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This swashbuckling yarn is the continuation of the story in "Memoirs of a physician," "The Queen's necklace," and "Six Years Later."

1100 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1853

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About the author

Alexandre Dumas

6,994 books12.3k followers
This note regards Alexandre Dumas, père, the father of Alexandre Dumas, fils (son). For the son, see Alexandre Dumas fils.

Alexandre Dumas père, born Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, was a towering figure of 19th-century French literature whose historical novels and adventure tales earned global renown. Best known for The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo, and other swashbuckling epics, Dumas crafted stories filled with daring heroes, dramatic twists, and vivid historical backdrops. His works, often serialized and immensely popular with the public, helped shape the modern adventure genre and remain enduring staples of world literature.
Dumas was the son of Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, a celebrated general in Revolutionary France and the highest-ranking man of African descent in a European army at the time. His father’s early death left the family in poverty, but Dumas’s upbringing was nonetheless marked by strong personal ambition and a deep admiration for his father’s achievements. He moved to Paris as a young man and began his literary career writing for the theatre, quickly rising to prominence in the Romantic movement with successful plays like Henri III et sa cour and Antony.
In the 1840s, Dumas turned increasingly toward prose fiction, particularly serialized novels, which reached vast audiences through French newspapers. His collaboration with Auguste Maquet, a skilled plotter and historian, proved fruitful. While Maquet drafted outlines and conducted research, Dumas infused the narratives with flair, dialogue, and color. The result was a string of literary triumphs, including The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, both published in 1844. These novels exemplified Dumas’s flair for suspenseful pacing, memorable characters, and grand themes of justice, loyalty, and revenge.
The D’Artagnan Romances—The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, and The Vicomte of Bragelonne—cemented his fame. They follow the adventures of the titular Gascon hero and his comrades Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, blending historical fact and fiction into richly imagined narratives. The Count of Monte Cristo offered a darker, more introspective tale of betrayal and retribution, with intricate plotting and a deeply philosophical core.
Dumas was also active in journalism and theater. He founded the Théâtre Historique in Paris, which staged dramatizations of his own novels. A prolific and energetic writer, he is estimated to have written or co-written over 100,000 pages of fiction, plays, memoirs, travel books, and essays. He also had a strong interest in food and published a massive culinary encyclopedia, Le Grand Dictionnaire de cuisine, filled with recipes, anecdotes, and reflections on gastronomy.
Despite his enormous success, Dumas was frequently plagued by financial troubles. He led a lavish lifestyle, building the ornate Château de Monte-Cristo near Paris, employing large staffs, and supporting many friends and relatives. His generosity and appetite for life often outpaced his income, leading to mounting debts. Still, his creative drive rarely waned.
Dumas’s mixed-race background was a source of both pride and tension in his life. He was outspoken about his heritage and used his platform to address race and injustice. In his novel Georges, he explored issues of colonialism and identity through a Creole protagonist. Though he encountered racism, he refused to be silenced, famously replying to a racial insult by pointing to his ancestry and achievements with dignity and wit.
Later in life, Dumas continued writing and traveling, spending time in Belgium, Italy, and Russia. He supported nationalist causes, particularly Italian unification, and even founded a newspaper to advocate for Giuseppe Garibaldi. Though his popularity waned somewhat in his final years, his literary legacy grew steadily. He wrote in a style that was accessible, entertaining, and emotionally reso

