The Three Musketeers (Wordsworth Classics) (Paperback)

by Alexandre Dumas père (Author) "ON THE FIRST MONDAY of the month of April, 1625, the small town of Meung, the birthplace of the author of the 'Romance of the..." (more)
Key Phrases: Madame Bonancieux, Lord de Winter, Duke of Buckingham (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Introduction and Notes by Keith Wren, University of Kent at Canterbury A historical romance, The Three Musketeers tells the story of the early adventures of the young Gascon gentleman, D'Artagnan and his three friends from the regiment of the King's Musketeers - Athos, Porthos and Aramis. Under the watchful eye of their patron M. de Treville, the four defend the honour of the regiment against the guards of Cardinal Richelieu, and the honour of the queen against the machinations of the Cardinal himself as the power struggles of seventeenth century France are vividly played out in the background. But their most dangerous encounter is with the Cardinal's spy, Milady, one of literature's most memorable female villains, and Dumas employs all his fast-paced narrative skills to bring this enthralling novel to a breathtakingly gripping and dramatic conclusion

Product Details

• Paperback: 592 pages
• Publisher: Wordsworth Editions Ltd; annotated edition edition (August 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1853260401
• ISBN-13: 978-1853260407
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #37,811 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Pleasant Surprise, July 4, 2002

By	Haley J. The Bat (Indianapolis, Indiana United States) - See all my reviews

The only reason I picked up the book was because it was one of "those" books in the school library. You wanted to read it for the points, but everybody who picked it up gaze up and put it back down. *I* even tried to read it once and gave up. But I'm always up for a challenge. The next year I checked it out and informed everybody I knew that I was going to be one of the first people in our school to read the book. Then I decided to begin reading.

The first couple pages are basically one long paragraph that doesn't make sense unless you're re-reading it and already know the characters and what's going on. I was tempted to put it down, but I wasn't going to back down. By about page 30, it was easy to read, and I began to get into it.

What I discovered was that this is possibly one of the best pieces of fiction ever written. I couldn't put it down, and spent a whole Saturday reading it. I never expected it to be what it was from what I'd read on the back. But then, the plot is so complex, and there are so many sub-plots that you wonder how anyone can do it justice.

I read once that many people associate the word "classic" with the word "boring". As I've discovered, this is entirely not true. When I thought about it, the reason books become classics aren't because they're old and boring, but because people love them, because they are read by millions. The reason that they lasted for so long is because people kept them alive. I'm sure that in a century from now, only a select few books that we enjoy will still be in print, and those particular books will be the best of our time, just as The Three Musketeers was the best of its time.

I'm sorry if this review didn't suffice, I'm just hoping that maybe somebody will read it and give it a try. So far I haven't talked anyone I know into reading it, but they're not bookworms like me. People are intimidated by its size, but from my experience, the best books are the largest. When an author really has a story to tell, one that you will enjoy, one that has a complex, satisfying plot, then it's going to be long.

Okay, I'm done lecturing anyone who got this far. :)

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FASCINATINGLY WOVEN CLASSIC, March 16, 2002

By	Datar (India) - See all my reviews

1 When I got this book, the name seemed very familiar. `Three Musketeers' was a phrase used by people to describe any trio of friends indulging in some activity or enterprise. Then I came to know about the movie made on the story of this book with the same name.

2 Initially, this book did not interest me at all. What a funny kind of language it has is what I thought. I wondered as to why it is such a famous classic when I am unable to find first few pages so interesting. But when I convinced my mind that this must be the language of times to which the book belongs (1844) and proceeded, It was evident why it is a classic. Masterly woven story line and plot. Thrill of not knowing what to expect next, the intrigue of the French court, helplessness of the Queen and power of the Cardinal all add to the boiling pot of this book's plot. Rise of its commoner hero D' Artagnan through intelligence, luck, hard work and musketeer friends has been convincingly developed. Even after long time from its release in 1844, `Three Musketeers' holds the readers captive till the very last page. A MUST READ.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great book!, May 6, 2002

By	Melissa ---- (USA) - See all my reviews

The Three Musketeers is a unique book. History and political events are woven into the plot of this clever book. I find the characters fasinating and feel like I already know these noble men. The loyalty of them is overwhemling. I am in the middle of Dumas's next book, "Twenty Years Later" and am enjoying it too.I have read many books, and this is one of my personal favorites.