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Il capitano Paul
Francia, 1779. Un giovane aristocratico, Emmanuel d'Auray, consegna il prigioniero di Stato Lusignan al capitano John Paul Jones, corsaro per Luigi XVI al comando di una fregata nella rada bretone di Port Louis. Il detenuto è diretto alla Caienna, ma dopo aver mostrato il suo valore nell'abbordaggio di un battello inglese, Jones, incuriosito, si fa raccontare la sua storia. Scopre così che il giovane è innamorato, ricambiato, della marchesina Marguerite d'Auray, ma il fratello di lei Emmanuel, ostile all'unione, ha ordito una trama per condannarlo. Colpito dal racconto del prigioniero, il capitano diventa così l'artefice della fortuna della coppia, mettendo in moto un'avventura ricca di colpi di scena e rivelazioni di parentele insospettabili, sullo sfondo della rivoluzione americana contro gli inglesi, a cui John Paul è votato anima e corpo. Tra i primi romanzi di Dumas, Il capitano Paul è un classico del mare da riscoprire, che anticipa i temi cari all'autore, che troveranno la loro massima espressione nel suo capolavoro, Il conte di Montecristo.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1838
2 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
About the author
Alexandre Dumas
7,031 books12.4k followersThis 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
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 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 27, 2019
Oh, brother! Is it possible to just leave this review at that?
Well, for future reference, Captain Paul is a book filled with melodramatic scenes that beg to be forgotten and boisterous scenes of bravery that provoke repeated eye rolls. As chance would have it, the occurrence of the unbelievable coincidence is a key facilitator in every turn of the plot. And while the language may be reflective of the diction used during this book’s publication in 1846, fermenting Dumas' words over 150 years of time only served to exaggerate their sappiness. Yes, there is drama and action, but it’s more along the lines of The Princess Bride rather than those of The Sea Wolf.
On a more interesting note, this book is one of three books that are loosely connected by the interests of their writers. The connection started with Water Scott’s publication of The Pirate in 1822. James Fenimore Cooper, having served in the US Navy, read The Pirate and considered the novel to be a less-than-true depiction of life at sea. Cooper then proceed to write The Pilot: A Tale of the Sea, which was published in 1824. Then Dumas enters the picture. Dumas felt that “the pilot” in Cooper’s novel, the famous John Paul Jones, was left mostly undefined as a character. As a result, in 1838, Dumas wrote Captain Paul and proceeded to decorate the legend in flamboyant style. Of the three novels, I still have not read Scott’s The Pirate.
Well, for future reference, Captain Paul is a book filled with melodramatic scenes that beg to be forgotten and boisterous scenes of bravery that provoke repeated eye rolls. As chance would have it, the occurrence of the unbelievable coincidence is a key facilitator in every turn of the plot. And while the language may be reflective of the diction used during this book’s publication in 1846, fermenting Dumas' words over 150 years of time only served to exaggerate their sappiness. Yes, there is drama and action, but it’s more along the lines of The Princess Bride rather than those of The Sea Wolf.
On a more interesting note, this book is one of three books that are loosely connected by the interests of their writers. The connection started with Water Scott’s publication of The Pirate in 1822. James Fenimore Cooper, having served in the US Navy, read The Pirate and considered the novel to be a less-than-true depiction of life at sea. Cooper then proceed to write The Pilot: A Tale of the Sea, which was published in 1824. Then Dumas enters the picture. Dumas felt that “the pilot” in Cooper’s novel, the famous John Paul Jones, was left mostly undefined as a character. As a result, in 1838, Dumas wrote Captain Paul and proceeded to decorate the legend in flamboyant style. Of the three novels, I still have not read Scott’s The Pirate.
December 13, 2025
CAPTAIN PAUL by Alexandre Dumas is an engaging historical fiction book. It's a romantic version of John Paul Jones's origins. Real John Paul Jones, of humble origins, gained a title of the 'Father of the American Navy' posthumously: he is regarded by some as one of the greatest naval commanders in the military history of the United States (Wikipedia). Dumas, of course, needed something dramatic, and what can be more dramatic than an abandoned child, whose noble mother gave him away to avoid the condemnation of the society? Scenes/characters change with astonishing speed to hook the reader; noble gentlemen fight in duels, noble yet sinned young dame either faints or wrings her hands in despair; the society dictates the rules. And, of course, Paul the hero saves everybody.
I was glad to return, although not for long, to Dumas's world. I read many of his books as a young adult but not this one.
I was glad to return, although not for long, to Dumas's world. I read many of his books as a young adult but not this one.
October 25, 2015
Le Capitaine Paul est un des premiers roman d'Alexandre Dumas. Il raconte l'histoire d'un capitaine de bateau qui découvre après plusieurs années qui sont ses vrais parent. Il se retrouve donc catapulté secrètement dans une famille en pleine tourmente.
