Customer Reviews

Twenty Years After

5 star:		(58)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book, like most of Dumas' work is wonderful. His adventure stories still evoke a sense of wonderment and raise the hairs on the back of your neck. Most movies of the same titles do not portray the events as he wrote them, but I have found that most accomodate the tempo or the 'feel' of his novels. I would additionally like to set the record straight on the trilogy argument that I see in most of the reviews in this page. The series was originally published as a trilogy, The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, and Vicomte de Bragelonne. The Vicomte de Bragelonne is now published by most in three volumes: Vicomte de Bragellone, Louise de la Valliere, and finally The Man in the Iron Mask. I have seen it split into four parts with Ten Years Later being placed in between the Vicomte de Bragellone and Louise de la Valliere. This splitting was done because when the three are combined, or rather not split, the novel is large and cumbersome to read. I hope that all this literary information does not detract one from the greatness of this series however, it is truly a wonderful tale to read about, and the story endures through to modern times with the same ferver in which it was released.

It is twenty years after the first Musketeers saga and Athos, Aramis, Porthos and d'Artagnan have all gone their separate ways. Midlife has mellowed the musketeers and definitely complicated their perceptions. Porthos has been indulging himself with his widow's money and working himself up the caste ladder but is still not entirely accepted but the upper crust he wants to become. Aramis has gone into the church and, although he dreams wistfully of the days that he was a musketeer, his scheming has become more of a way of life than a troublesome quirk. Athos is the only one who still closely resembles the man he was in his youth. Even the hot tempered, rambunctious D'Artagnan has settled in to his career as a professional soldier. He is now a musketeer for the paycheck instead of the glory. Yet all deep down reminisce of `the good old days' - the only question is what will they do to recapture them.

Mazarin has replaced Richelieu as Cardinal and the queen, once persecuted by the previous Cardinal, is now in league (or at least in bed) with the despised Italian Mazarin. Though Mazarin is popularly hated by the people, D'Artagnan jumps at the opportunity for advancement when Mazarin commissions him to reassemble the foursome ostensibly for the protection of the prince regent and queen. But the others have their own ideas about working for Mazarin and Dumas maintains a delicate balance as the four eventually do come to work together though not entirely on the same side.

Twenty Years After is more grounded in history than the first and I highly recommend this particular book for the notes in the back. For all the criticism that Dumas plays fast and loose with history, it depends on where you place your yardstick. He moves events around a bit with people coming back from exile a year or two early and a battle being fought several years later but, over all, this is really grounded in history. The bulk of the plot is the siege of Paris by the Queen (and Mazarin) in the late 1640's. The death of Charles I and the peasant revolt are more substantial historical events than the retrieval of the Queen's diamonds in the first novel so expect a lot more complicated plot as far as people and events. Dumas knew his history (judging by the degree of deviation suggested by the notes) and though he might move or bend it, he still tried for plausibility. We also have a new arch enemy in this one - Lady DeWinter's son, Mordaunt, who has come to seek revenge on the men who executed his mother in the first book.

While still a superb adventure story, this is a more adult tale with more emphasis on psychological motivations and the effect of time on a man's ideals and motivations. I enjoyed the first one more because of the less complicated plot and swift action but that is not to suggest that Twenty Years After is lacking in any way. When taken in conjunction with the first, the idea is brilliant and brings out many more elements that a simple `more of the same' sequel just couldn't do.

At the end of the Three Musketeers, the reader is left with the feeling that these young heroes can only go on to greater heights. As this book opens, twenty years have passed since the death of Milady. The Musketeer's youthful dreams have not quite panned out. They are now in their forties and the world is much more complicated.

The most brilliant of the four friends D'Artagnan, is still only a lieutenant in the Kings Musketeers. His talents have never been recognized. Although wealthy, Porthos is unhappy because his neighbors do not hold him in high esteem. Although now an abbe, Aramis still is drawn to the world of the sword. Only Athos seems to have found some peace as a country squire.

