The Three Musketeers, Vol. I

alexandre dumas

In March 1844 the French magazine Le Siecle, printed the first installment of a story by Alexandre Dumas. It was based, Dumas claimed, on some manuscripts he had found a year earlier in the Bibliotheque Nationale while researching a history he planned to write on Louis XIV. The serial chronicled the adventures of D'Artagnan -- a young swordsman intent on joining the king's musketeers. Young D'Artagnan becomes embroiled in court intrigues, international politics, and ill-fated affairs between royal lovers. This volume of the serial -- The Three Musketeers is set in the year 1625. D'Artagnan arrives in Paris at the tender age of 18 and that very day gives offense to three musketeers -- Porthos, Aramis, and Athos. Duels are agreed -- but interrupted by five of the Cardinal's guards. Instead of dueling, the four are attacked. D'Artagnan acquits himself impressively: his youthful courage becomes apparent during the battle. The four become friends, and, when asked by D'Artagnan's landlord to find his missing wife, embark upon an adventure that takes them across both France and England in order to thwart the plans of the Cardinal Richelieu. Along the way, they encounter a beautiful young spy, whom they know at first only as Milady, who will stop at nothing to disgrace Queen Anne of Austria before her husband, Louis XIII, and take revenge upon the musketeers. (Volume I of II.)

Genres classicsfrancefictionhistorical fictionadventurefrench literatureaudiobooknovelshistoricalroman

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1,1844

This edition

Format: 336 pages, Paperback
Published: November 1, 2002 by Borgo Press
ISBN: 9781592248629
ASIN: 1592248624
Language: English

About the author

alexandre dumas

This note regards Alexandre Dumas, père, the father of Alexandre Dumas, fils (son). For the son, see Alexandre Dumas fils.

Alexandre Dumas, père (French for "father", akin to Senior in English), born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, was a French writer, best known for his numerous historical novels of high adventure which have made him one of the most widely read French authors in the world. Many of his novels, including The Count of Monte Cristo, The Three Musketeers, and The Vicomte de Bragelonne were serialized. Dumas also wrote plays and magazine articles, and was a prolific correspondent.

Dumas was of Haitian descent and mixed-race. His father, General Thomas-Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, was born in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti) to Alexandre Antoine Davy de la Pailleterie, a French nobleman, and Marie-Cessette Dumas, a black slave. At age 14 Thomas-Alexandre was taken by his father to France, where he was educated in a military academy and entered the military for what became an illustrious career.

Dumas's father's aristocratic rank helped young Alexandre Dumas acquire work with Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, then as a writer, finding early success. He became one of the leading authors of the French Romantic Movement, in Paris.

Excerpted from Wikipedia.