The Three Musketeers (Tor Classics)

One of the hard parts of reading literature from another language is that you must trust the translator has faithfully translated the text in such a way that what you read in your language is as close to the original as possible. Previous to this translation I had only read the Penguin Classics version translated by Lord Sudley in 1952. I had enjoyed the story but always felt the translation substandard. I showed my wife what a difference there is between Lord Sudley's translation and that of Richard Pevear. Consider from page 700 of the Sudley translation the following:

'Lord de Winter, will you bring your charges next,' said Athos.
De Winter stepped forward in his turn.
'Before God and men,' he said, 'I charge this woman with having caused the murder of the Duke of Buckingham!'
'The Duke of Buckingham murdered!' cried the four musketeers.
'Yes, murdered,' replied de Winter. 'When I got your warning letter I had this woman arrested and put her in the charge of a man I thought I could trust. But she seduced him; she persuaded him to do this thing; she even put the knife into his hand. And now Felton's to die to atone for this fiend's crime.'

And from page 654 of Pevear's translation:

'It is your turn, Milord!' said Athos.
The baron stepped forward.
'Before God and men,' he said, 'I accuse this woman of having the duke of Buckingham assassinated.'
'The duke of Buckingham assassinated?' those present all cried out as one.
'Yes,' said the baron, 'assassinated! On receiving your letter of warning, I had this woman arrested, and I placed her in the custody of a loyal servant. She corrupted the man, she put the dagger in his hand, she had him kill the duke, and at this very moment, perhaps, Felton is paying for this fury's crime with his head.'

The overall feel of reading Peavar's translation is a close bond with the book, the characters, and the story. It is lively and explosive. I recommend this translation over any other for new readers of this book.

Whether or not you will enjoy The Three Musketeers depends on two factors:
1. Vocabulary: I've read pretty widely, and in some cases the 'classics' are unbearable to read simply because it does not flow. It is very hard to concentrate on the plot or the characters when you have to think about the language being used. Thankfully, this is not as much of a problem in Three Musketeers. If you don't read classics at all, this may not suit you.
2. Length: This is the unabridged verson, it is a very long book at around the paperback equivalent of 1000+ pages. For me, it took a lot of persistence to get through this book. If you can not stand a novel of this length, then either grab an abridged version or don't read it. In my opinion, the unabridged version is superior. Although it is long, there are no wasted words.

In summary, you should (like I did) greatly enjoy The Three Musketeers taking into consideration the two factors I mentioned above. It is a fantastic tale of revenge, love, and everything that goes with that time period.
I greatly enjoyed it, that said, you may not :-)

First of all, I really think that a good translation makes a huge impact on whether someone likes the book or doesn't. That's why I took my time and found a great one by Bantam Classics. Seems that Puffin Classics (the abridged version) is also readable. Therefore, take your time and pick the translation that you are comfortable with and you sure will find this story interesting and absorbing.

'Three musketeers' has it all: great plot, action and suspense, romance, something on men and women from philosophical stand point, and much more. If you want to take a break from all the modern fiction, this book would be like a nice vacation. But, again, look for a good translation.

I have purchased several books from this series, Classic Starts, for my 9 year old and they are perfect. The story is not "dummied" down, but it is a much easier read and the story remains intact. If you have any young readers interested in the classics this is a great way for them to go.

The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this old legend but towards the end where the melady was taken prisoner it was a little slow - only to set the plot, other than that one plot after another with many players in the story, it was hard to put the book down. I would recommend reading this book.
I am a new customer to reading and using Kindle books and I take my kindle everywhere I go, doctors surgery trips out in the car and to hospital. It is so convenient to pit into my bag
Thank you the store

After reading Dumas's "Count of Monte Cristo", I decided I had to read more of what this man wrote!

However, I found "The Three Musketeers" to be repetitious and boring. It's a perfect foundation for an action movie because the characters are likeable, the action is fun, and the story is not too complex for a 90 minute movie. In fact, I liked the first third or so of the book - but then I kept feeling like I'd already read these scenes - kind of like this review. :-)

The story line, the prose, the brotherhood...it's a classic I love to read time and again. Porthos is my favorite character, lovable and loyal, but with deadly determination to see justice done, so that he can get to his dinner. Our homeschooling family begins nightly readings of this and The Count of Monte Cristo when one of the children begins world history and literature in 9th grade, but we all enjoy hearing the dashing tales. The time period is past in history, but the human experience of good versus evil remains timeless.

The story line is inconsistent and the writing style outdated. Reads more like a theater script with lengthy dialogues. I remember that I enjoyed it more when I first read it in high school. I had finished Walter Scott's Ivanhoe as part of a holiday break re-read of classic novels but must say that I enjoyed Scott's writing much more than I did Dumas'.

What fun! This books just jumps right out and keeps moving along (except for a couple of slow spots -- but needed to develop the character's past, etc.) The cameraderie between the Musketeers is awesome and they are incredibly wonderful scamps.