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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
Profile Image for Sara.
981 reviews61 followers
February 21, 2011
Alexandre Dumas is my 2nd favorite author of all time - I can't put his books down - they are too much fun!
Profile Image for Amir Hosein  PKZ.
59 reviews16 followers
August 28, 2019
،، خوشوقتم که در این رمان من در هیچ نقطه وقایع را قلب نکردم و هرچه را که خود فهمیدم همان گونه برای خوانندگان حکایت نمودم. امروز همچنین بعد از نوشتن صفحات آینده میتوانم خطاب به کسانی که نامشان در این رمان برده شده بگویم‌:
ای لویی شانزدهم، ای ماری آنتوانت و شما ای فاوراس، لافایت، بایی، فورتیه، مایار، بارناو، بویه، گامن، پسیون، مانوئل، دانتون، روبسپیر، مارا، ورنیو، آقای رولان، خانم رولان، دوموریه، خانم لان بال، آندره، شارنی، ژیلبرت، بیلو، پیتو،بارون تاورنی، باربارو، روژه دولیسل، عمه آنژلیک، بوسیر، نیکول، و هکذا تمام کسانی که نامتان در کتاب ژوزف بالسامو آمده، از قبر برخیزید و شهادت بدهید که آیا من حقیقت را گفته‌ ام یا نه. شما امروز وجود ندارید و مدتی است که همه در قبرستان خوابيده اید ولی من با این که می‌دانستم شما روزی علیه من اقامه دعوی نخواهید کرد که چرا به شما تهمت زده ام و شما را طوری دیگر به خانمها و آقایان خواننده این کتاب معرفی کردم معهذا همواره شما را شاهد و ناظر خود می‌دانستم و هرگز قلم را جز آن طور که خود فهمیده بودم روی کاغذ ننهادم وحوادث را هم همین گونه به رشته تحریر کشیدم و در تمام این رمان یک حادثه تاریخی وجود ندارد که من آن را قلب کرده باشم و می‌توانم نزد وجدانم سرافراز باشم که بعضی از حوادث تاریخی مبهم را روشن نمودم زیرا میخواستم خانمهایی که این کتاب را می خوانند و آقایانی که آن را به دست می گیرند وقتي که کتاب را تمام کردند، متوجه شوند که فقط یک رمان نخوانده اند بلکه فدری هم از استفاده کرده اند.
گفتم که تا آخر این کتاب که خیلی طولانی نیست به همین روش ادامه خواهم داد و هیچگاه حب و بغض من در نشان دادن کیفیت حوادث یا اشخاص اثر نخواهد نمود. اگر در جایی نسبت به کسی اظهار نفرت کردم برای این است که عمل او را از روی صمیمیت در خور نفرت می دانستم و اگر در جایی عملی را مورد تمجید قرار دادم برای این است که نقص آن عمل را بدون توجه به افراد، درخور تمجید می دانستم. اکنون رمان ما به جایی رسیده که می خواهیم به سراغ خانواده سلطنتی فرانسه به تانپل برویم و قبل از اینکه رئیس این خانواده از بین برود نظری به وضع زندگی آنها بیندازیم زیرا رئیس این خانواده خیلی عمر نخواهد کرد، چون از روز دوم سپتامبر 1792 که قتل عام محبوسین در زندان های پاریس شروع شد تا روز 21 ژانویه سال 1793 میلادی که لویی شانزدهم به قتل رسید بیش از پنج ماه نمی شود.،،


نقل قول صادقانه بالا از الکساندر دوما حال و وضع این رمان را نشان می‌دهد.
جلد ششم کتاب غرش طوفان مربوط به درهم شکستن کامل سلطنت فرانسه و تبدیل آن به جمهوری است که در این خلال به جنایات انقلابیون از جمله قتل عام زندانی ها هم پرداخته شده است.
به پایان نزدیک می شویم....
Profile Image for Diana Trăncău.
330 reviews8 followers
November 10, 2017
Cred că ar fi trebuit să mă aștept din partea lui Dumas să fie multă istorie și deși nu a fost cea mai ușoară lectură, nu a fost mai puțin interesant. Mă gândeam că o să vorbească totuși mai mult despre contesa de Charny având în vedere titlul celor două volume și totuși acum că am ajuns la final mi se pare că i-a făcut un portret reușit și că a surprins foarte bine sentimentele ei. Mă întristează finalul ei și al soțului său, mai ales că își destăinuiseră adevăratele sentimente și aveau în sfârșit șansa la fericire. Au avut prea puțin timp și prea multă durere.
Profile Image for Alex Kortelova.
16 reviews23 followers
Read
December 15, 2022
"...Крайно време е да заличим това, на което Европа се възхищава, и да продадем възможно най-скъпо това, което всяко друго правителство, ако имаше щастието да го има, щеше да раздава даром — гения.....Кажете ми, впрочем, морално ли е едно правителство да наложи върху някаква стока четири пъти по-голям данък от себестойността на стоката?

