Duane S. reviewed on + 23 more book reviews
After doing a little research online, I learned that the 1950 translation of THE THREE MUSKETEERS by Lord Sudley was considered a superior one. So thats the edition I plowed into. While the Sudley edition includes an interesting introduction, I only wish it also provided the sort of annotations included in the Oxford University Press edition edited by David Coward. Still, this lack of editorial notes didnt subtract from the enjoyable experience of reading the story of DArtagnan and his three friends, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis.
Like the 1973 film, this novel is a romp. The camaraderie of the four heroes, and their contrasting characteristicsthat sometimes put their intentions at odds until adversity rears its headlays the groundwork for a multitude of teams that follow: Doc Savages scrappy adventurers, the Shadows slew of agents, the Challengers of the Unknown, the Fantastic Four, the X-Files, even Luke and Han and Chewie and a couple of robots, and so on. Dumas includes lots of action, with a dose of historical events (which arent necessarily accurate in their historic details), plus humor and court intrigue. And swordplay!
Outside the four musketeers, the characters Dumas describes are quite remarkable. The sly manipulations of Cardinal Richelieu, meant to maintain his power over the king and court, are balanced by the ways he decides to use DArtagnan and others, and the ways he decides to let them go their merry ways even when they may thwart his ambitions. For true evil, Dumas sculpted the template for every subsequent femme fatale by creating Milady, Lady de Winter. Her absolute evilness and unrelenting self-interest make her one of the most villainous villainesses ever to appear in literature.
Like the 1973 film, this novel is a romp. The camaraderie of the four heroes, and their contrasting characteristicsthat sometimes put their intentions at odds until adversity rears its headlays the groundwork for a multitude of teams that follow: Doc Savages scrappy adventurers, the Shadows slew of agents, the Challengers of the Unknown, the Fantastic Four, the X-Files, even Luke and Han and Chewie and a couple of robots, and so on. Dumas includes lots of action, with a dose of historical events (which arent necessarily accurate in their historic details), plus humor and court intrigue. And swordplay!
Outside the four musketeers, the characters Dumas describes are quite remarkable. The sly manipulations of Cardinal Richelieu, meant to maintain his power over the king and court, are balanced by the ways he decides to use DArtagnan and others, and the ways he decides to let them go their merry ways even when they may thwart his ambitions. For true evil, Dumas sculpted the template for every subsequent femme fatale by creating Milady, Lady de Winter. Her absolute evilness and unrelenting self-interest make her one of the most villainous villainesses ever to appear in literature.
Back to all reviews by this member
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details
