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Ten Years Later
This antiquarian book contains Alexandre Dumas’s historical novel "Ten Years Later". Serialised between 1847 and 1850, this is the second instalment of the final episode in the d’Artagnan Romances. Set between 1660 and 1667, it chronicles Louis XIV’s metamorphosis from juvenile monarch to Sun King. A veritably thrilling romantic romp in seventeenth century France, “Ten Years Later” constitutes a must-read for fans of Dumas’s seminal work, and would make for a worthy addition to any collection. Alexandre Dumas (1802–1870) was a famous French writer. He is best remembered for his exciting romantic sagas, including "The Three Musketeers" and "The Count of Monte Cristo". Despite making a great deal of money from his writing, Dumas was almost perpetually penniless thanks to his decidedly extravagant lifestyle. His novels have been translated into nearly a hundred different languages, and have inspired over 200 motion pictures. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing this antiquarian book in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.
452 pages, Hardcover
Published November 1, 2002
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About the author
Alexandre Dumas
6,989 books12.3k 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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April 24, 2019
This second of the four volumes* which comprise the conclusion of the “The Four Musketeers” (The Vicomte de Bragelonne, Ten Years Later, Louise de la Valliere, The Man in the Iron Mask) is perhaps the most significant, for it shows the reader, more clearly than the three others, how the meaning of heroism and adventure shift during the reign of that most absolute of monarchs, “The Sun King,” Louis XIV.
Soon after the volume begins, the domestic villain of the piece arrives: “Madame,” Henrietta of England, the wife of “Monsieur,” Duke of Orleans, effete younger brother of the king. Henrietta, an intelligent but superficial coquette, attracts a wealth of admirers, one of whom is the Duke of Buckingham, and the quarrels of these admirers—including a duel on a small strip of land off the French coast--evoke the romantic adventures and knightly virtues of The Three Musketeers.
The affecting scene in which the Queen Mother, Anne of Austria, is forced to banish this young duke, the son of her dead lover—the lover who gave her “The Diamond Studs," the occasion for our musketeers greatest exploit—signals that the days of large-hearted adventure may be at an end. The young king has come to manhood, and in this new world dominated by his powerful personality, the straightforward old political plots of “king” and “cardinal” are no more. Instead, they are replaced by ephemeral palace intrigues, centering around King Louis himself, and his loves, particularly his passion for the tenderhearted Louise de la Valliere.
Toward the end of the volume, in reference to an act of elegant public humiliation staged by Madame in revenge against the King, Dumas sums up the difference in the spirit of the age:
Let it not be supposed, however, that Madame possessed such terrible passions as the heroines of the middle ages, or that she regarded things from a pessimistic point of view; on the contrary, Madame, young, amiable, of cultivated intellect, coquettish, loving in her nature, but rather from fancy, or imagination, or ambition, than from her heart—Madame, we say, on the contrary, inaugurated that epoch of light and fleeting amusements, which distinguished the hundred and twenty years that intervened between the middle of the seventeenth century, and the last quarter of the eighteenth.The times call out for a deep, all-encompassing intrigue to save our four aging former musketeers from these “light and fleeting amusements,” and Aramis—the schemer and consummate politician of the four—has been working overtime. His efforts will eventually bear fruit in The Man in the Iron Mask.
*In some editions Ten Years Later appears as a separate volume; in others, the long series--which is, after all, one big novel--is issued in three volumes instead.
April 24, 2025
مردان بزرگ در آن دوره یکی از واجبات خود را رعایت احترام خانمها میدانستند. هر قدر مرد بزرگتر بود بیشتر به خانمها احترام میگذاشت. در همان حال میتوانست شخصیت خویش را حفظ کند بی آنکه نشانه غرور و خودخواهی از او دیده شود. این هنر را مردان این عصر ندارند.
چهارمین کتاب از مجموعه ۶ جلدی d'Artagnan Romances
یا دومین کتاب از سری Le vicomte de Bragelonne
که جلد سوم The Musketeers Series بعد از سه تفنگدار و بیست سال بعد است.
