[.ca] The Man in the Iron Mask (Oxford World's Classics) (ISBN 0192838423)

No One Can Write a More Thrilling Story than Dumas:
Having just spent the last few months reading all five books in the Three Musketeer series, the following are my suggestions. 1. Read all five books in order. The Man in the Iron Mask is probably enjoyable on its own but reading the four books that proceed it help place the story in its proper context. Think of the Man in the Iron Mask as the dessert in a five course meal. Dessert is great but the four proceeding course are also enjoyable. Getting to the end of the book was especially enjoyable knowing that I was finishing a 3,500 page experience. 2. Read the Oxford University editions. There are wonderful end notes that help the reader keep track of the characters and events. When you read 3,500 pages you need that type of assistance to keep things straight. The Introductions are also very well written and help the reader get back into focus before beginning the next chapter. 3. If you really like any one book in particular, go to the internet and purchase a well illustrated used hardback edition for your collection. I purchased a used Three Musketeers with illustrations by Maurice Leloir. The three hundred plus illustrations make that edition especially enjoyable. Along with Sir Walter Scott, Alexandre Dumas created the genre of the historical adventure novel. I have been reading these types of novels my entire life. Beyond a doubt, Alexandre Dumas is the master virtuoso of this genre.

The Final Bow of the Musketeers:
Before you start this book you should know that any resemblance between the book and the movies that Hollywood has turned out is completely accidental. The names of the main characters are about the only similarity that I could find and as is the norm, the book was much better. This, the last installment in the Musketeer series, gives us the story of the final acts of our heroes, Athos, Porthos, Aramis and D'Artagnan. Unlike many literary characters our Musketeer friends have aged as the story progresses and have all retired but D'Artagnan who is still the Captain of the King's Musketeers. Athos and Porthos are quite wealthy and Aramis has attained the rank of Bishop. Aramis is not content with his station however and knows a secret that he thinks he can use to become Pope. This secret is the knowledge that Louis XIV has a twin brother who is hidden away in the Bastille and Aramis is quite sure that this brother would make a better King than the current monarch. Aramis is also pretty sure that the new King in gratitude will nominate his liberator for the office of Cardinal and then will scheme to make the new Cardinal Pope. In this plot Aramis acts alone except for some help from Porthos who has no idea what he is involved in. The twins are successfully switched for a short while but then the plot falls apart and Aramis and Porthos flee for their lives although Porthos is still not sure what is going on. The "pretender" to the throne is left to his own devices by Aramis and is imprisoned in a new location with the iron mask added to his discomfiture. Aramis does not come across in this book as much of a hero and in many respects this story is much darker than it's predecessors. Given the advanced age of the Musketeers, there are not nearly as many swashbuckling adventures as one is accustomed to but on occasion Porthos in particular will rise to the challenge. The political intrigues of the Court of Louis XIV and the decline of the Musketeers are in fact the main plot lines of this story. In the end, only one of the four is left and to find out which one you will just have to read the book. Athos, by the way, only seems to play a side role in this story and is neither involved in the plot against the King or in his rescue. As is always the case, Dumas' writing style is superb and is filled with historical fact. He does tend to be a bit wordy and his books are often much longer than necessary but even with this slight drawback he ranks as one of my all-time favorite authors. In this book Dumas closes out the careers of his most popular characters and he does it with style.

The end of a trilogy:
The Man in the Iron Mask is not actually a book -- it is the last volume of a very large book entitled Le Vicomte du Bragalonne or Ten Years After. Le Vicomte is divided into three parts, typically called "Le Vicomte du Bragalonne," "Louise de la Valliere", and of course, "The Man in the Iron Mask." Thus, if you read only this book, don't be surprised that it sometimes seems you are catching only the end of a conversation. The larger work, Le Vicomte, is named after Athos's son, and it follows the young vicomte through his life and love -- taking large detours to a young Louis the XIV's court. Our heroic musketeers, Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and d'Artagnan make only small appearances throughout, but these scenes are the most memorable of the musketeers series. The Man in the Iron Mask brings our four fast friends together again, for one last adventure. This time, though, they are at odds with one another, divided by their own key character traits. I have personally seen several movie versions of the Man in the Iron Mask, and I have never seen one I liked. Skip the movies -- read the book. And if you find yourself entranced, go get the first two volumes, and enjoy!

