The Man in the Iron Mask (Bookcassette(r) Edition)

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Epic
Review: Alexandre Dumas is my favorite story teller. He pieces together a story better than any other writer I have ever read and he makes tales of swashbuckling men and fair maidens completely engaging even two hundred years after that lifestyle died out. He writes romantic novels, where all the characters embody both virtue and vice and are people you wish you knew. I have not seen The Man in the Iron Mask movie, but from what I hear the book and movie are not very similar. The book, however, is an incredible creation, you will learn a lot about the history of the French monarchy, you will fall in love with the characters, and you will want to go out and read the rest of Dumas's books. I can not say enough how much I liked this book.

Rating:
Summary: Slow Begining, But a Fun Read
Review: I bought this book thinking it was the sequel to the Three Musketeers, which I really enjoyed. What I didn't realize was that there are a number of books in between these two and so I was a bit lost in the beginning with some of the plots and characters (like Raoul, son of Athos, and Louise). Once I got aquainted with what was going on though, I found the book just as exciting, funny, and entertaining as the first.

I would definitely recommend this book, but you might want to read some of the prior books first to get the most out of it.

Rating:
Summary: Great Story - Read the Whole Thing
Review: I was inspired to read The Man in the Iron Mask after seeing the movie (the one with DiCaprio). I hadn't realized that the Musketeers were part of the story and was very intrigued. Which plot lines were in the original and which were developed by Hollywood? Wow! Was I in for a surprise! The movie and the book tell different stories, but both are excellent, entertaining, and thought-provoking.

I appreciate books/series which show how the characters have aged and developed. Dumas does this with the musketeer series. D'Artagnan is no longer the wide-eyed "Gee, what could happen to me next?" hero of The Three Musketeers. He has to deal with questions of loyalty vs. friendship, support for the king vs. honor vs. love of his friends. There are still adventures and swordfights, but also more character conflicts. There is no simple nasty villain for the "good guys" to fight.

When I first read The Man in the Iron Mask (the movie tie-in edition), I was confused about who many of the characters were. The beginning didn't make much sense since it came in part-way through the story. The first line of the first chapter in particular confused me since it referred to events which I as the reader knew nothing about. The book makes a lot more sense when read as part of the whole series (The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, The Vicomte de Bragelonne, Louise de la Valliere, The Man in the Iron Mask).

I STRONGLY suggest reading the Oxford World Classics edition, which starts with earlier chapters than other published versions and includes scenes that make the story more understandable: Athos confronts the King, Aramis reveals himself as a Jesuit and scopes out the Bastille, D'Artagnan confronts the King... These are some of the best scenes in the book, and it is a shame that other publishers don't include them.

Rating:
Summary: Only time could stop them
Review: I won't lie. When I first read this book I felt terribly cheated. I had followed the adventures of the Four Musketeers for months. And then, Dumas reminded me that they could trick Richelieu and Mazarin, but they couldn't outsmart Louis XIV nor time.

Know something? I loved it!

This book isn't as fast-paced as the previous stories. It has lots more intrigue and romantic tension, since it's centered around Raoul de Bragelonne (Athos' son) and, as D'Artagnan says, the youngsters of Louis XIV's court aren't what they used to be. Neither the musketeers! Athos has become quieter, Aramis more mysterious, Porhos more innocent and D'Artagnan is tired of devoting his life to persons that forget him once they're powerful. Their final fight against time makes this a great book, even if during the final chapters I cried a lot. Any Musketeer lover would.

Finally, and for moviegoers, my advice: don't even try to compare the movie to this book. It's completely different, though the musketeers are nicely portrayed on it, and shouldn't be compared. Alternate realities, anyone?

Rating:
Summary: A poignant ending to the most romantic series ever written.
Review: This book only marginally resembles the recent movie. The last of The D'Artagnan Romances, a series of six romances spanning forty years and written by Alexandre Dumas in the mid-1800s, The Man in the Iron Mask presents Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and D'Artagnan aligned against each other politically, but always joined together in spirit and friendship. The series vividly recreates the courts of Louis XIII and Louis XIV, as seen from the perspective of the four Musketeers. The intrigue and adventures of these four men carries the reader into their lives, loves, and tragedies. In The Man in the Iron Mask, Philippe's struggle with his identity and his attempt to rule France serves only as a backdrop to the complex relations of the characters. Dumas' flamboyant writing style enhances the intricate splendor he describes. A master wordsmith, Dumas was extremely successful in France during his life. The Man in the Iron Mask and the other D'Artagnan Romances are based on the Memoirs of Monsieur D'Artagnan, written by Courtils de Sandras. Dumas' other great success was The Count of Monte Cristo. ...The D'Artagnan Romances are: The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, The Vicomte de Bragelonne, Ten Years Later, Louise de la Valliere, and The Man in the Iron Mask.