The Three Musketeers

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Summary: Great Read--but Avoid the Oxford World's Classics Version
Review: Avoid the Oxford World Classic's edition of this novel. Incredibly, Oxford uses a translation that bowdlerizes sections of D'Artagnan's sexual encounters with Milady and her servant, Kitty. That's a shame because one of the enduring traits of Dumas's saga is the combination of refinement and roguishness in the main characters. Oxford's edition of _Twenty Years After_, however, is excellent.

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Summary: Vive le roi! May your swash be firmly buckled!
Review: 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.

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Summary: cool book!
Review: The Great Illustrated classics are great (no pun intended) TheThree Musketeers is so cool. I love this book. on a scale from 1 to 10I give it an 11. You can't put it down. I like the pic's they weremade very good. This book is so cool. and if you like the word hot then this book is so hot. This book is good for all ages. I love it and you will too. Get it and injoy it. READ IT!

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Summary: This is a classic?
Review: I had picked up this book with high hopes. I thought that itwould be a real adventure. Starting out, this book is very catchingand rich in detail, I kept reading and reading. And then, after awhile, the story seemed to slumber and then I lost my interest. The biggest reason that I lost interest in this book is how much I had grown to NOT like the characters. They seemed cold hearted- and almost mean. I know that it was rough back then, but I don't like to read books when I don't like the lead characters. Second, the dialogue was pretty unlikely, the characters seem to just talk and talk. It took so long for the characters to get out their thoughts. Third, the love relationship between Dartanguan (I probably spelled that wrong) and Mistress Bonacheux was barely developed and Dartanguan was too straight forward with his love for her, and the author didn't mention anything about what Dartanguan and Mistress Bonacheux were thinking, it was all dialogue (pretty bad dialogue). Even though there were problems, the ending was kinda good and the Cardinal was a delighful character to read about. I don't see what people find so great about this book, it was quite boring to me. But, even though I didn't enjoy this book, I had read The Man in the Iron Mask, and I liked that book! I know that Alexandre Dumas is a good author, but I thinking that this book was a bomb (even though it was Dumas's favorite book that he had made.) I advise people to be warned: This book is very boring, and if you have high hopes about it, you'll be very disappointed.

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Summary: The Three Musketeers
Review: Imagine a portal to another land, where brave men and mighty kingdoms play starring roles in an adventure where international peace and the lives of many are at stake. Throw in a little political intrigue, and a growing conspiracy and you have one of the finest pieces of adventure fiction ever to be written. The Three Musketeers is a classic piece of adventure fiction. Alexandre Dumas, who served in the French army himself, is clearly in his element here, as the story flows smoothly and freely, with the battle scenes crisp and clean. The verbose language can at times be confusing, yet it is what gives this book its character. Dumas' characters are excellently designed, as elegant Aramis, joyful Porthos, and reserved Athos mesh together well with the brave and young D'Aratagnan. The plot thickens as Dumas allows the reader to follow the events closely, even at times allowing them to know things his characters do not, adding another superb element to this novel. In conclusion, as the story progresses and the action keeps you clinging on the edge of your seat, this story clearly is an awesome work of literary art. If you haven't bought this book, I strongly encourage you to do so. That magical portal to your land of mystery and intrigue is only as close as your nearest bookstore.

Rating:
Summary: As good as reading gets
Review: If I were given the chance to erase only one book from my mind, I would probably choose The Three Musketeers, just so that I might experience reading it again for the first time. Those of us for whom the prospect of reading more and more books was a key incentive for growing up are now faced, as adults, with a dwindling supply of books that meet all four requirements of being well-written, thrilling, timeless, and of epic proportions. At fourteen, I thought that I would find plenty of books like The Lord of the Rings if only I had enough money to spend at the bookstore, but contemporary society no longer seems to have the patience or imagination to produce anything but narrow-scoped (if sometimes enjoyable) books. On the other hand, the classics, being the product of another age, tend to become over the years further and further removed from us in language and spirit. Fortunately, there is at least one clear exception in the writings of Alexandre Dumas. His masterpiece, the trilogy comprising The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, and The Vicomte of Bragelonne, is almost fresher today than when it first appeared. As engrossing as any modern thriller, it is three times as long (so the fun goes on for quite a while) and unlike most best-sellers of today, is neither culture-dependent (you can enjoy it regardless of moral stance, political persuasion, or creed) nor world event-driven (it doesn't call on the defunct Cold War, terrorism, or some international "crisis" to build a powerful mood and atmosphere---although it does occasionally hack off the head of a king for dramatic effect). Finally, it doesn't resort to the realm of fantasy or science fiction as a means of providing the story with noble purpose and heroic deeds. It is purely and simply an account of human intrigue, love, friendship, and hatred, which is moving to the point of actually making readers cry, especially at the end of the third and longest part of the trilogy. If you haven't read it yet, I really envy you. Do read it in French, if that's an option.

Rating:
Summary: The three musketeers
Review: it's a very good book--an exciting classic, although on the purchase screen it says the reading level is for level 9-12. i am a high school student and find it a bit hard to understand myself, and certainly no one younger would be able to understand this book. anyway, it's great and i encourage people to read it. i was slightly disappointed to find out that some of the musketeers betray in various ways...ie. when d'artagnan has affairs strictly to get what he wants. that is my only complaint. otherwise it's good!

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Summary: Thrilling audio adaption: Theatre for the mind!
Review: 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. Give it a listen and email me at [e-mail] and tell me what you think.

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Summary: Exciting But Repetitive
Review: This is an exciting book that unfortunately feels formulamatic at times. Maybe that is because it was produced as a serialized novel originally. It can have that "find out what our heros are up to next issue" feel. Overall it is fast paced, but long. I liked the action sequences and the author's creation of distinct personalities for his heros. While I had to read this over a long period of time, I found I enjoyed it most when I could put in a couple of hours at a time and fully submerge myself in the author's world. I would recommend picking this up for a vacation book or if you know you'll be able to keep at it night after night.

The author uses a convincing historical and period backdrop for his tale. It feels real which aids the story. The romantic nature of his heros leads to a wonderful story of comradship and loyalty, good versus evil, etc. Many things to like, but I did not find it deserves quite as lofty a pedestal as most of these other reviewers do.

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Summary: Boring? NEVER!
Review: When I was assigned to read this 600 page book for school, I gasped! I figured that my whole summer was wiped. I read the first few pages of this classic and acutally found it interesting. As the plot thickened, I got really into it--to the point where it was hard to put down! While the many characters did get confusing, as did the twisted plot, I loved it! I re-read it over my Holiday break, and it was even better than the first time! The Inseparables will suck you into their world for a swashbuckling tale of love, war, and twisted affairs!