Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
Louis XIV and the French Court
This volume focused mostly on the romantic intrigues at the French court blended with more humorous interludes with our famous heroes. I started to wonder if Dumas had divided up the work as the style between these varied quite a bit, but perhaps it is simply my imagination or the translation. In a sense I felt like I was taking part of a 17th century soap opera with at times brilliant (and almost poetic) descriptions blended with romantic cliffhangers following the norms and rituals of the court. I have to admit that I very much enjoyed being within the French court’s massive salons, hallways and gardens as well as partaking in Louis XIV’s luminous weeklong fête. Reading this work is definitely a worthwhile enterprise for any Dumas fan or if one is looking for an immersion into the aristocracy of the times. Strangely, time flowed quickly while reading these Dumas tombs (which is a good sign)! I planned to read the d'Artagnan romances this summer. I'm looking forward to the final volume of the saga: [b:The Man in the Iron Mask|54499|The Man in the Iron Mask (The D'Artagnan Romances, #3.4)|Alexandre Dumas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1571392348l/54499._SY75_.jpg|2971402]
This volume focused mostly on the romantic intrigues at the French court blended with more humorous interludes with our famous heroes. I started to wonder if Dumas had divided up the work as the style between these varied quite a bit, but perhaps it is simply my imagination or the translation. In a sense I felt like I was taking part of a 17th century soap opera with at times brilliant (and almost poetic) descriptions blended with romantic cliffhangers following the norms and rituals of the court. I have to admit that I very much enjoyed being within the French court’s massive salons, hallways and gardens as well as partaking in Louis XIV’s luminous weeklong fête. Reading this work is definitely a worthwhile enterprise for any Dumas fan or if one is looking for an immersion into the aristocracy of the times. Strangely, time flowed quickly while reading these Dumas tombs (which is a good sign)! I planned to read the d'Artagnan romances this summer. I'm looking forward to the final volume of the saga: [b:The Man in the Iron Mask|54499|The Man in the Iron Mask (The D'Artagnan Romances, #3.4)|Alexandre Dumas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1571392348l/54499._SY75_.jpg|2971402]
I cannot put this book down, I am in love with the French classics. Never disappoint!
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I understand why they broke this incredibly lengthy book up into three, Louise de La Valliere being the second part of The Vicomte de Bragelonne, and then it finishing with The Man in the Iron Mask - but while reading it... this one at least can definitely not stand alone. The first two books would be a little dull if considered as an individual, but read through as one continuous story - it's a great story. This second part definitely centers mostly around our title character Louise, and the king of France's incredibly inappropriate crush on this young betrothed-to-someone-else woman in order to avoid scandal after crushing on a different married woman who is his sister-in-law. (like what??)
Louise is a very lame heroine of a story. Actually, I'd argue that she's not in fact the heroine at all, but just a plot point to further along the story while the real story is about the males that adore her. She has little character development or charm, and like another reader said in their review: "I'm almost tempted to go back and count a) the times she fainted, and b) the times her only dialogue consisted of, "Oh, sire!"" SO true. She's so tiresome. After reading this 22 hour book, I'm still at a loss for why Raoul so loves Louise, AND why the king falls for her too??
This book is filled with so. much. dialogue. When it's one of the Musketeer's conversations, I'm all in. They're always absolutely witty and captivating. But so much of the dialogue in this book is between dull characters, and my mind would eventually drifted away from the story.
Still, the ending had me gasping and I can't wait to start the conclusion of this lengthy series with The Man in the Iron Mask.
Louise is a very lame heroine of a story. Actually, I'd argue that she's not in fact the heroine at all, but just a plot point to further along the story while the real story is about the males that adore her. She has little character development or charm, and like another reader said in their review: "I'm almost tempted to go back and count a) the times she fainted, and b) the times her only dialogue consisted of, "Oh, sire!"" SO true. She's so tiresome. After reading this 22 hour book, I'm still at a loss for why Raoul so loves Louise, AND why the king falls for her too??
This book is filled with so. much. dialogue. When it's one of the Musketeer's conversations, I'm all in. They're always absolutely witty and captivating. But so much of the dialogue in this book is between dull characters, and my mind would eventually drifted away from the story.
Still, the ending had me gasping and I can't wait to start the conclusion of this lengthy series with The Man in the Iron Mask.
slow-paced
I think this is my favorite Dumas book - beautiful, touching, and yet adventurous!
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Honestly, I don’t review these books because how could I, centuries later, be so bold as to say even one or two words worthy of novels that have endured generations and celestial moments? It is with this in mind that I would impart but one or two words regarding this novel: I have never been one to enjoy melodrama or political (social or otherwise) intrigue in my reading, but the humor and masterful penning of suspense and romance rates Dumas’ Louise de la Vallière most highly, as do all the d’Artagnan Romances (even where our dear Musketeer is largely absent!) Don’t sleep on this one.
adventurous
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
After finishing this book, I am struck by how much I miss Milady. There was by far too much fainting going on in Louise de la Valliere for me not to recall one of my favorite lines of Milady's: "I faint? I? Do you take me for some weak woman? When I am insulted I do not faint, I avenge myself!" Louise is a poor heroine who never seems to be able to make her mind about anything. Louis is not much better- I suppose for a king it is nothing to send away a woman's fiancé for the purpose of seducing her, but it seemed to me that all Louis's actions are rather reprehensible. It's hard to feel at all interested in a love story when even the love of the two parties condemns them. I confess, I only forced myself to finish Louise de la Valliere for the sake of the preceding books I had loved so well and the concluding part for which I still have high hopes. ...And also for the sake of Montelais and Malicorne; those two are awesome.
While The Three Musketeers was a swashbuckling adventure, the books that follow are all soap operas that have as much to do with what is going on at court as they do with any of the Musketeers. However, the characters are much better defined in these later books. You gotta love Porthos.