Най-вече ако тази стока е стока, чиято собственост ни оспорват — разумът."
Profile Image for Nicholas Martens.
114 reviews4 followers
April 30, 2020
Well, these Marie Antoinette romances have been quite a ride! I still need to re-read Knight of Maison-Rouge, which I first read a few years ago. Chronologically, that story takes place after the events of Countess de Charny, although Maison-Rouge was the first of Dumas’ Antoinette stories to be published.

De Charny picks up immediately after the events of Ange Pitou. Along with Pitou, this story is an encyclopedic, if highly dramatized, account of the French Revolution. And when I say encyclopedic, I mean it: the list of characters alone is 11 pages long. Taken together, Pitou and de Charny total 3,000 pages, completely jam-packed with historical figures; events, both great and small; reprints of seminal and portentous speeches and decrees; speculations; philosophical ruminations; and, yes, plenty of drama. In reviewing de Charny one is almost compelled to review the Revolution itself! All in all, a work no less ambitious than War and Peace.

One example of how Dumas would use historical documents to complement his own, superb writing, is in telling the tug-of-war over the Church of St. Genevieve. Today, we know this edifice as the Panthéon, final resting place of France’s military and literary heroes (including Dumas, himself). In one chapter Dumas published several decrees and counter-decrees (by the National Assembly, Napoleon, Louis XVIII, Louis-Philippe, and Napoleon III), remanding St. Genevieve to either its original function as a house of worship, or as a mausoleum. His purpose in this was detailing what was to become of Mirabeau’s remains. After having becoming the first person honored with placement inside St. Genevieve, he was subsequently found unfit by later, more zealous revolutionaries. And this all gives way to an extraordinary passage by Dumas:

"Three years afterward, on a gloomy autumn day, no longer in the hall at the Riding School, but in the hall of the Tuileries, the Convention, -- after having killed the King, after having killed the Queen, after having killed the Girondists, after having killed the members of the Cordelier Club, after having killed the Jacobins, after having killed the ultra Republicans, after having killed itself, -- having nothing living left to kill, began to kill off the dead."


I might be wrong, but aside from print-on-demand options, I don’t think this novel has been in print for many decades. It’s a shame, because readers (at least this one) would hugely benefit from a fully annotated edition. I have half a mind to annotate it myself. I can think of no better tribute to this masterclass on the French Revolution, than to deep-dive into each of the plethora of details with which Dumas liberally infuses this work.

One of the idiosyncrasies that I love about Dumas is the regularity with which he breaks the fourth wall, so to speak, reminding the reader that (1) you’re reading a novel, (2) by Alexandre Dumas. Rarely have I seen an example of this as striking as the following passage:

"Our readers are already aware that this is a historic work which we are making, rather than a romance. We shall never probably recur again to this great epoch, to which are related two stories already published, “Blanche de Beaulieu” and Chevalier de Maison-Rouge, -- and one other story, written three years ago, but not yet published, which will most certainly appear, however, in due season."


In de Charny he even inserts himself more directly into events by describing how, decades later, he would meet Robespierre’s sister, or the author of La Marseillaise, etc. In any other author I would find these peculiarities off-putting, but with Dumas I can’t see them as anything but delightful.

One other note about Dumas himself, is that there’s a particular chapter involving Maillard and de Beausire that reads like a detective story. Countess de Charny was published from 1853-1855. Edgar Allen Poe had only just invented the detective story a decade earlier, which means that Dumas presented a very early entry into the genre, for which I’ve never seen him credited.

As one book in a long series, there are, of course, many continuities. One notable change is that, while Antoinette was mostly sympathetic in the earlier novels (less so in Pitou), she’s not at all a sympathetic character in de Charny. This is intentional, as it follows her arc from young and idealistic Austrian princess, just crossing the frontier for the first time, and ends with the ruin of France, for which she receives, rightly or wrongly, a tremendous share of the blame. Although Dumas is largely telling the story of Marie Antoinette, the weight of the responsibility he puts on her shoulders might conceivably be construed as sexist (especially in light of this quote comparing her to Madame Roland: “It is indeed strange that both these women exercised over their husbands an influence which led all four to death; only they travelled towards this end by opposite roads”). However, I think a more just reading is that Antoinette’s weaknesses (proud; spiteful) played on Louis XVI’s own weaknesses (weak; indecisive; lacking in genius; lacking initiative; stammering), such that the kingdom didn’t stand a chance.

