“The Three
Musketeers” was written by French author Alexendre Dumas and published in 1844. It is the first of the D’Artagnan
trilogy. The story deals with international intrigue and political struggles in 17th century France. A power struggle between the forces of King Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu is coupled with a time of war between England and France. These factors combine to create the opportunity for many interesting
adventures.
The story begins with a young and impoverished D’Artagnan, who dreams of joining the musketeers. The musketeers are a military force responsible for protecting the French royal family. D’Artagnan travels from his home in Gascony and heads for the headquarters of the musketeers in Paris. D’Artagnan’s journey does not begin well. At a hotel, he is beaten and robbed of a valuable possession – a letter of recommendation to the captain of the musketeers. Without it he may not be invited to join the valiant musketeers.
After recovering from his injuries, D’Artagnan continues on his journey to Paris. He meets three musketeers – Porthos, Athos and Aramis. Without his letter of recommendation, the initial meeting goes poorly. D’Artagnan finds himself challenging the three to a duel. While negotiating the terms of the duel, D’Artagnan and the musketeers are challenged by six of Cardinal Richelieu’s guards. Immediately, the four adversaries become allies and battle the Cardinal’s guards. After the skirmish, the victorious musketeers and D’Artagnan become friends and join forces.
A series of adventures follow: kidnapping, political assassinations, international espionage and murder all challenge the courage and ability of the four companions. An arrest warrant (on false charges) is placed on D’Artagnan by the Cardinal and attempts are made on his life by the unscrupulous Milady de Winter. Milady is an intriguing character who has a checkered past. As a young woman, she was a nun who seduced her priest and stole valuables from the church. She became a spy for the Cardinal and it is also revealed that Milady was the wife of Athos. Athos ultimately disowned her because of her evil character.
Eventually, the young D’Artagnan is brought before the Cardinal, who was impressed by his courage. The Cardinal clears D’Artagnan of all charges and instructs his guards to befriend the young musketeer.
“The Three Musketeers” is one of
Alexandre Dumas’ early works and is widely considered to be his best. Although the plot is intricate and complicated, the story is extremely popular with young people. It was originally written in French, but it translates very well into English. The story has been made into several movies, a TV series, miniseries and even a cartoon. This work was followed in the trilogy by “Twenty Years After” in 1845 and by “The Vicomte of Bragelonne: Ten Years Later” in 1850. These sequels depict the further adventures of the four friends.
This work is highly recommended for fans of literature. It is also an excellent way to introduce young people to the joys of classic literature.