The four close friends have gone their separate ways. They have not spoken or seen eachother for many years. However, France is on the verge of a civil war. D'Artagnan's desire for recognition and fortune leads him to bring the four old friends back together again for one more grand adventure.

I thought the Three Musketeers was one of the great adventure stories. It is hard to believe but Twenty Years After is an even better book. Dumas has the advantage of creating four great characters in the Three Musketeers. Twenty Years After, gives Dumas another 800 pages to develop these memorable adventurers. What made Dumas such a genius, is that he knew how to build a story to a high pitch and keep that high level of tension and excitement going for hundreds of pages. This is truly a remarkable book. The only down side to Twenty Years After is that I now have another 2100 pages to go before I end the five part Musketeer series.

Out of all of the Alexandre Dumas novels I have read, this is the only one with an upbeat ending. I say this because I have run into more than one person who claims that s/he would like Dumas novels if only things ended well for the heroes once in a while. If you're that sort of reader, this book is for you. If you do like the other Dumas novels, this book is also for you.

Twenty Years After is the second part of the Musketeer Cycle (after The Three Musketeers and before The Vicomte of Bragelone/Louise de la Valliere/The Man in the Iron Mask). It contains everything that makes Dumas, Dumas: unmatched adventure writing, wonderful prose, and beautifully developed characters.

I can't recomend this story enough.

This highly-pleasing sequel to The Three Musketeers should please any fan of Dumas. While including most of the same characters as that first book of the series, this one presents a significantly different reading experience. With a more complex plot, somewhat less 'action', and a greater degree of political intrigue, TWENTY YEARS AFTER is really a more mature book than its predecessor. Two decades after the close of THE THREE MUSKETEERS, we find our heroes living individual (and somehow unfulfilling) lives apart from one another. As d'Artagnan decides that he's had enough of living in the shadows of his old exploits, and decides to take a more active role in present day politics, the current adventure begins. After reintroducing us to each of Athos, Porthos, and Aramis as d'Artagnan tries to recruit them for new adventures, Dumas sets in motion events that see our heroes intricately involved in world events that will shape the future of Europe.

One of the most interesting aspects of TWENTY YEARS AFTER is the growth of d'Artagnan. From the wide-eyed and inexperienced young man of THE THREE MUSKETEERS, d'Artagnan has become a seasoned and extremely confident soldier by the start of this one. While maintaining his rascaliness, he has developed a sharp wit and a rather devious imagination. Indeed, you will see that it is d'Artagnan's strong mind that enables him to succeed more than his strong arm in this book (as opposed to THE THREE MUSKETEERS). Here d'Artagnan is actually looked to as the de facto leader of the intrepid foursome that before he only wanted to follow. This more developed d'Artagnan now rivals the Count of Monte Cristo as my favorite Dumas character.

As a piece of historical fiction, TWENTY YEARS AFTER is much more demanding than THE THREE MUSKETEERS. Those without a fairly strong foundation in mid 17th century French and English history might find themselves somewhat lost as Dumas expects a certain amount of knowledge of the setting in his readers. In this aspect, the Oxford World's Classic edition will help immensely (see below). While the reader is still treated to a grand adventure, with all of the aspects that readers of Dumas expect, the enjoyment of this book will only be enhanced by a good understanding of the history behind this work and the implications it has on the future. Throughout TWENTY YEARS AFTER, d'Artagnan and company find themselves intimately involved in major historical events and typically influencing their outcome.

As usual, this Oxford World's Classics edition is excellent. With valuable explanatory notes and a detailed list of characters in the back of the book, you'll be able to navigate this complex story with a greater level of understanding than would be likely with the text only. The explanatory notes are denoted with a simple "*", and remain inconspicuous while reading the story, not distracting the reader like same-page notes have a tendency to do. You'll find that depending on your mood or your curiosity, you might or might not flip to the back of the book to look up individual notes.

If you enjoyed THE THREE MUSKETEERS, let the adventure continue with this excellent book! Highly recommended.

This is the second book in Dumas' Musketeers trilogy and the sequel to The Three Musketeers. Since this is not a trilogy which can be read out of order, the best way of describing the book is probably to compare it to the first one.