Once again, let me just state what a truly monumental and incredible work this is. It seems to be almost entirely forgotten, except for diehards like myself, and this is entirely without merit. Publishers: please, please, please bring this back into the light of day, and give it the treatment it so sorely deserves.

**A quick note on edition: my copy of Countess de Charny may not correspond exactly with the edition I’m purportedly reviewing here. I have an 1894 printing by Little Brown & Co., and all of the above quotes are taken from this translation.
Profile Image for Olivierco.
50 reviews22 followers
November 6, 2011
As it is often the case for Dumas' novels, most versions referenced on Goodreads are abridged versions.
This novel covers the French Revolution until the dead of Louis XVI. Many pages are devoted to the description (with some minor inaccuracies though) of historical facts, leaving little place to the novel itself.
Profile Image for Frank.
120 reviews16 followers
September 21, 2016
I love Alexandre Dumas for his almost intimate knowledge of history, and his ability to make you intimate with it as well. He brings historical figures to life, as people. This is the story of the royal family in the last days of the monarchy of France and the struggles of the people on every side, and more than their historical struggle, their personal struggles as well.
Profile Image for Socrate.
6,745 reviews269 followers
November 2, 2021
De-ar binevoi să reia pentru o clipă romanul nostru Ange-Pitou şi, deschizând al doilea volum, să-şi arunce ochii în treacăt asupra capitolului Noaptea de 5 spre 6 Octombrie[1] cititorul va regăsi acolo câteva fapte care nu este deloc lipsit de importanţă să şi le amintească înainte de a începe lectura noii cărţi, care porneşte şi ea de la evenimentele din dimineaţa zilei de 6 a aceleiaşi luni.

După ce vom fi citit noi înşine câteva rânduri importante din acest capitol, vom rezuma cât mai succint posibil faptele ce trebuie să preceadă reluarea povestirii noastre. Aceste rânduri, iată-le:

„La ora trei, cum am spus, calmul era deplin.

Adunarea Naţională însăşi, liniştită de raportul oamenilor săi de ordine, se retrăsese.

Se spera că acest calm nu va fi tulburat.

Speranţa era însă deşartă.

În aproape toate mişcările populare ce pregătesc marile revoluţii există o perioadă de oprire, în cursul căreia unii sunt înclinaţi să creadă că totul s-a sfârşit şi că pot dormi liniştiţi. Dar se înşală.

În spatele oamenilor care iau primele iniţiative se găsesc cei ce aşteaptă ca primul pas să fie făcut şi ca, obosiţi sau satisfăcuţi ― în ambele cazuri însă nevrând să meargă mai departe ― cei care au făcut acel prim pas să-şi acorde odihnă.

De-abia atunci, la rândul lor, aceşti oameni necunoscuţi, misterioşi agenţi ai pasiunilor nefaste, se strecoară prin întuneric, reiau acţiunea de acolo de unde a fost părăsită şi, împingând-o până la ultimele sale consecinţe, înspăimântă la deşteptare pe aceia ce le-au deschis calea şi au adormit la jumătatea drumului crezând că l-au parcurs, că şi-au atins ţelul.”

Am numit trei dintre aceşti oameni în cartea din care am împrumutat cele câteva rânduri citate mai sus.

Să ne fie îngăduit să introducem pe scena noastră, adică în pragul tavernei „La Podul Sèvres”, un personaj care, deşi rămas nemenţionat de noi până acum, n-a avut în niciun caz un rol mai mic de jucat în această noapte îngrozitoare.