En étant un des premiers romans de Dumas, on se rend compte qu'il n'est pas aussi abouti que ses grands classiques mais on peut quand même déjà un grand talent pour l'intrique et l'aventure. Le roman est court mais on a quand même droit à une bataille navale et à un duel. J'ai lu beaucoup de livres de cette époque et on y voit rarement autant d'action.
Dumas est un grand écrivain et même à ses débuts, on pouvait voir ses talent avec ses intrigues et son sens de l'aventure qui font que ses romans se lisent encore très bien.
En étant un des premiers romans de Dumas, on se rend compte qu'il n'est pas aussi abouti que ses grands classiques mais on peut quand même déjà un grand talent pour l'intrique et l'aventure. Le roman est court mais on a quand même droit à une bataille navale et à un duel. J'ai lu beaucoup de livres de cette époque et on y voit rarement autant d'action.
Dumas est un grand écrivain et même à ses débuts, on pouvait voir ses talent avec ses intrigues et son sens de l'aventure qui font que ses romans se lisent encore très bien.
October 3, 2022
Non il solito Dumas. Se ne intravede il genio, ma la storia riesce più blanda. Un Edmond Dantès diluito che non stanca, ma non entusiasma ad ogni pagina come la penna di Dumas sa invece fare. Probabilmente questo è dovuto non soltanto alla minore esperienza dello scrittore all'epoca della stesura, quanto a voler riadattare la storia, inizialmente pensata come dramma teatrale, a romanzo. Stupisce che l'inventore del romanzo d'appendice abbia curato senza troppa attenzione alcuni stilemi: leggendo alcune pagine, infatti, si ha proprio l'impressione di essere a teatro e non, per esempio, nel vivo di una battaglia navale. Poco male, resta sempre Dumas, ma si poteva fare di più con questo piccolo Montecristo.
May 23, 2023
Alexandre Dumas is considered one of the best adventure authors of all time. His classics such as The Count of Monte Cristo and The d'Artagnon Romances are well known. Dumas began his literary career writing articles for magazines and plays for the theater. Delphi Classics has published "The Works of Alexandre Dumas" (2012). Although this is not a complete list of Dumas' works, it does seem to include all of Dumas' novels, some short stories, some non-fiction, and some works by other authors about Dumas' life including a biography by Francis Miltoun. All of the works in the Dephi Classics edition have been translated into English. The Capain Paul novel translation is "Anonymous" (1859).
The novel Captain Paul was inspired by The Pilot: A Tale of the Sea by James Fenimore Cooper and by the success of Dumas' play Paul Jones (1836). The novel was rewritten from his play in 1838.
Dumas includes a forward or an introduction to the story; he states that the inspiration of the story came from James F Cooper and that he "supposedly" researched Captain Paul to try to get some of his other exploits both as a young man and as an old man outside the time frame of Cooper's novel. Nothing was known of Captain Paul's heritage nor whatever happened to him. Finally, Dumas came across an old man who was able to tell him some information about Captain Paul and from that Dumas was able to tell the story. Note here this is all fiction but it's a good introduction - ha.
The novel starts out well and mysteriously. A ship is spotted off the coast of Brittany and then anchors off the coast close to the Chateau d'Auray. Soon the Captain of the Indienne is under orders to deliver a prisoner to Cayenne (French Guiana); perhaps they harvest cayenne pepper there. Soon afterwards the Indienne is engaged in a battle with a Brittish brig. The prisoner helps with the victory and from there Captain Paul is compelled to wonder who this prisoner is and hears his story.
We don't hear the prisoner's story right away; Dumas continues the story at a later date. Dumas does tell us about a woman who is promised in marriage only for money; she has secretly had premarital sexual relations with someone else and has given birth. The child is take away, etc, etc. Oh these poor people! Did these French and English really treat marriage like this? Their honor and finances are more important than happiness!
Whatever! Anyway, further on in the book we understand that pregnancy out of wedlock is hereditary. The d'Auray's have been doing this for generations sacrificing happiness for dollars.
What's this? Captain Paul is a d'Auray and is the unwanted heir to the d'Auray fortune! How melodramatic! He does not want money! He's perfectly happy and successful as a ship's captain and as result of his exploits, Captain Paul is rewarded not only by the French, but the Americans and later by Russians. I guess anybody against England is good.
Everyone has so much honor in Dumas' novels. One would think he was reading some Klingon mythology except that the women are nothing at all like Klingon women.
The novel Captain Paul was inspired by The Pilot: A Tale of the Sea by James Fenimore Cooper and by the success of Dumas' play Paul Jones (1836). The novel was rewritten from his play in 1838.
Dumas includes a forward or an introduction to the story; he states that the inspiration of the story came from James F Cooper and that he "supposedly" researched Captain Paul to try to get some of his other exploits both as a young man and as an old man outside the time frame of Cooper's novel. Nothing was known of Captain Paul's heritage nor whatever happened to him. Finally, Dumas came across an old man who was able to tell him some information about Captain Paul and from that Dumas was able to tell the story. Note here this is all fiction but it's a good introduction - ha.