بعد از ماجراجویی های این ۴ تفنگدار در جوانی و میانسالی در فرانسه و انگلیس، تمرکز این جلد که در دوره ۱۰ جلدی ذبیحالله منصوری از فصل 206 صفحه 313 کتاب ششم تا آخر فصل 253 از صفحه ۳۳ کتاب هشتم است، کاملا بر روی دربار و لوئی چهاردم و همسر برادر او و اطرافیانشان میباشد.
چهارمین کتاب از مجموعه ۶ جلدی d'Artagnan Romances
یا دومین کتاب از سری Le vicomte de Bragelonne
که جلد سوم The Musketeers Series بعد از سه تفنگدار و بیست سال بعد است.
بعد از ماجراجویی های این ۴ تفنگدار در جوانی و میانسالی در فرانسه و انگلیس، تمرکز این جلد که در دوره ۱۰ جلدی ذبیحالله منصوری از فصل 206 صفحه 313 کتاب ششم تا آخر فصل 253 از صفحه ۳۳ کتاب هشتم است، کاملا بر روی دربار و لوئی چهاردم و همسر برادر او و اطرافیانشان میباشد.
June 8, 2017
First, a recap. I am reading the D'Artagnan Romances via the FREE Kindle ebooks available on Amazon:
Book 1: The Three Musketeers
Book 2: Twenty Years After
Book 3a: The Vicomte de Bragelonne
Book 3b: Ten Years Later
Book 3c: Louise de la Vallière
Book 3d: The Man in the Iron Mask
Ten Years Later actually refers to the ten years in between Twenty Years After and The Vicomte de Bragelonne, so really, I think the titles of Books 3a and 3b should have been swapped. While the Vicomte still is not consistently a central character throughout this book, he certainly plays a much bigger role here than in the book that was named after him.
D'Artagnan and Athos make a couple brief appearances in this book, but mostly they are absent. Porthos is practically non-existent. Aramis is the key musketeer in this book, and chapters about him appear intermittently. Mostly they are setting the stage for The Man in the Iron Mask - which I only know from watching the Leonardo DiCaprio movie years ago. Surprisingly, the movie seems to have sufficiently equipped me to understand Aramis's secrets, and honestly, I think if I did not already know where the Aramis storyline is leading, I would be awfully confused about his doings in this book.
So, if this book isn't really about the musketeers, then what's it all about? Like a Jane Austen novel, this book is mostly about the love interests of "the young people". Our beloved musketeers, along with Anne of Austria, play supporting roles for the next generation - the Vicomte de Bragelonne and King Louis XIV, among others. Relationships are complicated by multiple love triangles, and there's a whole lot of drama going on at the court.
I found this book entertaining enough to keep up with it, but not especially compelling. It was easy to put it down and not pick it up again for days at a time.
Book 1: The Three Musketeers
Book 2: Twenty Years After
Book 3a: The Vicomte de Bragelonne
Book 3b: Ten Years Later
Book 3c: Louise de la Vallière
Book 3d: The Man in the Iron Mask
Ten Years Later actually refers to the ten years in between Twenty Years After and The Vicomte de Bragelonne, so really, I think the titles of Books 3a and 3b should have been swapped. While the Vicomte still is not consistently a central character throughout this book, he certainly plays a much bigger role here than in the book that was named after him.
D'Artagnan and Athos make a couple brief appearances in this book, but mostly they are absent. Porthos is practically non-existent. Aramis is the key musketeer in this book, and chapters about him appear intermittently. Mostly they are setting the stage for The Man in the Iron Mask - which I only know from watching the Leonardo DiCaprio movie years ago. Surprisingly, the movie seems to have sufficiently equipped me to understand Aramis's secrets, and honestly, I think if I did not already know where the Aramis storyline is leading, I would be awfully confused about his doings in this book.
So, if this book isn't really about the musketeers, then what's it all about? Like a Jane Austen novel, this book is mostly about the love interests of "the young people". Our beloved musketeers, along with Anne of Austria, play supporting roles for the next generation - the Vicomte de Bragelonne and King Louis XIV, among others. Relationships are complicated by multiple love triangles, and there's a whole lot of drama going on at the court.
I found this book entertaining enough to keep up with it, but not especially compelling. It was easy to put it down and not pick it up again for days at a time.