Era un bărbat cam de patruzeci şi cinci, patruzeci şi opt de ani, îmbrăcat ca un muncitor, adică cu pantaloni scurţi de catifea şi şorţ de piele cu buzunare, la fel cu şorţurile potcovarilor şi lăcătuşilor. Era încălţat cu ghete cu catarame de aramă, purta ciorapi de culoare cenuşie, avea capul acoperit cu un fel de căciulă ca de ulan, retezată la jumătate. O claie de păr pe cale de încărunţire ieşea de sub căciulă şi se îmbina cu nişte sprâncene enorme, umbrind împreună ochii mari, bulbucaţi, vioi şi inteligenţi, a căror luciri repezi şi cu nuanţe schimbătoare îl puneau în încurcătură pe cel care ar fi vrut să stabilească dacă erau verzi sau cenuşii, albaştri sau negri. În rest, faţa era alcătuită dintr-un nas, mai degrabă mare decât obişnuit, buze groase, dinţi albi şi o piele arsă de soare.

Fără a fi înalt, acest om era foarte bine făcut; încheieturile erau fine, piciorul mic, se putea vedea de asemenea că şi mâna îi era mică, chiar delicată, dacă pielea arsă a mâinii nu s-ar fi asemănat cu cea a muncitorilor obişnuiţi să prelucreze fierul.
Profile Image for Valentina Di Dio.
206 reviews5 followers
September 13, 2023
Libro voluminoso e lunghissimo, ma che si legge con una velocità sorprendente e con piacere grazie alla sapientissima mano dell'autore, il mio amato Dumas.
Il periodo di riferimento va dall'ottobre '89 al gennaio '93 ed in questi anni succede ti tutto e di più; gli avvenimenti sono innumerevoli accompagnati da altrettanti personaggi, storici e non.
Come tutti i libri di Dumas la Storia di intreccia col verosimile, e da ciò nascono questi libri meravigliosi ed appassionanti.
Le figure dei personaggi e delle vicende sono rese in modo magistrale, analizzati a fondo e con riferimenti anche documentali. Il re e la regina diventano quasi dei familiari, anche se delle volte avresti voluto prenderli per le spalle e scuoterli per svegliarli un po'.
Il titolo è un po' fuorviante, la protagonista, più che contessa di Charny, direi che è la Rivoluzione francese, o la regina Maria Antonietta, se proprio vogliamo trovare un personaggio in carne ed ossa alla vicenda.
L'ultima parte, dal processo del re, alla sua condanna, alle varie partenze e l'epilogo di Pitou mi hanno fatto ampliamente commuovere.
Devo dire che mi sono divertita a cercare nomi e fatti che ricordavo dalle scuole, ma mi sono resa conto che fondamentalmente non mi era rimasto impresso molto se non quelli più famosi di tutti.
Avessi avuto questo libro a portata di mano durante le interrogazioni sarebbe sicuramente andata meglio, perchè mi ha fatto appassionare e mi ha spiegato meglio una parte della storia caotica ma con una grandissima importanza.

Oltre tutto ciò il libro mi è piaciuto moltissimo, mi ha appassionato e coinvolto. Lo consiglio vivamente, tutta la serie della regina che con questo volume raggiunge una meta molto importante.

Sandro ci vediamo tra le prossime pagine per vedere fino a dove mi porterai.
Profile Image for Czarny Pies.
2,829 reviews1 follower
March 3, 2016
La comtesse de Charny est le quatrième roman du cycle des "Mémoires d'un médécin." Hélas cette série qui n'atteint nulle des sommets d'excellence finit en queue de poisson avec cette oeuvre très ratée.

La structure de la Comtesse de Charny n'est pas basée sur l'intrigue du protagoniste. Plutot, le roman offre un récit détaillée de tous les événéments de la Révolution francaise entre le 5 octobre 1789 (la journée de la révolte du peuple de Pies) et le 21 janvier 1793 (la jounée de l'exécution de Louis XVI). Dumas explique a plusieurs reprises qu'il base son récit sur les événements historique sur "L'histoire de la révolution francaise" de Jules Michelet. Alors la question qui se passe est: "Est-ce que l'on serait mieux de lire le livre de Michelet."