An Excellent Read:
The entire Musketeer series is a great read mixing adventure, comedy, and history. It tells the story of the lifetime friendship of four heroes and how that friendship is tested by ambition and conflicting loyalties. The Man in the Iron Mask is the book in this series. In this book the four musketeers have aged considerably and engage in their last adventure. The story takes place in 1661 in France, and as usual Dumas creates an intricate plot. Aramis is not content with his position of bishop and knows a hidden secret of the Royal family of France, which he tries to use to become Cardinal. Aramis knows that King Louis has a twin brother suffering in the Bastille or prison, and he attempts to switch the two. The novel details his fascinating and rather intriguing plan to try to pull this off. In this plot Aramis acts alone except for some help from Porthos, who has no idea what he is involved in. The twins are successfully switched for a short period of time, but then the plan falls apart as the real King is rescued. Aramis and Porthos flee for their lives, although Porthos is still not sure what is going on. The `fake king' to the throne is left to fend for himself by Aramis and is imprisoned in a new location with the iron mask added to his figure. Aramis does not come across in this book as a hero but rather an enemy to the crown of France and in many respects this story is darker than its predecessors. Another conflict occurs King Louis XIV of France has his minister of finances, Nicolas Fouquet, arrested for misappropriations. Also, Louis successfully falls in love with a young handmaiden named Louise, which causes a stir, as she is not royalty. One of d'Artagnan's friends also loves this handmaiden. As is always the case, Dumas' writing style is superb and is filled with historical fact. He can be quite wordy, drawn out, and his books are often much longer than necessary. However even with this slight drawback, he is one of my favorite historical fiction writers. In this book Dumas closes out the careers of his most popular characters, and he does it well. If you love literature, if you love stories with a complex plot, and especially if you love the Four Musketeers, you have to read this book! - Garrett Rodrigue Age: 15

Forget the movie, read the book!!:
Oh wow, what a great end to an incredible ride, the story of the Musketeers. I haven't been so engrossed in a series of books since I picked up Diana Gabaldon's Outlander. Athos, Raoul, Porthos, Aramis and of course D'Artagnan are going to be in my thoughts and dreams for some time, I hate to let them go. If you are expecting the story as told by Hollywood, forget it. While I haven't seen the latest version with Leonardo DiCaprio (forgive me if I spell it wrong), I looked at the reader reviews and was quite surprised at how different the book is from Hollywood's version. I also recall a movie done in the late 70's/80's that is nothing like the book as well. I would pick it apart point by point, but that would include spoilers. The Man in the Iron Mask is actually the last third of a huge novel by Dumas originally titled The Vicomte de Bragelonne. Because of the size of the book, English publishers have divided into three books, The Vicomte de Bragelonne (Oxford World's Classics), Louise de la Vallière (Oxford World's Classics), and The Man in the Iron Mask. Suffice it to say that TMITIM is the final chapter of our heroic Musketeers, as well as Raoul, the son of Athos. While we all know the story of Louis XIV's twin and the plot to substitute him, that is a minor part of the whole story, as the action then becomes centered on the aftermath of that plot and Louis' revenge. It has been a grand, glorious ride reading this series, The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, The Vicomte de Bragelonne, Louise de la Valliere and The Man In the Iron Mask. And do have your box of tissue handy for the last 20-30 pages. You'll need it. One side note, some people are purchasing this as a stand-alone book, which it is not. You could probably get away with that, but you'll spend so much time looking back at the footnotes trying to figure who is who I doubt you will enjoy the story as much. Also, this version didn't have the list of characters that the VDB and LDLV did. Go for broke and read the whole thing, it's well worth it.