December 4, 2019
The third of the D'Artagnan romances is a huge book. I read it in this form, making this the second of the four parts of the third volume. In this one, the Musketeers take a backseat to some Court intrigue. It involves the intrigues surrounding Henrietta, the sister to King Charles II of England, and sister-in-law to Louis XIV. She draws many men to her, and prompts the impulse to duel, even though dueling has been interdicted by Louis.
There are also intrigues involving her maids, most notably Louise de la Valliere, who is the titular character of volume three.
This is a very long, multi-faceted tale, but its always entertaining. In this book, I think Dumas captured particularly well the inward turning of the French court, so that everything revolves around Louis, and how this basically trivializes everything else that is going on in the country and the world. It shows the beginnings of a very decadent court structure, and does it in a way that makes it both charming and repulsive. It's not as fun as the over the top adventures of the Musketeers, but it was still worth reading.
There are also intrigues involving her maids, most notably Louise de la Valliere, who is the titular character of volume three.
This is a very long, multi-faceted tale, but its always entertaining. In this book, I think Dumas captured particularly well the inward turning of the French court, so that everything revolves around Louis, and how this basically trivializes everything else that is going on in the country and the world. It shows the beginnings of a very decadent court structure, and does it in a way that makes it both charming and repulsive. It's not as fun as the over the top adventures of the Musketeers, but it was still worth reading.
May 19, 2014
I wish I cared about any of the romance subplots, because there are some beautiful descriptions in there, but this book simply has too much detail. I feel like Cate Blanchett in "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" when she foolishly tells the aliens that what she wants for a reward is to "know everything" and consequently her head explodes.
Only my head feels swollen not only from too much information but also from boredom.
Well at least the much more exciting power struggle between Colbert and Fouquet also advances. A bit. A teenie tinsy bit. Meanwhile, Aramis, as the only one of the original main characters to have an actual speaking role in this part, becomes the criminal overlord of the Jesuits and makes a couple of decisions that are going to bite him in the ass, eventually, but no worries yet, he still has about 1200 pages to go. *sigh*
Well at least there are promises of something other than love triangles happening in the next part.
Only my head feels swollen not only from too much information but also from boredom.
Well at least the much more exciting power struggle between Colbert and Fouquet also advances. A bit. A teenie tinsy bit. Meanwhile, Aramis, as the only one of the original main characters to have an actual speaking role in this part, becomes the criminal overlord of the Jesuits and makes a couple of decisions that are going to bite him in the ass, eventually, but no worries yet, he still has about 1200 pages to go. *sigh*
Well at least there are promises of something other than love triangles happening in the next part.
December 30, 2024
This is the follow-on to The Vicomte de Bragelonne. Originally, they formed one long book and indeed, there is no real break in plot. The book ends and goes from here immediately into Louise de La Vallière.
The Musketeers figure only occasionally in this book. The focus is on Louis XIV, the Sun King and the intrigues of his court, specifically among his ladies (he was constantly changing them, playing one off another and keeping them guessing!) and between his contending financial counsellors, same same.
D'Artagnan was thoroughly disgusted and bored by the whole thing! Oh, wait, I am getting ahead of myself...
You will like this book if you are a history buff with an imagination. You will hate this book if you are looking for the usual Musketeer swashbuckler. This was part of a larger book and here Dumas was branching out into different waters.
I learned a bit of French history, however, like D'Artagnan, I was not impressed by the shenanigans of the court and quickly tired of them.
The Musketeers figure only occasionally in this book. The focus is on Louis XIV, the Sun King and the intrigues of his court, specifically among his ladies (he was constantly changing them, playing one off another and keeping them guessing!) and between his contending financial counsellors, same same.
D'Artagnan was thoroughly disgusted and bored by the whole thing! Oh, wait, I am getting ahead of myself...
You will like this book if you are a history buff with an imagination. You will hate this book if you are looking for the usual Musketeer swashbuckler. This was part of a larger book and here Dumas was branching out into different waters.
I learned a bit of French history, however, like D'Artagnan, I was not impressed by the shenanigans of the court and quickly tired of them.