The basis is quite simple: it is twenty years since the adventures of the Four, and they have gone their separate ways. After Cardinal Richeleu's death, the new de-facto ruler of France is Mazarin, who is less ruthless yet less honourable. Rather than feared and hated as Richeleu was, Mazarin is unpopular, despised and scorned - and has a reputation for enormous avarice. As d'Artagnan's brilliance has gone largely unrewarded in his 20 years as lieutenant of the Musketeers, he embraces the chance to serve Mazarin directly.

However, in trying to gather his three friends, he finds out the extent to which time separates people. No longer a unit, the four are caught on opposite sides of the historical Fronde conflict. The book is essentially about their exploits with the added dimension of the attempts to maintain their friendship despite the outside world causing many a rift. I think this is the book's greatest strength, as the whole trilogy shows a kind of progression from pure swashbuckling at the start of the Three Musketeers to a more introspective attitude. In Twenty Years after, this applies not only to history, but to friendships and interpersonal relationships.

This book contains many more detailed references to historical events (as many events in the first book weren't related to documented events) and hence will envelop you in a more concrete historical setting. On the other hand, this will mean more inaccuracies. Furthermore, Twenty Years after is longer than The Three Musketeers (so don't expect to get through it in one afternoon) but it's still classic drama-filled, scheming Dumas.

Overall, a great book. I agree with people who say it's as good as the original, just don't expect more of EXACTLY the same - if it were it would be boring, but as Athos, Porthos, d'Artagnan and Aramis mature, so does our reading of their exploits.

i loved the three musketeers and looked forward to following the four friends though another adventure. with this in mind i really enjoyed the book. for me it could have started a little faster as having recently read the earlier book i was ready to get straight into the action.

After this initial slow down i found myself reabsorbed into the tale and was again sad to see it end. I enjoyed it enough to move straight into the third book but only give 4 stars because as a standalone book the first was better and so deserves the higher 5 stars. for anyone who really liked the first story they should read this book. for others who found the first just ok then i wouldn't bother with 20 years after.

Unlike many sequels, Twenty Years After is just as exciting as it's predecessor, The Three Musketeers. D'Artagnan, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis unite once more after twenty years, despite differences in their political opinions. They fight against the evil son of Milady, work to save the life of King Charles I in England, and maintain the crown of the son of Anne of Austria in France. Another wonderful book by Dumas which is captivating from the start.

Ah, yes they are back, after twenty years D'Artagnan, Athos, Aramis, and Porthos are reunited. D'Artagnan is still a Musketeer. Athos is living at his country estate, no longer the drunkard of earlier days he finds happiness through his Son Raul. Aramis is now a priest, but becoming a priest he is even more so a cavalier. And good Porthos is rich. This is every bit as good as the Three Musketeers, and it is great to see our old friends again. Their charaters deepen, and we see them aged, but still themselves. In this book we see that last time the four are all united together for a common cause. The great thing about these novels is that it has its share of swash-buckling action, but there is more to these charaters than their strong sword arms. They are clever, and each uses their own stengths to the advantage of the entire group. They are true friends, and realize that though they may champion contrary causes, they are never enemies of each other.

Just to coment on the total of the D'Artagnon Romances just to clear up something for those reading some of the other reviews. Some reviewers refer to them as a trilogy, while there is, indeed, 5 books in the series. It is still a Trilogy. There are three complete stories, The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, and The Vicomte De Bragelonne. The last of these stories is broken up into three volumes which are The Vicomte De Bragelonne (part 1), Louise de la Valliere (part 2), The Man in the Iron Mask (part 3).

I was very skeptical when I started this book. I was absolutely certain it would pale in comparison to the wonderful "The Three Musketeers". Boy, was I wrong! I will even go so far as to say I think it might be better than the first story! The characters are fleshed out and matured; Athos in particular. This one made me cry big gulping tears...and I'm not usually a "sappy" woman! It is easy to become engrossed in their adventures and to feel their despair and disappointments. Do yourself a favor and read this book;I know you will love it too!