D'artagnon was adorable, as were Athos, Aramis and Porthos. The evil Milady was truly EVIL and WICKED. The dialogue was awesome, it just crackled right along. I think we all know the basic story and how it ended, but reading the book was much more enjoyable than the movie, as they always are. It did bring back many memories of that wonderful version from the 70's, with Michael York and Raquel Welch. I will have to revisit that, and am looking forward to reading the sequels, Twenty Years After (Oxford World's Classics),The Vicomte de Bragelonne (Oxford World's Classics),Louise de la Vallière (Oxford World's Classics) and The Man in the Iron Mask (Oxford World's Classics). Dumas is truly a brilliant author.

Classic story spoken beautifully, offering many hours of driving pleasure for my daughter and I. You can't space out and expect to follow it though. It's not a piece of mindless fluff and attention really must be paid, and we've found it quite helpful to have two listening so discussion can follow.

We bought this for our then first grader grandson. He devoured it. His mother had to separate him from the book to make him go to bed. The book''s editorial style simplified the text with demeaning Dumas' work. A wonderful gift for anyone wanting to feed the minds of her or his young children with the classics.

I found this story to be totally thrilling. It is really two stories in one, making it two thrilling stories. This prevents you from getting bored with one lonnnnnnng story. The last ten percent of the book is the best part as all is concluded answering the readers question of "How will this story end?" and I recommend it to all who love swashbuckling romance stories.

There were many enjoyable parts of this book. However, there was too much unwarranted emotion--young D'Artagnan was always getting his undies in a knot about something. I liked the historical perspective, but i was appalled at how the musketeers treated their servants (lackeys). They felt free to call them names and insult them even tho the lackeys often saved their bacon.

This book with all it swashbuckling and sword play and inanity, would probably appeal to young men more than other audiences.

Ah, The Three Musketeers. Everybody knows the story even if they never read the book. They’re missing something in that case. It’s so much fun maybe because if you’ve seen any of the many movies or television series about The Musketeers, you have a pretty good idea about what happens.

The plot and subplots are all just right but it doesn’t matter because the action is all over the place and we just can’t wait for another fix that they get themselves into.

Even the names by now are magical and fun to read and say. Athos, Aramis, Prthos, D’Artagnan. The bring a smile.

So for anyone who likes old fashioned adventure and where many of our new adventures got their start, this is fun read. All for one and one for all.

Have you seen the movie? Have you heard the story?
This is one you could read to your kids and keep them fascinated.
Easier if they haven't seen the films
but
if they have seen the film
you can still make it wonderful by detailing what's in the book that wasn't in the film.

And if you don't know the book yourself as an adult, it's a great read - and very informative.
Not until the film with Michael York as D'Artagnan did I realize these swordsmen were shown to be
already old hat, passé, by the very name musketeers.

If you like to read quality literature and like the humor and adventure of the Three Musketeers, then this Dumas classic is for you.
I have always loved Dumas (since high school) and Victor Hugo. My favorite books were this one, The Count of Monte Cristo, and Les Miserables. I think that if you have kids who have to read it for school, please make them do so BEFORE you let them watch the movies. There's a big, big difference in what you get from the stories.

So much better than the movies... Many years ago my local theater showed ALL the Three Musketeer movies in a row. I sat through them all.

There are other books that tell this story, but they are usually abridged versions. This book seems to cover the entire story. It's a classic, and for good reason.

The writing, the characters, the plot--all of it is nearly perfect! Much funnier and more clever than I expected from something so old, and having been translated from another language. A very fun book that is definitely worth your time!

Having enjoyed several movie versions, reading the original shows that the films barely scratched the surface of this thoroughly entertaining story. Delightful cast of characters in a variety of settings with endless intrigues! Thoroughly enjoyable!

My daughter first read this book aged 10, insisting on the unabridged version. She adored it, so I read it next and loved it. All the noble swashbuckling heroics of d'Artagnan and the other three musketeers, combined with their humour and individual quirks, and the wickedness of the dastardly villains, contrive to make this such a riveting read! Am going to follow up with the rest of the series!

I really enjoy having the book in its 1893 facsimile edition of these books in the same volume. I knew the story of the Three Musketeers, but I had never known there was a sequel. The second book is just as exciting as the first with a great deal of action in it. The main difference in the characters is that they have all matured in many ways and see the world differently than before.. They are smart and clever as ever! Both books make a most lively and absorbing read!

...The Complete Three Musketeers Collection ASIN: B01G466XH2

Fine reading copy of one of my all-time favorite classics. Even better, I'd suggest an illustrated version as well (preferably unabridged) as this is a book to savor time and time again. “All for one and one for all.”

Like most other Dumas books....he tries a little too hard to develop characters, to the point of being contrived and I get bored pretty quickly. Just too much character interaction for me. It's one of those you'd have to just try for yourself.

There is action and adventure, just like you would expect; there is also a lot of courtly love (where men pine for their lady fair); there is even a fair amount of base lust (where men throw off their lady fair for the fair lady that happens to be in front of them at the moment). It is not an action adventure like modern readers are used to; but it is worth the read.