L'éléments romanesques decoivent énormément. Les personnages qui étaient intéressantes dans les trois premiers tomes du cycle deviennent ennuyants dans "La Comtesse de Charny". Mare-Antoinette est fascinante dans "Le Collier de la Reine". Dans "La Comtesse de Charny" Marie-Antoinette ne fait que suivre la voie tracé dans "Le Collier de la Reine". Le mystérieux sorcier Joseph Balsamo qui manipule les événéments et les personnages comme un marionettiste est absurde dans ce roman ou il est évident que les événements s'échappent au controle de tout le monde. L'Ange Pitou qui est supposé etre un brave garcon naif est mielleux au point ou il rend le lecteur nauséabond.

Dumas deméure un de mes auteurs préférés mais ce roman échoue lamentablement.

Profile Image for Yves.
689 reviews7 followers
January 3, 2013
Ce dernier tome du cycle des Mémoires d'un Médecin sert de conclusion à la saga. C'est la fin du règne de Louis XVI et le début de la république. C'est aussi dans ce livre que l'on apprend le destin tragique de beaucoup des personnages du livre.

La Comtesse de Charny est beaucoup plus dans l'historique que de la fiction. Je dois avouer que j'en ai beaucoup appris sur la révolution française et les débuts de la Terreur grâce à ce roman de Dumas. J'en ai beaucoup appris surtout sur Marie-Antoinette et sur le pauvre Louis XVI. Je dis le pauvre Louis XVI car c'était un pauvre bougre qui s'est ramassé sur le trône au mauvais moment. Son manque de charisme et de sens politique l'auront conduit à la guillotine.

Ce roman est très accrocheur et ne contient que peu de défaut. Le seul que je peux lui reprocher est celui d'être parfois long vers la fin. En même temps, cette partie est plus une chronique historique que d'autre chose et Dumas a le mérite de rester le plus impartial possible.

Pour moi, cette série et ce livre en particulier sont une réussite totale.
Profile Image for Ladiibbug.
1,580 reviews85 followers
June 19, 2016
Historical Fiction - #4 Marie Antoinette series

This 505 page book was way too long. It could easily be cut down by one half imo. It was a real slog to get through, but with approx. 1,500 pages read in books 1-3, which were much more enjoyable, I kept waiting for Dumas's exciting writing to appear. It didn't.

Looking forward to finishing this series next month with book 5 The Knight of Maison-Rouge.

The publisher of this 2006 edition, "Waking Lion Press, an imprint of The Emporium", released this book with a stunning number of typos that any sixth grader could have corrected. An estimate of a minimum of 50 separate glaring typos -- it is obvious no person proofread this book, or ran it through a spellcheck.
Profile Image for Cristina Pana.
327 reviews8 followers
November 5, 2019
Daca as fi fost interesata macar putin de sfarsitul Mariei Antoaneta si a lui Ludovic al XVI-lea sau de revolutia franceza, aceasta carte mi s-ar fi parut geniala. Cum eu insa am vrut sa citesc povestea contesei de Charny, ma declar profund dezamagita de acest roman.
Sincer, nu inteleg de ce autorul a dat acest nume romanului. Contesa apare foarte rar in peisaj si nici macar nu are un rol in povestea predominanta.
Bifata la citite in diagonala.
Profile Image for Natia Morbedadze.
827 reviews83 followers
March 26, 2024
სათაური სრულიად შეუფერებელია (გრაფინია დე შარნი მხოლოდ გაიელვებს), თუმცა ისტორიული კუთხით საინტერესო წიგნია. ჩანს, რომ ავტორმა რეალურ ფაქტებზე დაყრდნობით აღგვიწერა მონარქიისა და მონარქების უკანასკნელი დღეები, რევოლუციის სისხლში ამოსვრილი ხელები. თანაც ისე, რომ ბოლომდე არ გვტოვებს განცდა - იქნებ რამის შეცვლა შეიძლება? იქნებ პარიზის დამუხტულ ჰაერშიც შეაღწიოს ჟანგბადმა და გაჩერდეს სიკვდილის მანქანა? მერე რა, რომ ეს ყველაფერი მე-18 საუკუნეში მოხდა...
Profile Image for Adi.
977 reviews
January 24, 2020
Having the signs of a typical Dumas novel, the narrative is rich and full of adventures and diverse characters. The fictional elements are woven into the historic events, thus creating a complex and twisted tale of love, betrayals, cruelty and self-sacrifice. With that being said, there is a reason that this novel is not as popular as The Three Musketeers, or The Count of Monte Cristo and in my personal opinion this reason is the characters. I strongly believe that this story lacked charming and heroic figures from the rank of the musketeers or the count. On the contrary, here they seemed to be too one-dimensional, even far too simple. I have put below my thoughts on some of the main characters:
- Louis XVI of France - The king of France. However, the reader never gets to know him. It is well established that he loves to eat and to sleep, and that he's not really strong-willed. Nevertheless, we don't see him much in action, there are barely any scenes in which we fulfills his actual royal duties.
- Marie Antoinette - I really liked her in the first, and even in the second book of the series. She was fresh, charming, diverse... In the last two books however she's been too monotonous. Yes, she makes mistakes, and she shows plenty of emotions throughout her fall of grace. What she lacks is a development in her points of view, her beliefs and her self-reflection. It gets really tiring to read the same complaints coming from the same character over and over again, without any actual development.
- Cagliostro - I was so disappointed... What happened to the enigmatic and mysterious stranger from the first novel?
- Andrée de Taverney - The title character of the novel, even though I still don't understand why... Not even half of the book was about her, and her overall impact was not that big. Generally speaking, she's a well-crafted heroine, however for most of the people it would be really hard to relate to her. Nevertheless, the only two scenes in the story, which moved me, were with her...
- Olivier de Charny - I suppose he was destined to be the hero of the story, however I just could not connect to him. In fact, he was quite annoying for a large part of the book due to his constant hesitation.
- Gilbert - I hated him in the first novel, then I started liking him, and once his redemption arc was completed, he became quite boring and obsolete
- Catherine Billot and Ange Pitou - a large portion of the book is dedicated to them, however there is nothing truly unique or memorable about them...