June 16, 2015
This volume (#3.2 in the D'Artagnan series) had less adventure and more plotting than the previous ones in the series. I have already read "The Man in the Iron Mask" (volume #3.4) and I could see that a lot of groundwork for that volume was being laid. I am unhappy about Aramis who
D'Artagnan & Athos hardly appear in this volume -- I hope they appear more in the next volume, "Louise de la Valliere" (#3.3).
D'Artagnan & Athos hardly appear in this volume -- I hope they appear more in the next volume, "Louise de la Valliere" (#3.3).
May 11, 2021
A youth about eighteen years of age was imprisoned for reasons he did not know. He had been imploring the governor to set him free (so that he could care for and support his mother), when this exchange occurred :
"Yes, monsieur, he is indeed very wretched, " said the jailer; "but it is his parents' fault. "
"In what way?"
"No doubt. Why did they let him learn Latin? Too much knowledge, you see; it is that which does harm. Now I, for instance, can't read or write, and therefore I am not in prison." Aramis looked at the man, who seemed to think that being a jailer in the Bastille was not being in prison.
"Yes, monsieur, he is indeed very wretched, " said the jailer; "but it is his parents' fault. "
"In what way?"
"No doubt. Why did they let him learn Latin? Too much knowledge, you see; it is that which does harm. Now I, for instance, can't read or write, and therefore I am not in prison." Aramis looked at the man, who seemed to think that being a jailer in the Bastille was not being in prison.
February 8, 2017
Again, this was OK, but had alot of stuff I'm not sure why is in there. I'm starting to think that these books could just as well have been one volume, with as many pages as one of the books.
The language is of course beautiful, but again, it's so "flowery", it makes it much, much longer than it needed to be.
This book, I skimmed through much of it, as long periods didn't really have anything to say for the story. The next, I will probably be even more selective in what I choose to read thoroughly.
The language is of course beautiful, but again, it's so "flowery", it makes it much, much longer than it needed to be.
This book, I skimmed through much of it, as long periods didn't really have anything to say for the story. The next, I will probably be even more selective in what I choose to read thoroughly.
December 28, 2015
Young D'Artagnan becomes embroiled in court intrigues, international politics, and ill-fated affairs between royal lovers. The book at hand is the second volume of the third serial. Louis XIV is well past the age where he should rule, but the ailing Cardinal Mazarin refuses to relinquish the reins of power. Meanwhile, Charles II, a king without a country, travels Europe seeking aid from his fellow monarchs.
July 2, 2019
It's nice to finally get to spend some time with the characters and get to know them but the original four were almost completely gone from this installment. Also I am completely disappointed in La Valliere and feel bad for Raoul. I would have liked to spend more time with him and less time chasing the dalliances at court in circles.
September 12, 2025
Fun insight into court life, very informative, yet I missed adventure element thats so prevelaint in the other books in this series. Like escaping prison by elaborate plot of using gourmand training as a smokescreen. Or stress of D'Artagnan discovering Porthos at the Belle-Isle. However it does make me excited to see what the future books in the series have in store.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2025
Sad but sweet feeling after finishing this trilogy. Dumas is the master of word, but in this part as well as in the previous ones, the chapters felt too long and had an incredible number of details that didn't add much to the big picture.
July 9, 2025
Ok, to be honest, this one was a little exhausting. I’d like to get back to the swashbuckling now, because Dumas’ romantic drama just seems to keep going and going. I mean it has just taken so long to get to the point here, we talked about this damn oak tree for about 200 pages.
March 15, 2012
I am thoroughly enjoying this series, and can hardly wait to move on to the next one!
March 29, 2017
I love this book almost as original novel. That's so great that we have a very extensive story about d'Artagnan and his friends.
January 2, 2019
I love the original and this addition to their history only adds to the flavor. Clean, easily understood plot and well narrated. Recommended
December 1, 2021
Book 4 of the Three Musketeers series.
October 28, 2025
Less fun than the first two, more fun than the last one. Our heros are getting old, the politics are getting much more annoying and the action is much less engaging, except in parts, and that's the reason to keep reading.
In the end the characters are the great joy, their outlook on life and their relationships are really what we want from our musketeers, and there is still plenty of that.
