The Man in the Iron Mask - Alexandre Dumas

The Man in the Iron Mask (Dumas, 1847-1850)

Dumas brings his epic saga of the end of chivalry to a dramatic close, with moments of intense grandeur and nobility intermingled with poignant and bittersweet leave-takings. Aramis's plot, hinted at since the early pages of The Vicomte of Bragelonne, finally comes to fruition, blazing gloriously to light but leaving charred wreckage in its wake. Not even the bravery and friendship of the four musketeers can withstand this final challenge.

Considering that The Three Musketeers, in which we first meet these characters in the glory of youth and strength, was published in 1844, a mere three years before this final novel was begun, Dumas does an exceptional job of aging his characters and exchanging the promise of future days for the reflective sorrow of time gone by. Old age and the inevitability of death are odd topics for an adventure novel, yet this focus produces several scenes of deep emotion that heighten the artistry of what would otherwise be "just another adventure book".  Though none of Dumas' books (at least that I've read) are truly vulnerable to that claim; rather, they reveal the artistry of a born storyteller and point toward greater truths.

Here I am waxing eloquent, when this book offers much more in its generous breadth.  Humor, prison, defiance, war, escape, chases, and political usurpation make the conclusion of The Vicomte of Bragelonne a roller-coaster of classic storytelling. Even if it's unclear why we had to focus so heavily on Louis XIV and Louise de la Valliere in the middle section, and even though many subplots turn out to be superfluous to the final outcome of the book, the final Musketeers novel stands as an impressive epic of intrigue, suspense, and friendship. While it is not a perfectly constructed plot like The Count of Monte Cristo, it offers its own charms as it chronicles the end of an era and the last grand actions of yesterday's heros.

Arbitrary rating: 4.5 out of 5 plots blazing gloriously to light

Louise de la Valliere - Alexandre Dumas

Louise de la Valliere (Dumas, 1847-1850)

Volume II of The Vicomte de Bragelonne, or Ten Years After, Louise de la Valliere focuses largely on the intrigues and romances of the pleasure-seeking court of King Louis XIV, sorely neglecting D'Artagnan, Porthos, Athos, and Aramis.  Indeed, The Many Loves of Louis XIV might be a better title for this section. Early on, after the rushing adventures and plot lines from the end of Volume I suddenly gave way to chapters detailing various jealousies and family quarrels in the royal residence, I almost lost heart. A fairly large section can perhaps be accused with that awful genre label, "soap opera", as many different men (including Louis himself) pursue Henrietta, new bride of Louis's younger brother Philip. But this is still Dumas, so despite the sudden and overwhelming focus on royal love affairs, and despite a preponderance of pages-length descriptive paragraphs, the reading is still interesting, and he still manages to generate some excitement with the fairly sedate story material (which is, for the most part, lifted straight from France's history).

If the musketeers and Raoul are largely absent, they do get some quite excellent scenes, including a hilarious vignette where Porthos dines with the king, a tense encounter between D'Artagnan and Aramis, and a meeting with a mysterious prisoner locked in the Bastille. And when the court storyline finally focuses on the romance between the king and Louise, it really does become gripping. Despite my best efforts not to be sucked in by the love story, I was gasping in surprise and reading on the edge of my seat.  Unlike Volume I, this one ends on a classic cliffhanger after the action is wrought up to a fever pitch. On to Volume III!

Arbitrary rating: 4 out of 5 loves of Louis XIV

The Vicomte de Bragelonne - Alexandre Dumas

The Vicomte de Bragelonne (Dumas, 1847-1850)

It is hard to review this book, because it was not meant to stand alone. It comprises the first volume of the third novel in the Musketeers trilogy, The Vicomte de Bragelonne, or Ten Years After, a sprawling, generous opus of around 2,000 pages and 266 chapters. The last 500 pages are usually published as a standalone novel, The Man in the Iron Mask, which I had read before and thoroughly enjoyed. After reading the last unread Hugo on my shelf, I felt it only natural to acquaint myself with the rest of the Musketeers saga.

It is the year 1660.  At the dawn of the reign of young King Louis XIV, the four friends are scattered. D'Artagnan resigns his post as lieutenant of the musketeers in search of adventure more noble than chaperoning the king's love affairs, but when he goes to seek his three friends, he can find none of them. Athos has already set out alone on the same quest as D'Artagnan - great minds think alike - but Aramis is engaged in a secret and possibly treasonous plot. Having enlisted Porthos to fortify an island belonging to M. Fouquet, the king's powerful minister of finance, he finds he has to keep the loyal D'Artagnan at a distance. But for Raoul de Bragellone, son of Athos, all thoughts of adventure, intrigue, or advancement prostrate themselves before Louise de la Valliere, the girl he loves and wants to marry, in spite of his father's disapproval.

Dumas balances several excellent plot lines with his epic style and refreshing sense of humor. The adventures are gripping, the twists and turns enthralling, and the portraits of characters, both fictional and historical, are rendered with dashing flair and instant relatability. Though easily the most rambling of his novels that I've read, and perhaps the most readily identifiable as a serial publication, the rambles are perfectly entertaining, and a larger picture and theme emerge. We see the heros of yesterday growing obsolete with few good outlets for their seasoned power, while the next generation falls prey to pragmatic modernization at the expense of chivalry. There is plenty to enjoy in this first section, although it does end abruptly at nothing resembling a stopping place.  Be sure to have the second volume ready at hand.

Arbitrary rating:  4.5 out of 5 noble adventures