Yet, the novel is nice and I suppose any Dumas fan will gladly read it.
Profile Image for El Princessa .
1 review
July 3, 2025
I picked up "La comtesse de Charny" by pure coincide, knowing it's my first Alexander Dumas read, and I absolutely enjoyed it. Now, I'm a fan of Dumas and his storytelling.
Dumas brings details and fiction to the story in a genius way, which is rarely found anywhere. I found myself thinking about the complexity of the characters like Pitou and the countess and how they've added depth to the story.
the book was slower than I usually read, but I never felt like putting it down, and the narrative kept me curious throughout.
I recommend this book for readers interested in the French Revolution and who enjoy historical fiction with a personal feel to it.
Profile Image for James Schulze.
8 reviews2 followers
April 21, 2018
Exciting installment to the Marie Antoinette series! A quick must read for Dumas and French history enthusiasts.
Profile Image for James.
1,805 reviews19 followers
August 15, 2019
A very good and enjoyable book by Dumas in the continuing series surrounding the demise of the French Royal Family and Louis XVI. Similarly to previous books on the same period and topic, it is very ‘Dumaseque’. The period 1789 – 1797 full of political turmoil, differing views, political beliefs and blood end up being told in a very romanticised way by Dumas. It doesn’t fully comprehend the severity of the situation.

Again, looking at Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI, the King is seen as the servant and subject of the people, willing to do what it takes to preserve the crown and help the people. Marie Antoinette on the other hand is stuck in her role of Monarch, ego and ruler. Even in the face of adversity, she refused to bend and change.

