Le Collier de la Reine: Volume 1

by Alexandre Dumas

A sequel to the "Mémoires d'un Médecin," and the second of the "Marie-Antoinette Series." Written in collaboration with Auguste Maquet. The picturesque tragedy of the diamond necklace, so much written of, is here narrated in Dumas' best style. Period 1784-1785. In a brief introduction Dumas refers to the Revolution of 1848, just accomplished, and to his foretelling of it in 1832, in "Gaule et France." Interesting comparison might well be made with passages in the author's journal, "Le Mois." (See page 236.) The prologue is borrowed from La Harpe's "Prophétie de Cazotte," but Dumas has instilled into it a vast deal more spirit and life. It is curious to note that Bulwer Lytton also uses La Harpe's clever work, but with far less skill than the original possesses, in his "Zanoni." This is generally classed as the last of the most famous or "great" novels in which Maquet collaborated ; it is a very fine piece of work, and is usually considered to be a favourite with English readers. Certainly it moves steadily and uninterruptedly to its conclusion, and there are not too many threads to be followed. It first appeared as a feuilleton in "La Presse." Original Paris, Cadot, II vols., 8vo., 1849-50.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Classics, France, French Literature, Fiction, Novels

Paperback

First published January 1, 1849

About the author

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

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book of the Marie Antoinette series: it's a sequel of Joseph Balsamo.

This is a re-reading since I've read it without reading Joseph Balsamo first.

Free download in French available at Project Gutenberg.

Free download available at Project Gutenberg.

This book is based on Affair of the Diamond Necklace, an episode involving fraud and royal scandal that made headlines at the court of Louis XVI in the 1780s.

In addition to this Dumas' book, this affair was treated in fiction by some other authors, such as:
"The Queen's Necklace", by Maurice Leblanc (1905) (An Arsène Lupin Story);
The Queen's Necklace, by Antal Szerb (1943);
The Queen of Diamonds, by Jean Plaidy (1958).


4* The Count of Monte Cristo
4* The Black Tulip
5* The Two Dianas
3* La chemise de la Sainte Vierge
3* La Comtesse De Salisbury
3* Les mille et un fantômes
3* Les Frères corses
TR Ascanio
TR Georges, Or, the Isle of France
TR The Women's War
TR The woman with the velvet necklace
TR The Prussian Terror

The D'Artagnan Romances series
4* The Three Musketeers
4* Twenty Years After
4* Vicomte de Bragelonne
4* Ten Years Later
TR Louise de La Vallière
4* The Man in the Iron Mask

The Last Valois series
5* Queen Margot, or Marguerite de Valois
4* Chicot the Jester (La Dame de Monsereau)
4* The Forty-Five Guardsmen

The Marie Antoinette Romances series
4* Joseph Balsamo
CR Le Collier de la Reine
TR Taking the Bastile
TR The Countess de Charny
TR The Knight of Maison-Rouge

The Sainte-Hermine Cycle series
TR The Companions of Jehu
TR The Whites and the Blues
TR The Last Cavalier: Being the Adventures of Count Sainte-Hermine in the Age of Napoleon

Celebrated crimes series
TR The Borgias
TR The Cenci
TR Massacres of the South
TR Mary Stuart Queen of Scots
TR Karl Ludwig Sand
TR Urbain Grandier Celebrated Crimes
TR Nisida
TR Derues Celebrated Crimes
TR La Constantin
TR Joan of Naples
TR Martin Guerre Celebrated Crimes
TR Ali Pacha
TR The Countess Of Saint Geran Celebrated Crimes
TR Murat
TR The Marquise de Brinvilliers
TR Vaninka Celebrated Crimes
TR The Marquise de Ganges


Auto-biography
5* My Memoirs, Vol. 1
TR My Memoirs, Vol. 2
TR My Memoirs, Vol. 3
TR My Memoirs, Vol. 4
TR My Memoirs, Vol. 5
TR My Memoirs, Vol. 6

[Bahman Bahman · Rating 2 out of 5]

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...

[Maryam Zarrinbal · Rating 4 out of 5]

یادش بخیر دوران نوجوانی این کتاب (همه ده جلدش رو) رو خوندم.
کتاب جالب و جذابیه پر از ماجرا. ولی به سه‌تفنگدار نمی‌رسه

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cara simplesmente sensacional
Eu não sabia do que se tratava esse livro mas quando comecei ler percebi que já conhecia a história, mas não com tantos detalhes, e ler assim, dessa forma foi nada menos do que marcante pra mim. Eu não entendo como essas histórias que se relacionam de alguma forma com a Revolução Francesa não são conhecidas pelas pessoas ou ensinadas nas escolas, sabe? São "pequenos" detalhes que são encantadores e que fazem toda a diferença no entendimento da grandiosidade dos eventos históricos, independente do local ou da época em que eles se passaram.
Eu li uma versão reduzida desse livro, que veio no box da Nova Fronteira, de 80 páginas, então 1 dia foi suficiente pra eu terminar de ler e ainda ficar com gostinho de quero mais. Muito legal, mesmo, virou um dos favoritos. Primeiro livro que eu leio completo do Dumas e já amei.

[Things Stuff · Rating 5 out of 5]

L'intrigue est très bien cousue , mon seul problème qui est due partiellement à ma mémoire éphémère , ce sont les long noms . J'ai pas pû progresser sans faire un peu de recul pour me rappeler des personnages. À part cela ,c'est un superbe livre qui maleheureusement n'a pas eu sa part de la renommer d'Alexandre Dumas .

[Adéla Tůmová · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buďme k sobě upřímní. Je to červená knihovna, je to taková literární telenovela 19. století, ale sežrala jsem to i s navijákem.
PS: Myslím, že v době, kdy se má příběh odehrávat, nebyly některé zmiňované události možné, do dějin vstoupily tak za dva tři roky. To se pan Dumas možná trochu sekl.

[Maëllys · Rating 5 out of 5]

trop trop bien, je pense que c'est mon deuxième préféré de dumas après le Comte de Monte Cristo

[Starlord]

Took a while to get immersed in the story but ended up entertaining like most Dumas.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is hard to read it in one thread, but very interesting form an historical point of view.

[Marco · Rating 2 out of 5]

L'ho trovato meno efficace del primo libro del ciclo della Rivoluzione, una trama meno ricca di suspence e cliffhanger, un sacco di intrighi di corte che, oramai, sono diventati stereotipi del genere.

Di nuovo, rimane interessante come Dumas interpreti gli avvenimenti che precedettero la presa della Bastiglia: non era Maria Antonietta ad agire ma una sosia che la metteva in cattiva luce; anche se l'autore non nasconde comportamenti poco ortodossi della regina, è lei stessa la prima a raccontare la verità, tutta la verità, nient'altro che la verità al re suo consorte. E così Dumas instilla l'idea che una regina, quale Maria Antonietta era, non si sarebbe mai comportata come i suoi detrattori l'accusavano.

[Sasan Garjani]

ی

[M.Forqani · Rating 3 out of 5]

سه تفنگدار يه چيز ديگه اس

[Khodam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

[Un Livre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dans cette fiction, Alexandre Dumas intègre ses trois éléments clés : l’histoire, l’aventure et l’amour. Un mélange qui tient le lecteur en haleine, le maintient dans une curiosité profonde et le rend ainsi attentif à chaque détail du roman.

Critique à lire sur : http://auria.fr/collier-reine-alexand...