In the end the characters are the great joy, their outlook on life and their relationships are really what we want from our musketeers, and there is still plenty of that.
March 1, 2017
***This review is for the entire D'Artagnan Romance series (The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, The Vicomte de Bragelonne, Ten Years Later, Louise de la Valliere, and The Man in the Iron Mask).***
The entire D'Artagnan Romance series is well over a million words long and spans several volumes and forty years in the lives of its main characters, the famous musketeers. The prodigious Alexandre Dumas wrote this epic tale to be published in the serial magazines that were popular during his day, submitting weekly installments which stretched over several years. This unique structure greatly informs his writing style. Because each serial installment had to captivate his readers, the action begins on the first page and continues almost without interruption-- readers weren't interested in overlong descriptions or details, and no one was critiquing on the basis of thematic developments.
In addition to his mad-cap writing style, Dumas relies heavily on character archetypes to allow his readers to quickly understand the characters and their motivations. If this sometimes led to rewriting history or over-simplifying his historical characters, it also led to a cohesive story that created both heroes and villains that live on today. The famous portraits of Cardinals Richelieu and Mazarin have shaped the way generations have perceived these complex individuals, despite the fact that their actual actions and motives were complex and nuanced. And has a more perfect villain than Milady ever been created?
Of course, Dumas' most famous and lovable characters form the famous quartet. The original Three Musketeers, Athos, Aramis, and my favorite-- Porthos, quickly adopt D'Artagnan into their intimate group and form a friendship that spans decades. These characters as well rely on simple archetypes: Athos is the honorable, wise father figure, Aramis is the crafty schemer who never reveals his hand even to his friends, D'Artagnan is the resourceful, quick-witted type, and Porthos is a bit simple and vain, but is always the muscle of the group. Throughout the entire series, these characters develop in line with their archetypes and consequently, are uncomplicated and completely lovable. ***SPOILER***
(Except for Aramis, whom I have never forgiven for causing Porthos' death.)
Each book in the series is madcap adventure with both subtle and sometimes blatant humor. Louise de la Valliere gushes courtly romance and intrigue, but for the most part, although all of the musketeers are portrayed as ladies' men, love and its trappings play a relatively insignificant role in the development of the story. Rather, the focus is on the platonic love between the four best friends, who remain devoted to one another despite their lives taking different directions over the years. The characters became my friends and will stick in my mind always and forever.
The entire D'Artagnan Romance series is well over a million words long and spans several volumes and forty years in the lives of its main characters, the famous musketeers. The prodigious Alexandre Dumas wrote this epic tale to be published in the serial magazines that were popular during his day, submitting weekly installments which stretched over several years. This unique structure greatly informs his writing style. Because each serial installment had to captivate his readers, the action begins on the first page and continues almost without interruption-- readers weren't interested in overlong descriptions or details, and no one was critiquing on the basis of thematic developments.
In addition to his mad-cap writing style, Dumas relies heavily on character archetypes to allow his readers to quickly understand the characters and their motivations. If this sometimes led to rewriting history or over-simplifying his historical characters, it also led to a cohesive story that created both heroes and villains that live on today. The famous portraits of Cardinals Richelieu and Mazarin have shaped the way generations have perceived these complex individuals, despite the fact that their actual actions and motives were complex and nuanced. And has a more perfect villain than Milady ever been created?
Of course, Dumas' most famous and lovable characters form the famous quartet. The original Three Musketeers, Athos, Aramis, and my favorite-- Porthos, quickly adopt D'Artagnan into their intimate group and form a friendship that spans decades. These characters as well rely on simple archetypes: Athos is the honorable, wise father figure, Aramis is the crafty schemer who never reveals his hand even to his friends, D'Artagnan is the resourceful, quick-witted type, and Porthos is a bit simple and vain, but is always the muscle of the group. Throughout the entire series, these characters develop in line with their archetypes and consequently, are uncomplicated and completely lovable. ***SPOILER***
(Except for Aramis, whom I have never forgiven for causing Porthos' death.)
