Actual historical figures and events anchor plot points of The Three Musketeers, though Dumas takes substantial liberties with these elements.The Three Musketeers shuns the traditional, three-act structure: Subplots abound, and exciting events follow one another in quick succession.

The remarkably prolific Dumas preferred working with others when writing.

They punish Athos’s former wife – the evil Milady – for her many crimes, and d’Artagnan receives a promotion and becomes a lieutenant in the Musketeers. The four thwart the cardinal’s plans to turn the king against his queen, pursue affairs of the heart, fight the cardinal’s guards, and perform acts of bravery in battle. There he befriends three Musketeers: Athos, Porthos and Aramis.

A young Gascon named d’Artagnan comes to Paris to seek his fortune.

Alexandre Dumas’s The Three Musketeers remains the epitome of swashbuckling adventure for nearly two centuries after its initial publication.

Though some may quibble over Dumas’s free and easy handling of the past, even the most serious-minded reader would struggle not to enjoy the larger-than-life inventiveness of The Three Musketeers. The novel never flags in its energy, moving swiftly from one incident to the next as it blends the fantastical with real figures and events from 17th-century France. This swashbuckling adventure tale – rife with intrigue, passion, bravery, revenge, loyalty and unswerving friendship – has kept readers entertained for nearly two centuries. Alexandre Dumas, author Victor Hugo once wrote, “is more than French…He is universal…He inspires the soul, the mind and the intelligence he creates a thirst for reading he fosters human genius.” Indeed, there are few who can hold a candle to Dumas when it comes to page-turning storytelling, and The Three Musketeers is no exception.

The three musketeers by alexandre dumas