The Vicomte de Bragelonne

S U P E R, s e h r s c h n e l l e L i e f e r u n g !

Unless you are familiar with Alexandre Dumas and his truly “addictive” writings, beware!!! As a schoolgirl in France, like most, I became enamored with his “Three Musketeers” and its sequel “Twenty years later”. On a business trip to Paris, a long time ago, I picked up both volumes from one the the famous bookseller along the Seine.- When I had a bad bug a couple of months ago and wanted something to read that wouldn’t bore me, I dug up these two copies - each about 600 pages long - and enjoyed them as much as I did in my youth. But then, I knew I needed the “Vicomte de Bragelonne”, their sequel. I have never tried drugs but these books seem to be just as addictive. The derring dos of the “Three Musketeers” who are actually four, eclipses by far any Superman story and in suspense, only the very ending of a top Agatha Christie mystery may remotely compare. You simply cannot put them down. After enjoying the “Vicomte de Bragelonne” as much as its two prequels, towards the end of the book, I swore that this was it. However, I did not reckon with Alexandre Dumas. The book doesn’t exactly end in mid-chapter nor even in mid-sentece, it just ends in a way that you absolutely must have the next installment, namely “Louise de La Valliere”, immediately. Of course, i just ordered it. If you loved the "Three Musketeers” and “Twenty Years later”, you’ll love the “Vicomte de Bragelonne just as much. Just be aware that when you are finished, your encounter with Alexandre Dumas will simply not be over by far.

classic reading for adventure lovers

The first 2 Musketeer books are full of swashbuckling adventure. In this third book, they are 30 years older than when we first met them as young guys, and they aren't swashing too much, but that doesn't matter unless the swashing was all you enjoyed earlier, and you don't want to see them as very mature men. The later 3 books are full of intrigue and Court goings-on, the selfish and often silly young Louis XIV being too often a pest, and most importantly the start of Aramis's exciting and grand scheme that comes to finality in The Man in the Iron Mask. Aramis is really the main character rin the later three books from my point of view, but those who prefer d'Artagnan may see him as the No.1. For me, Aramis is the best because he is a free spirit, he has grand ideas and he plans them and carries them through. D'Artagnan is "merely" in my view a servant to the King, tied to his oath to always uphold the King's interests no matter what those interests may be, which sometimes are not beneficial, and admittedly then d'Artagnan does try to get around his orders rather neatly. The last three books show us two opposing sides - Arams on one side with his often mysterious activities and influential friends (he was always mysterious and with important secret contacts, even in the first book), On the other we have Cardinal Mazarin who has his own agenda which usually drags Anne of Austria along with him. Whether you like her or not, it's seriously hard to like anything about Mazarin. He's no substitute for the great Richelieu whose interest was always for the best for France, even if having to oppose the King sometimes. But Mazarin.... urk. The book is named after Athos's young adopted son Raoul, but he doesn't feature all the time. He has fallen for a young neighbour, Louise de la Valliere, and we watch that progress as she grows up and in the next book goes to Court. Athos is a restrained and upright nobleman. Porthos is as he always was though now a rich country gentleman, and hoping to get a Barony somehow.

All of Dumas s works are classics.I read Les Trois Mousquetaires and Vingt Ans Apres in French.