Each book in the series is madcap adventure with both subtle and sometimes blatant humor. Louise de la Valliere gushes courtly romance and intrigue, but for the most part, although all of the musketeers are portrayed as ladies' men, love and its trappings play a relatively insignificant role in the development of the story. Rather, the focus is on the platonic love between the four best friends, who remain devoted to one another despite their lives taking different directions over the years. The characters became my friends and will stick in my mind always and forever.
December 29, 2014
Excerpt from my review at: http://susimetsa.blogspot.fi/2014/12/...
Dumas' writing style, already discussed in my previous piece, continues here as well and the dialogue is rather meandering and it often takes the characters a page or two to get to the point that they wanted to express. While amusing, it adds to the feeling of unnecessary length of the plot itself - I'm sorry to say that I found the courtly games and descriptions of the extravagance relatively boring reads and the love affairs were no more interesting. The most interesting events were right at the beginning when Vicomte de Bragelonne meets Madame and takes her to Paris, and later chapters that featured Aramis in his shady manipulations. These were few and far between, however.
Whereas the first instalment was a fun read, the second part was heavier going for me. However, my interest was kept up by the preparations for The Man in the Iron Mask and I look forward to reading the next part of the book in Louise de la Valliere - named after Vicomte Bragelonne's beloved. Given that de la Valliere was involved in the court intrigue of Ten Years Later and attracted the attention of the King himself, I expect the love affairs and court intrigue to continue, but I also hope to see more of Vicomte de Bragelonne and especially d'Artagnan, Athos and Porthos who were more or less absent from this instalment.
Dumas' writing style, already discussed in my previous piece, continues here as well and the dialogue is rather meandering and it often takes the characters a page or two to get to the point that they wanted to express. While amusing, it adds to the feeling of unnecessary length of the plot itself - I'm sorry to say that I found the courtly games and descriptions of the extravagance relatively boring reads and the love affairs were no more interesting. The most interesting events were right at the beginning when Vicomte de Bragelonne meets Madame and takes her to Paris, and later chapters that featured Aramis in his shady manipulations. These were few and far between, however.
Whereas the first instalment was a fun read, the second part was heavier going for me. However, my interest was kept up by the preparations for The Man in the Iron Mask and I look forward to reading the next part of the book in Louise de la Valliere - named after Vicomte Bragelonne's beloved. Given that de la Valliere was involved in the court intrigue of Ten Years Later and attracted the attention of the King himself, I expect the love affairs and court intrigue to continue, but I also hope to see more of Vicomte de Bragelonne and especially d'Artagnan, Athos and Porthos who were more or less absent from this instalment.
July 14, 2023
We lose d'Artagnan as a main antagonist here, which I feel is a big loss, as he is the quintessential romantic hero: he's charming, courageous, clever and relentlessly scheming whilst also being self-centred and vain: essentially, he's a cheeky little chap.
Instead, we flit between a few characters, and the story is centered around court intrigue: the King's brother's wife's coquettishness, and the King's infatuation with Louise de la Valliere. Sadly, it goes on FAR too long, and I'm dreading reading the next book if it's similar. There is a spark of a more exciting plot with Aramis fulfilling his political ambitions, so that is something.
One problem is that Raoul and Louise are dull (I encountered a similar problem in Les Miserables: the two lead lovers are very boring). Yet, for the most part, it's still a page turner: you want to see what happens at the end.
In terms of its writing, like a lot of classics, it has the tendency, to carry out huge sentences, much like this one, overusing commas, which, to a thicko with a poor attention span, like myself, can need re-reading once or twice.
Instead, we flit between a few characters, and the story is centered around court intrigue: the King's brother's wife's coquettishness, and the King's infatuation with Louise de la Valliere. Sadly, it goes on FAR too long, and I'm dreading reading the next book if it's similar. There is a spark of a more exciting plot with Aramis fulfilling his political ambitions, so that is something.
One problem is that Raoul and Louise are dull (I encountered a similar problem in Les Miserables: the two lead lovers are very boring). Yet, for the most part, it's still a page turner: you want to see what happens at the end.
In terms of its writing, like a lot of classics, it has the tendency, to carry out huge sentences, much like this one, overusing commas, which, to a thicko with a poor attention span, like myself, can need re-reading once or twice.