Although this book started out a little confusing because of all the characters and all the French, it quickly captured my attention. It became rather difficult to put down. I tired of Latin and found some of the plot hard to accept, but I did enjoy this story and would recommend it to almost anyone, especially to anyone with an affinity for history or politics.

This classic novel has all of the intrigue, adventure and romance to captivate the readers attention. It is a classic and can be a bit slower a read due to the language, but it is a trully captivating story about young men striving to protect the king against all odds. I would recommend this book to all readers.

I read the Count of Monte Crisco after having watched the film. I loved the film but the book was better and a lot different. The story endings were completely different.
I purchased The Three Musketeers because I loved the writing of Dumas. I agonized over which translation to purchase. Of course I wanted one that was true to the original writing. This translation is great. It uses many of the original words. Which words to use as originally written were well chosen. They were words in which the reader could easily derive the meaning or can quickly look up in the cofee table dictionary.
Anyone new to Dumas should remember the storylines can be complicated but stick with it for the first couple of chapters and the plot will flow easily.

There have been many movies about the Three Musketeers, but none truly captures the magic like Dumas' original work. A swashbuckling classic with action, humor, and excitement. This was the work that made me want to learn fencing and swordplay as a youth, and still does as an adult. As much as I enjoy the classics, this is one of the few (the others being Dracula and A Tale of Two Cities) that keeps me returning to it every few years. Reading a book should be fun. This one is certainly that, and it is sad that too many readers feel familiar with the story from movies and have never delved into the rich tale as it was originally meant to be experienced.

This classic novel has all of the intrigue, adventure and romance to captivate the readers attention. It is a classic and can be a bit slower a read due to the language, but it is a trully captivating story about young men striving to protect the king against all odds. I would recommend this book to all readers.

I read the Count of Monte Crisco after having watched the film. I loved the film but the book was better and a lot different. The story endings were completely different.
I purchased The Three Musketeers because I loved the writing of Dumas. I agonized over which translation to purchase. Of course I wanted one that was true to the original writing. This translation is great. It uses many of the original words. Which words to use as originally written were well chosen. They were words in which the reader could easily derive the meaning or can quickly look up in the cofee table dictionary.
Anyone new to Dumas should remember the storylines can be complicated but stick with it for the first couple of chapters and the plot will flow easily.

There have been many movies about the Three Musketeers, but none truly captures the magic like Dumas' original work. A swashbuckling classic with action, humor, and excitement. This was the work that made me want to learn fencing and swordplay as a youth, and still does as an adult. As much as I enjoy the classics, this is one of the few (the others being Dracula and A Tale of Two Cities) that keeps me returning to it every few years. Reading a book should be fun. This one is certainly that, and it is sad that too many readers feel familiar with the story from movies and have never delved into the rich tale as it was originally meant to be experienced.

Classics are classics for a reason. This book draws you in from the action, the intrigue or the maddening contradictions of the "gentlemen." Each time I read this book I discover new subtleties that I missed previously. This time the fleur de lis provided the subtlety of both branding Milady as evil but also giving evidence to her power. The tie at the end of the book was beautiful.

There is a reason why countless movies have been based on this book. It's a fantastic story. There's also a reason it used to be required reading in schools. It's well written and a person can learn a lot reading this book. That is actually why I downloaded it.

I am a homeschooling parent and I placed it on my son's reading list during his Sophomore year of high school. I'm glad that we worked with this book. It was an exciting story and kept my son engaged. It's not what I would call a difficult read, but it certainly isn't easy either. It challenged him, but didn't frustrate him. Though, it's a very large book and I broke it apart to take up an entire quarter of our school year. I purchased a wonderful, in depth study guide for the book and he had lots of terrific vocabulary, comprehension, and writing prompts that he was able to do for each chapter of this book.

It has been one of my son and my own favorite books that we have covered during our high school homeschooling and I highly recommend it. All opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own. I have shared my personal experience with this product and cannot guarantee that you will have the same experience with the product that I had, nor can I promise that we will share the same opinion of the product.

great story, typical French lit, for the time period although the lack of morality and disregard for life is deplorable. However more refined we may think we are, human nature has not changed much. Madame d'Winter is one of the most evil villainesses one is most likely to come across anywhere in literature.

The Three Musketeers is a tour-de-force in storytelling. A magnificent tale featuring Epic Characters, a Satisfying Plot, wonderful style, romantic and incredible Settings, and most importantly, a Narrator who knows how to tell a great story with high style and good humor. Read it at your own risk, however. Nothing will ever again seem as good as it did before you encountered M. Dumas and his remarkable trio of rogues.

While I appreciate and applaud the hard work of the dedicated volunteers who transcribe this series of classics, I yet also regret the lack of thorough editing that allows in uncorrected typos that range from the merely annoying to the significantly impactful. An example is an instance when one of the Musketeers' lackeys brings his master his saddled 'house' upon which the Musketeers mounts and rides off.

Book: NA. It is a classic by Dumas.

Production: A very quality production. The disk end and begining were announced. The artist is very good; he did the series of books about Lizbeth Salander, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", "The Girl who Played with Fire", and "The Girl who Kick Over the Hornet's Nest"