Rating
Blurb
The Vicomte de Bragelonne opens an epic adventure which continues with Louise de La Valliere and reaches its climax in The Man in the Iron Mask. This new edition of the classic translation presents a key episode in the Musketeers saga, fully annotated and with an introduction by a leading Dumas scholar.My thought
It's the longest of the trilogy by far (it's around 250 chapters), and though not as action paced or as entertaining as the rest of the D'Artagnan romances (the 3 musketeers, 20 years after), is a very compelling book.
Only for those who have already read and enjoyed the Three Musketeers. A bit hard to get through because of the focus on Politics, but fun as a history piece and if you can follow the various plots and subplots (Note this is the first part three, followed by Louise de la Valiere then the wonderful 'Man in the Iron Mask'
This final chapter takes place 10 years after the last book, thus, placing our characters 30 years after their first adventures, and follows first 7 years of Louis XIV (the Sun King) as ruler of France, right after the death of his minister Mazarin and the events in Europe during that time. So, if you are a buff for history, you will find the intrigues, sexual affairs, complots and scandals in the court all very interesting, since the book describes very accurately many real life characters, including the royal figures themselves.
But if you are more like me and prefer those swashbuckling stories that Dumas was so good at, yes, there's a little of that too, but very little, and it's all mostly at the beginning and through the end of the story; and even though the author's wit and humor makes for a swift reading, most of the times you'll find that almost 2000 pages is not what you had in mind for an adventure book which doesn't have so much adventure on it.
But if you are more like me and prefer those swashbuckling stories that Dumas was so good at, yes, there's a little of that too, but very little, and it's all mostly at the beginning and through the end of the story; and even though the author's wit and humor makes for a swift reading, most of the times you'll find that almost 2000 pages is not what you had in mind for an adventure book which doesn't have so much adventure on it.
Read it only if you must know how it all ends for Athos, Porthos, Aramis and D'Artagnan, and if it's possible, try to put your hands on an abreviated version. If you read it in parts (The Vicomte, Ten Years After, La Valiére and Iron Mask), skip most of the second and third part and go straight to the action in volumes I and IV.
All in all, it's a good ending for the D'Artagnan romances, but it sure as hell could've been a little shorter.
All in all, it's a good ending for the D'Artagnan romances, but it sure as hell could've been a little shorter.
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