As time goes on in this story, we get a few more glimpses of Pitou, Billet and Dr Gilbert, but, unlike other books on the same theme, you don’t really follow the characters fully to the end. However, when the end does arrive, it was a great way to finish the book itself.
Profile Image for Chema H.R..
63 reviews2 followers
October 26, 2024
Como se suele decir, un novelón. No solo por la extensión 1900 páginas, si no por la manera de narrar los acontecimientos. En este volumen de Dumas , el cuarto de la serie dedicado a la Revolución Francesa ( Vid. Memorias de un médico, El collar de la reina, Ángel Pitou) se describe los acontecimientos tras el traslado de María Antonieta y Luis XVI al Palacio de las Tullerias. En esta nueva entrega Dumas despliega toda su maestría en la descripción de los personajes claves del periodo revolucionario. En muchos aspectos el texto puede ser farragoso si no se tiene un conocimiento previo de los acontecimientos, sin embargo la manera de contarlos te engancha. Sin lugar a dudas una gran novela- crónica. Es una lastima que obras así estén muy olvidadas cuando se habla del maestro francés. A mí me ha encantado, bien es cierto, que en un libro tan extenso te encuentras pasajes más tediosos y otros donde el maestro despliega todo su arte en la descripción de los acontecimientos. En resumen, un novelón, solo hace falta paciencia y no desfallecer, Dumas nunca defrauda.
Profile Image for Rosia_lady.
48 reviews1 follower
February 3, 2014
I don't like this book, it it to long, 2 volumes with 600 pages each other. It was very boring, I couldn't finished it. I feel so disapointed, because Dumas books are awesome but this book was so painful to read. So I said to myself if I don't like a book I can't read it until the end, so I have to start a new one that speaks to me.

Ok, the plot was good , but the author insisted to much on details, pages of details . This book have some parts that are very hard to read, those parts are like hictorical non-fiction books pages.

I think I would have loved this book if it was more short and at the subject.
Profile Image for Macqueron.
1,028 reviews12 followers
March 3, 2021
Dumas raconte l’histoire comme nul autre. Et le voilà qu’il nous raconte la Révolution sur 1800 pages et c’est passionnant. Alors bien sûr, n’est pas Tolstoi qui veut, et ce n’est pas Guerre et Paix. Ici l’Histoire prend parfois trop le pas sur l’histoire. Mais jamais la fuite à Varennes n’a été aussi vibrante, jamais les journées de septembre n’ont été aussi sombres, etc. Par ailleurs, il prend une bonne distance face à ses personnages rendant le roi aussi humain et innocent que détaché et coupable, les révolutionnaires sont des patriotes mais tendant parfois cers l’abime. A ce titre, l’équilibre est parfait et passionnant, on en souhaite plus souvent des cours d’histoire de ce type
Profile Image for Rose.
1,526 reviews
April 21, 2021
Some places said this was the sequel to another book, and others that it was one of the later books in a series of 6. Since it wasn't very clear how important it was to read the other book(s) first, and I don't have the others on my shelves, I decided I might as well give it a go. In hindsight, I think this was a mistake - I probably did need to read the previous instalments to feel properly invested in the characters, as there seemed to be an assumption that the people that appear will be familiar to the reader (and not just because some are historical figures most people will have some knowledge of). As a result, I didn't get very attached to the characters.
Profile Image for Bahman Bahman.
Author 3 books242 followers
Read
October 22, 2020
دوك حيرت زده برگشت و چشمش به خانم دوپاري افتاد و با مسرتي زياد كه معلوم نبود طبيعي يا ساختگي است گفت: آه... كنتس عزيز، شما مثل هميشه زيبا و شاداب هستيد و متشكرم كه از همه زودتر آمديد.
دوپاري گفت: دوست عزيز، من تقريبا از سرما منجمد شده ام.
دوك گفت: خواهش مي كنم به بودوار تشريف بياوريد.
دوپاري با غمزه اي مليح گفت: آخر من چطور با شما تنها، در بودوار باشم؟
در اين هنگام صداي ديگري شنيده شد كه گفت: تنها نيستيد بلكه سه نفر مي باشيد.
Profile Image for Queen P.
23 reviews
July 5, 2025
Des petites intrigues qui nous emmènent dans la France post prise de la Bastille. Les descriptions des différents personnages historiques laissent entrevoir l'avis personnel de Alexandre Dumas sur eux et la période de l'histoire. Tout bonnement passionnant de détails sur les événements qui ont marqué la France.
178 reviews1 follower
February 21, 2016
3 *:
So loooong, it would be a could story, if some parts would be missing. I feeled like I were reading a school book about history. Too much of characters. And I don understnad the title, it wasn't mainly about her.
Author 41 books30 followers
March 27, 2018
I like Dumas and the Antionette novels, which this is, but I found this history lesson a long read.
4 reviews
April 23, 2017
Interesting history, but really nothing to do with the Countess de Charny.
Most of the focus is on the escape of Louis XVI.
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