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Summary: The most boring book I have ever read...
Review: I don't believe I've met anyone who could finish this book. Characters are boring dialogue incessant, the pace seems to be molasses dragged by a snail through mud, descriptions are simply boring.
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Summary: The best of The Vicompte de Braggelonne
Review: The man in the iron mask is the third and best part of the very long novel, The Vicompte de Braggelonne. It is also by far the best part. Louise de la Valliere, the second part, is really boring; and only the first third or so of the first part (also named the Vicompte de Braggelonne) is any good. When you read this book completely (the 3 parts), it becomes blatantly clear that Dumas had become very famous and earned by the page. The amount of "filling" is enormeous. If you want to read first class Dumas, read The Count of Montecristo (5 stars) or the Three mousketeers (4.5 stars). The fact is that the movie, The man in the iron mask, is an adaptation of the Vicompte (it takes something from the three parts) that, rarest of things, improves from the novel.
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Summary: Best Edition of the Smashing Conclusion
Review: This is the fifth and last book of the Three Musketeers saga. If you haven't read the other four, don't start here. Read "The Three Musketeers," then "Twenty Years After" then "The Vicomte de Bragelonne," and then "Louise de la Valliere" before reading "The Man in the Iron Mask."Second, although you can read these stories without explanatory notes, I think most readers will greatly appreciate the copious and helpful notes in the Oxford editions of these works. The entire series is a great read, mixing adventure, comedy and history. It tells the story of the lifetime friendship of four heroes and how that friendship is tested by ambition and conflicting loyalties. This volume, which concludes their story, divides them between those who support the young Louis XIV and those who fear he will become a tyrant.
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Summary: The Man in the Iron Mask: To betray an unjust King.
Review: Many years after their first meeting; Athos, Porthos, Aramis and D'Artagnan reunite once more but in conflict. With king Louis XIV raging havok in France, Aramis, Athos and Porhos do what is in their power to overthrow him, yet D'Artagnan as captain of the musketeers tries to stop their secret plan to repalce Louis with Philip the kings twin brother that rests unseen in La bastille under a dreadful Iron Mask. If you saw the Latest Movie you have to read the book or else you will never know how little favor the film does to it. (Also recomend the Count of Monte Cristo.)
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Summary: unless you're a dumas fan
Review: I admit I've only read this book and 'the three musketeers', none of the others in between. I'm usually a big fan of so-called classics. I didn't like the three musketeers much, but I hated this. After TTM I wouldn't really have been pushed to read any more Dumas, but I saw two film versions and wondered how they could be so different. Now I see that it's because TMITIM doesn't really deal with the king and his brother at all. Just another story about those musketeers. And it really is such a good idea. I usually never recommend this, but watch one of the films (I love the oldest one) instead of reading the book. Maybe if I had read it a little slower, I might have found it more easy to read, but I was eager to get to the end and find out what happened to Philippe and Louis, and was very disappointed when they weren't mentioned.
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Summary: An extremely interesting book
Review: I just finished listening to the unabridged, Books on Tape version, of this book. I also just recently finished the Three Muskateers so I thought I was getting the entire picture. It was not until I went on the internet and discovered that there are three or four books in between, depending on what language you are reading. However, I thought the book extremely good. It seemed strange the introduction of some characters as old friends (Raoul, Athos' son for example) but now I know better. I did find it interesting how Dumas allowed the characters to mature. Nowhere in this book do you have the "all for one, one for all" story line. In fact, if I am not mistaken, I do not believe that all four of the muskateers are in the same place at the same time throughout this entire book. Aramis deceives Porthos into helping him with his plot to unseat Louis XIV, hardly something that would seem likely in the first novel. There are some questions that are unanswered to me, most notably what happens to Philippe? Does he die? Does he live on throughout what was Louis XIV's long reign? Also, what was Aramis' motivation for unseating the first Louis anyway? Did it strike anyone else that Fouquet (forgive my spelling, I listened to the book on tape so I don't know if I am spelling the names correctly) is able to spirit the first Louis back out of the Bastille rather easily? Didn't Aramis put the fear of death in the governor of the Bastille's mind? I don't want to be too critical, after all it's a novel, not a history. As such it was quite good. I thought it would have been better had the intrique with Philippe been more developed. The book seemed to drag a bit after he was put back in the Bastille. The last few chapters were very long obituaries for Athos and D'Artegnon. I am going to locate the other books in between and try to read them as well. I am also going to get some of the recent movie versions to see how Hollywood butchered the books.
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Summary: Definitely on my list of books to re-read!
Review: This book has to be one of the most powerful tales I have ever read. I read straight through the entire 'musketeers' saga and by the time I got to this final installment I felt as if I were reading about good friends. I was so moved by the final chapters (particularly the deaths of Porthos and Athos) that I cried for about an hour! I would HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who loves to read but I also discourage beginning with it. It is the last book in the series and it loses a lot of its power if read without the others. I would eventually like to re-read all of the books and I'm very glad they are now a part of my collection of books.
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Summary: I was completely touched.
Review: I was completely touched by the excellent performance of Leonardo DiCaprio. I absolutely loved him in it. He was great. Although, I have another version of the book, I absolutely loved the movie. I thought that this was one of Leonardo DiCaprio's best performances.(All of his are.) I also want to add that Tracey S. is the biggest Leonardo DiCaprio fan in the world. Randall Wallace picked the best King Louis XIV, and Felipe.
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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.
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Summary: The movie sucks in comparison to this!
Review: This is the original version of the book. If you thought the movie was good, you'll think this book is great. If you though the movie sucked, you'll think the book is good. It is filled with emotion and is very unpredictable. Don't be fooled by the title, this really has hardly anything to do with the man in the iron mask. It was originally called "The Last of the Musketeers". That should give you an idea of what it's about. It may be boring at parts, but the interesting parts in it cancel out the boring ones. THIS BOOK IS AWESOME!!!!!!!
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