the evil plans of the beautiful Milady and the cruel Cardinal Richelieu?

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0679860177
• ISBN13: 9780679860174
• Release Date: August 1994
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
• Length: 112 Pages
• Weight: 0.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.2" x 7.6"
• Age Range: 6 to 9 years
• Grade Range: Grades 1 to 4

Customer Reviews

150 Years Later and Still Just As Popular

Long lines wait impatiently outside book shops for the latest issue of the magazine Le Siecle. On the streets and in cafes Parisians talked excitedly about each new installment of the thrilling adventure story, The Three Musketeers. (Like many novels written in the mid-1800s, Dumas' novel was serialized in a magazine before being published as a book.) The public quickly recognized that a new literary genre had appeared - a fast paced, action story based upon a historical event. Previous historical fiction now seemed slow, wordy, and even archaic. What is even more surprising is that 150 years later The Three Musketeers remains widely popular, both in print and on screen. Exciting duels, close escapes, political intrigues, and chivalrous romance still capture the imagination of today's readers. Today's public undoubtedly remembers more about French history - at least history according to Alexandre Dumas - from The Three Musketeers, and its sequels, than from high school and university classes. Athos, Porthos, and Aramis - and their friend D'Artagnan, the irrepressible, courageous, handsome young Gascon who aspires to become a Musketeer himself - are modern icons. Similarly, Dumas' portrayal of King Louis XIII, Queen Anne of Austria, and Cardinal Richelieu are decidedly more interesting than the dry, factual historical characters found in textbooks. And it impossible to forget the enchanting, notorious, and dangerous Milady de Winter, one of the more dramatic and memorable character created by any author. I am somewhat disappointed that Milady is fictional. Choices: There are several good translations of Three Musketeers, including paperbacks like the Bantam Classic and Signet Classic editions. The slightly more expensive Oxford World's Classics edition is also quite good, and it offers an extended introduction and other supplementary material. Trident Press offers an attractive, deluxe gift edition profusely illustrated with the original ink drawings by Maurice Leloir. This version is a reprint of an edition first published by Thomas Y. Crowell and Company in Boston in 1879. Advice: I strongly caution you to avoid the abridged editions. The Three Musketeers is indeed a lengthy novel, but it is one that warrants reading in its entirety, especially if you might someday read one of its sequels, like Twenty Years After or The Man in the Iron Mask.

Let the adventure begin...

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!

better than all the films

THere is a reason that classics are regarded as classics: they are timeless and very fun to read, often more fun than you would imagine. THis is a long book, 900 pages in the French version, but I sliced through so fast that I was sorry when it ended.The plot outline is simple. The four musketeers - for there really are four - want to help the queen in her love for Lord Buckingham of England. All the rest is intrigue and adventure related to that. But the episodes are so funny, the chemistry between the characters so subtle and realistic, that it makes for a truly great read. Indeed, the characters of the musketeers are so well drawn, their inter-relations so complex, that a film or even a miniseries simply cannot do it justice. The glimpses at historical personnages is also fascinating, from Richelieu to Louis XIII. Finally, you get a flavor for the Paris of that epoch, just after the religious wars.Highly recommended.

A well aged trashy novel.

There is a reason Alexandre Dumas' classic is still read and reread today. It is just plain fun to read, supposing you are not forced to do so for some sort of literature class. Gallant heroes, fair damsels, magnificent settings, war, love, duels, honorable gentlemen, nefarious villains, kings, queens, princes, French, English and Cardinal Richelieu, this book has everything.Based mostly around the character of D'Artagnan, a young man trying to enter the Musketeers, the personal bodyguard of the King of France. Befitting a King, his bodyguard contingent is very large, but D'Artagnan befriends three of the company: Athos, Porthos and Aramis, in addition to their captain, whose name I cannot recall as I am writing this review. Befitting the central character, this book is written with the exuberance of youth in such intoxicating measure that the reader cannot help but feel genuine affection for the loyal, heroic, though occasionally hotheaded D'Artagnan and his well-matched friends.The book slows down near the end for some rather unexciting, though very important, character development which itself leads to a vital development in the story. However, despite the fact the plot does tend to drag a bit in this section, it is, indeed, very important and, more importantly, the slowdown in that portion allows the frightful pace of the next few chapters to feel that much more urgent.All in all, this book is just a rollicking good time. For people who want to read a well written book with an intense plot, characters for whom one can feel genuine affection and a vivid sense of setting: this is a book that belongs in one's personal library.

Vive le roi! May your swash be firmly buckled!

First notice: do NOT read an abridged version of the tales. You will lose too much.Second notice: do NOT be fooled into beleiving this is a history book. This is a work of fiction, and a magnificent one.So, with that in mind, what can one say about The Three Musketeers? Athos, Porthos, Aramis, D'Artangnan, the great friends, the great heros, the part-time cads, the drinkers, womanizers, war heros, saviours of the Queen's honour, foils to M. le Cardinal -- these are the ultimate Larger Than Life characters. They foil dastardly plots, they involve themselves in high politics and affairs of state, the duel constantly, and still find time to learn lessons of friendship, honour, and betrayal.This is not a children's book, no more than 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea is a children's book. It was written for adults and there are many scenes children will not understand and will become bored with. Do not let that stop YOU from reading it. Teach you children parts of the tale and then work them towards it. Do yourself a favour and find out just how rich and complex this tale is. You will enjoy it.