Want to read
February 19, 2008From Wikipedia:
"The third and last of the d'Artagnan Romances following The Three Musketeers and Twenty Years After. It appeared first in serial form between 1847 and 1850. In the English translations the 268 chapters of this large volume are usually subdivided into three, but sometimes four or even five individual books. In three-volume English editions, the three volumes are titled "The Vicomte de Bragelonne", "Louise de la Vallière", and "The Man in the Iron Mask." Each of these volumes is roughly the length of the original The Three Musketeers. In four-volume editions, the names of the volumes are kept, except that "Louise de la Vallière" and "The Man in the Iron Mask" are pushed down from second and third to third and fourth, with "Ten Years Later" becoming the second volume. There are usually no volume-specific names in five-volume editions."
"The third and last of the d'Artagnan Romances following The Three Musketeers and Twenty Years After. It appeared first in serial form between 1847 and 1850. In the English translations the 268 chapters of this large volume are usually subdivided into three, but sometimes four or even five individual books. In three-volume English editions, the three volumes are titled "The Vicomte de Bragelonne", "Louise de la Vallière", and "The Man in the Iron Mask." Each of these volumes is roughly the length of the original The Three Musketeers. In four-volume editions, the names of the volumes are kept, except that "Louise de la Vallière" and "The Man in the Iron Mask" are pushed down from second and third to third and fourth, with "Ten Years Later" becoming the second volume. There are usually no volume-specific names in five-volume editions."
September 21, 2014
Kind of tedious. It's more of D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers, but they have descended into parody. Porthos goes from the somewhat tubby and strong member of the Musketeers to an almost ogre-like giant. D'Artagnan has his status pushed back to where it was at the start of Twenty Years Later, apparently just because Dumas didn't know what else to do.
The characters contend against historical events again, and as historical fiction it is a fairly painless way to learn. It's just that the characters try to achieve things that history shows they could not, so many of the sections seem pointless. Along the way, Louis XIV seems to be quite the jerk, and is uncompelling as a subject.
I read this to be fully informed when I read Man In The Iron Mask, but that book recaps events fairly well. If you want a free book and have a lot of time, read this along with the rest of the D'Artagnan Romances. Otherwise, skip right to Man In The Iron Mask. You won't miss much.
The characters contend against historical events again, and as historical fiction it is a fairly painless way to learn. It's just that the characters try to achieve things that history shows they could not, so many of the sections seem pointless. Along the way, Louis XIV seems to be quite the jerk, and is uncompelling as a subject.
I read this to be fully informed when I read Man In The Iron Mask, but that book recaps events fairly well. If you want a free book and have a lot of time, read this along with the rest of the D'Artagnan Romances. Otherwise, skip right to Man In The Iron Mask. You won't miss much.
July 7, 2025
2.5 stars rounded down.
This is the second installment of the third book in the D'Artagnan romances. The first two books are The Three Musketeers and Twenty Years After. The third book is divided up into 4 stories Le Vicomte de Bragelonne I, Ten Years Later, Louise de La Vallière and The Man in the Iron Mask.
This installment features the political maneuverings and love octagons on King Louis XIV court. All these books are long, and this one is also boring at times, as there is little action. The Musketeers hardly show up, but this is necessary for the leading up to the Man in the Iron Mask, only it could have been much shorter. I do love Dumas conversations between the characters.
The court of Louis XIV does need to learn to discuss things in places where they can't be overheard because there is at least 3 occasions where important and sensitive conversations are overheard.
This is the second installment of the third book in the D'Artagnan romances. The first two books are The Three Musketeers and Twenty Years After. The third book is divided up into 4 stories Le Vicomte de Bragelonne I, Ten Years Later, Louise de La Vallière and The Man in the Iron Mask.
This installment features the political maneuverings and love octagons on King Louis XIV court. All these books are long, and this one is also boring at times, as there is little action. The Musketeers hardly show up, but this is necessary for the leading up to the Man in the Iron Mask, only it could have been much shorter. I do love Dumas conversations between the characters.
The court of Louis XIV does need to learn to discuss things in places where they can't be overheard because there is at least 3 occasions where important and sensitive conversations are overheard.
