THE MAN IS A TEDDY BEAR. LOOK AT THAT TEDDY BEAR FUZZ-HEAD.
Anyway, the book! The Three Musketeers should really be called The Three Musketeers Plus the Other Young Scamp Who Follows Them Everywhere because it's really more about D'Artagnan, a 19 year old provincial hot-head who YEARNS to join the king's musketeers. HE YEARNS.
So, off to Paris he goes, getting into duels and whatnot. He meets the three ACTUAL musketeers (Athos, Porthos and Aramis), befriends them, and they have All The Adventures. There's a good bit of dueling/sword fighting/swashbuckling type violence, but it's all very Oh, You've Stabbed Me in the Neck But You Acted With Honor and I Didn't Die, So Let's BE BESTIES. Hold My Sword While I Rub Almond Oil Into My Hands to Make Them Whiter. We Will Then Go Forth and Court the Ladies and Talk Theology And Powder Our Faces And Drink Wine And Beat Our Servants.
It's the funnest! There was one bit where D'Artagnan decides to revenge himself against a woman he doesn't like/sort of loves by hiding in her servant's room with plans to wait until the woman goes to bed and then...well...he never really says, but you get the impression that he plans to rape her. And it's presented in this, hahaha, isn't this HI-LARIOUS! She had it coming, the rascal! sort of way. So there's that- and there's the beating of the servants thing, also presented as just part of the fun of being young and French and having a sword! But, aside from those two things, it really IS all about being young and French and having a sword. And who doesn't want to be young and French and have a sword? NO ONE, THAT'S WHO.
I think The Three Musketeers would make a great warm-weather read. It's light-hearted and not even serious when it's trying to be serious, and there are Villains Who Kidnap Your Ladyloves and Petulant Kings Under the Spell of Power-Thirsty Churchmen, and Political Intrigue Involving Stolen Love Letters and Necklaces, etc. All the makings of a rollicking good time. You will ROLLICK, I say. ROLLICK.
Four stars out of your mom. Mostly for the rollicking.
I actually just bought a nice copy of this while I was in New York with intentions of a good Summer read. Exciting!
ReplyDeleteWell, you know, I am an instrument of the Holy Spirit. Confirmation and whatnot.
DeleteGreat post. Fist time on your blog and liked it very mutch. Thanks for sharing!)
DeleteAs much as I loved The Count of Monte Cristo, I could not get through this. I kept thinking, "What a bunch of bozos!" I'm glad you enjoyed the rollicking.
ReplyDeleteI had a similar experience with THE PICKWICK PAPERS. It WANTED to rollick, but I just found it annoying? And I love all of Dickens' other stuff?
DeleteI did actually make it all the way through this but thought it pales in comparison to TCoMC. I thought the characters sucked so much!
DeleteI remember really loving this book back when I read it. I think it's time for a re-read soon.
ReplyDeleteNow, if you're interested in a film version, Michael York as D'Artagnan and Oliver Reed as a brooding Athos, is THE BEST. Streaming on Netflix!
ATHOS. I want Athos to be real and then I want him to be modern and then I want him to be my friend.
DeleteI am not a fan of 'The Three Muskateers', which is in keeping with me being your doppleganger.
ReplyDeleteEGADS. Are you going to BEA? We should meet and then the world would implode.
DeleteThis sounds like fun, apart from the rape plan which reminds me of Pamela which shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath as a book that was fun.
ReplyDeleteMost importantly, I really want to cuddle Dumas! SO CUTE!
Pamela is the worst reading experience ever (aside from translational theory) but I do enjoy the parts that're like "And then Master B-- thrust his hand into my bosom" because 'bosom' is always funny.
DeleteI'm mainly just a giant fan of the Disney movie with Chris McDonnell and Charlie Sheen. Aye, that's a good movie.
ReplyDeleteI am planning on reading all the Musketeer series and then I can finish that one volume that's been sitting unread on my shelf for ages. Have you read The Club Dumas by Arturo Perez-Reverte?
ReplyDeleteHeh, Dumas does look like a teddy bear!
After reading The Count of Monte Cristo, I put The Three Musketeers high on my TBR pile. It's now on my Classics Club list. I'm looking forward to it.
ReplyDeleteYou make this sound so fun :)
ReplyDeleteAnd Dumas looks so happy & jolly in his picture, I'm a bit jealous!
Oh I want to be young, French and own a sword!
ReplyDeleteI've read The Three Musketeers several times - but only in an abridged version, when I was a child. I think it'll soon be time to read the real thing in all it's swashbuckling rollick-inducing glory :-)
ReplyDeleteHaha I bought a copy of the Three Musketeers and planned to read it but I haven't yet. I think I bought the unabridged version, so that's what is making me hesitant in picking it up.
ReplyDeleteHowever, having now read your review, I'm going to start it now :p
Egad so true, the perfect summer read. I swashbuckled my way through while it rained midway through a French summer holiday.
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