A review by kjgrievewriter
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

adventurous dark lighthearted tense

4.5

"And now," said Athos, picking up his cloak and putting his hat back on his head, "now that I have drawn your teeth, viper, bite if you can."

This is one of the tightest, most fun books I've ever read.

As a longtime lover of Princess Bride, I knew that story owed, of course, much to Dumas' masterwork. But I had no idea Musketeers was this snappy, easy to read, and light-hearted (though not without some truly dark segments). It's somehow even more modern than the modern works inspired by it. 

This is a really rollicking adventure, fast-paced and dripping with intrigue, suspense, betrayal, and cunning. It's laugh-out-loud funny, and the characters and their interwoven relationships are delightful. The dramatic irony throughout is just delicious.

And all of that for a translation, which is absolutely impeccable.

There are some times when it feels a little uncomfortably obvious that Dumas is padding for time and extending scenes well beyond the necessary plot development (he was paid per line, not per word), and once you're aware of it you start seeing it more and more as the book goes on, which was unfortunate. 

If you love the titular three, be prepared to see very little of them in the latter half of the novel, particularly in an extended episode which, for all its intrigue, felt bizarre and disjointed. 

The ending, even though the actual conclusion is achingly atmospheric, does feel (to my modern perspective) like a lot is left unresolved. It's not disappointing, just unsatisfying, and more than a little depressing.

Either way... best book I've read all year.