June 13, 2013
*Please note I'm reading the 4 book set as opposed to the popular three book or obscure five book set*
In the second part of 'The Viscomte of Braglonne' the story subsides somewhat and takes a rather relaxed pace. There are really two competing storylines here, one major one (involving the royal family and all who orbit it) and a minor one (relating to the secret of the Bastille) and I, for one, was much more entranced by the latter.
This is still a very slow the trek and were often estranged from our beloved musketeers, but you do still see the (very) occasional flash of Dumas's brilliance.
Onward to 'Louise de la Valliere'.
DT 13/06/2013
In the second part of 'The Viscomte of Braglonne' the story subsides somewhat and takes a rather relaxed pace. There are really two competing storylines here, one major one (involving the royal family and all who orbit it) and a minor one (relating to the secret of the Bastille) and I, for one, was much more entranced by the latter.
This is still a very slow the trek and were often estranged from our beloved musketeers, but you do still see the (very) occasional flash of Dumas's brilliance.
Onward to 'Louise de la Valliere'.
DT 13/06/2013
January 8, 2017
The edition I am reading divides the third story into four separate novels:
Vicomte de Bragelonne
Ten Years Later
Louise de La Vallière
The Man in the Iron Mask
This review is for Ten Years Later. Once again, the characterization is outstanding. This installment shifts focus to the younger crowd; particularly Louis XIV and his sister-in-law’s (Henrietta of England) court. Plenty of court intrigue is present.
Dangerous politics are also at play, especially regarding Aramis.
I really enjoyed this novel and plan on continuing the series. I am grateful to Dumas for allowing us to travel back in time and witness France centuries in the past.
Vicomte de Bragelonne
Ten Years Later
Louise de La Vallière
The Man in the Iron Mask
This review is for Ten Years Later. Once again, the characterization is outstanding. This installment shifts focus to the younger crowd; particularly Louis XIV and his sister-in-law’s (Henrietta of England) court. Plenty of court intrigue is present.
Dangerous politics are also at play, especially regarding Aramis.
I really enjoyed this novel and plan on continuing the series. I am grateful to Dumas for allowing us to travel back in time and witness France centuries in the past.
October 22, 2020
My least favorite "Musketeers" novel, but that's because the Musketeers appear only in cameos. I was hoping for more in the vein of TWENTY YEARS AFTER, which is actually my favorite in the series. There was only a single duel, and that between two tertiary characters with the balance of the story flitting between the schemes and counterschemes of the bored and rich aristocracy at court. My favorite parts were the few scenes in which we see how Aramis came to power in the Jesuits and the foreshadowing of events which take place in THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK.
More eavesdropping than swashbuckling in this one.
More eavesdropping than swashbuckling in this one.
May 29, 2024
It was quite a letdown.
D'Artagnan navigates the complex web of court politics as he tries to reclaim his former glory and position. He never really changed his loyalty or his determination, he only got wiser with time. Athos is now dedicated to a peaceful life and to his son, Raoul. Porthos, although living a peaceful life, still craves adventure. Aramis, now the Bishop of Vannes, is entangled in secretive plots. He is the one who changed the most in his ambitions.
The story intertwines their stories with some political intrigue, but I found it quite boring. With long explanations dry dialogue, and prose that is more effective as a sleeping pill than a captivating telling.
D'Artagnan navigates the complex web of court politics as he tries to reclaim his former glory and position. He never really changed his loyalty or his determination, he only got wiser with time. Athos is now dedicated to a peaceful life and to his son, Raoul. Porthos, although living a peaceful life, still craves adventure. Aramis, now the Bishop of Vannes, is entangled in secretive plots. He is the one who changed the most in his ambitions.
The story intertwines their stories with some political intrigue, but I found it quite boring. With long explanations dry dialogue, and prose that is more effective as a sleeping pill than a captivating telling.
September 2, 2012
I am working my way through the entire Three Musketeers saga. Every time I think I am on the verge of finishing the collection, it turns out there is another installment! It is very entertaining but it is also clear that Dumas was getting paid to serialize the story. At last count, it appears to total more than 4,000 pages. I think I am somewhere in the early 3,000's (hard to tell - reading everything except the first installment on my Kindle - still, a great way to spend train commutes. He has a gift for dialogue.).
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