The novel starts out well and mysteriously. A ship is spotted off the coast of Brittany and then anchors off the coast close to the Chateau d'Auray. Soon the Captain of the Indienne is under orders to deliver a prisoner to Cayenne (French Guiana); perhaps they harvest cayenne pepper there. Soon afterwards the Indienne is engaged in a battle with a Brittish brig. The prisoner helps with the victory and from there Captain Paul is compelled to wonder who this prisoner is and hears his story.
We don't hear the prisoner's story right away; Dumas continues the story at a later date. Dumas does tell us about a woman who is promised in marriage only for money; she has secretly had premarital sexual relations with someone else and has given birth. The child is take away, etc, etc. Oh these poor people! Did these French and English really treat marriage like this? Their honor and finances are more important than happiness!
Whatever! Anyway, further on in the book we understand that pregnancy out of wedlock is hereditary. The d'Auray's have been doing this for generations sacrificing happiness for dollars.
What's this? Captain Paul is a d'Auray and is the unwanted heir to the d'Auray fortune! How melodramatic! He does not want money! He's perfectly happy and successful as a ship's captain and as result of his exploits, Captain Paul is rewarded not only by the French, but the Americans and later by Russians. I guess anybody against England is good.
Everyone has so much honor in Dumas' novels. One would think he was reading some Klingon mythology except that the women are nothing at all like Klingon women.
August 5, 2022
Très déçue, ca ressemble plus à un roman a l'eau de rose qu'à un Dumas. On tourne les pages en attendant que l'aventure commence... et c'est déjà fini
February 10, 2024
Very melodramatic play.
April 15, 2024
Похоже на то, что Дюма еще тренировал свое мастерство, работая над подобными романами
August 22, 2024
Cette une querelle de famille. Beaucoup de dialogue, quasiment aucune action.
October 25, 2019
The story as the title suggests revolves around the Captain of a Ship, Paul and Emanuel. It is set around the time of Marie Antoinette/ the fall of the French Royal Family and the American Revolution.
I found this story too short, even for Dumas’ standards. It was also quite confusing. Perhaps, in essence it is a snippet/ snapshot of part of a larger story? It was kind of confusing, beginning on a ship and naval theme, then, suddenly switches to Royalty and then family trials and tribulations with a duel thrown into it.
Then, just to add an extra something we have a historical narrative of the American Revolution. However, what is interesting which you pick up if you read a lot of Dumas, especially with the period of Marie Antoinette is the link and symbolism Dumas brings in with the American Revolution.
Not one of Dumas best works.
I found this story too short, even for Dumas’ standards. It was also quite confusing. Perhaps, in essence it is a snippet/ snapshot of part of a larger story? It was kind of confusing, beginning on a ship and naval theme, then, suddenly switches to Royalty and then family trials and tribulations with a duel thrown into it.
Then, just to add an extra something we have a historical narrative of the American Revolution. However, what is interesting which you pick up if you read a lot of Dumas, especially with the period of Marie Antoinette is the link and symbolism Dumas brings in with the American Revolution.
Not one of Dumas best works.
August 24, 2016
As most, I'm sure, I have read Dumas masterpieces like Three Musketeers and Count of Monte Cristo when I was a kid and the spirit of adventure stayed well and alive with me until today.
20 years later I go back to read some of Dumas earlier works and can't help but walk away disappointed.
Captain Paul was a decent read, it was in no measure bad, but it was also in no measure above average.
A short novel it doesn't pack many mysteries or a large plot twists but a rather straight forward tale of a Captain Paul.
What is odd is that it seems Dumas was a fan of Fenimore Cooper as this work is a sequel of Coopers previous works which seemed very odd in itself.
All in all, a standard classic minus 200 pages. An ok read, if you're looking for a masterpiece, this wasn't it.
Roman
20 years later I go back to read some of Dumas earlier works and can't help but walk away disappointed.
Captain Paul was a decent read, it was in no measure bad, but it was also in no measure above average.
A short novel it doesn't pack many mysteries or a large plot twists but a rather straight forward tale of a Captain Paul.
What is odd is that it seems Dumas was a fan of Fenimore Cooper as this work is a sequel of Coopers previous works which seemed very odd in itself.
All in all, a standard classic minus 200 pages. An ok read, if you're looking for a masterpiece, this wasn't it.
Roman
May 25, 2016
C'est assez décevant. Une pièce mal adaptée. Il vaut mieux lire le roman de Fenimore Cooper.
January 26, 2020
скучная :(((
December 8, 2020
See my review here:
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2020...
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2020...
January 10, 2018
un vrai coup de cœur ! secret, trahisons, duel, drame familial ... j'ai dévoré ce roman.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews