Zusammenfassung
Zusammenfassung von The Three Musketeers
Für wen es gedacht ist
For readers who love fast plots, witty dialogue and strong friendships, and anyone who wants the original behind the many films.
Worum es in diesem Buch geht
The Three Musketeers is a historical adventure novel by Alexandre Dumas, written with his collaborator Auguste Maquet. It first appeared in 1844 as a serial in a Paris newspaper, where readers waited from one instalment to the next. Dumas set it in the France of the 1620s, under King Louis the Thirteenth and his powerful minister, Cardinal Richelieu. He built it from a old book of memoirs about a real soldier named d'Artagnan, then filled it with duels, secret letters, chases and love affairs.
The book gives you a young hero, a loyal band of friends and a villain you will not forget. It also gives you a lively picture of court intrigue, where a queen's private gift can threaten a kingdom. You will meet swordsmen who joke while they fight, and servants who are as clever as their masters. Dumas wrote at great speed and with great good humour, and the pages move fast.
The story opens with a nineteen year old Gascon, a poor country gentleman with one horse and one letter, riding toward Paris to make his name. He has no idea that three men and one woman will change his life. Let us begin with his first ride, and with the insult that sets everything going.
In dieser Zusammenfassung
- 1A poor Gascon rides toward ParisFree
- 2Three duels fixed for one day
- 3The Cardinal's guards are the enemy
- 4A queen's secret and a landlord's wife
- 5The race to save the diamond studs
- 6Milady, the most dangerous woman in France
- 7Siege, rivalry and rising danger
- 8Friendship, honour and ambition
- 9How Dumas tells the tale
Punkt 1 von 9
A poor Gascon rides toward Paris
The story begins in April 1625 in the market town of Meung, where a young man arrives on a yellow horse. He is d'Artagnan, the son of a Gascon gentleman who has little money. His father has given him three things: a horse, fifteen crowns and a letter to Monsieur de Tréville, along with some blunt advice. The advice is to bear insult from no one except the king and the Cardinal, and to fight whenever honour calls.
In his bag he carries a letter of introduction to Monsieur de Tréville, who commands the King's Musketeers. This is his whole plan. He means to join that famous company and rise through bravery alone. His hopes are large, and his horse is the joke of every inn yard.
At the inn in Meung, d'Artagnan sees a pale, scarred stranger laughing at his horse. The young man takes offence at once, as his father taught him, and draws his sword. The stranger's friends beat him senseless with a stick and an iron tool. When he wakes, the stranger has gone, and so has the precious letter.
This opening shows the hero's nature in a few pages. He is brave to the point of folly, quick to anger and proud of his poor name. He is also clever, and he learns fast. The stranger, whom he swears to find, will return in his life many times.
Dumas uses this first chapter to promise what the book will deliver. There is a sword fight in the first pages, a quarrel that cannot be mended and a hero who has lost the one thing that could have helped him. The reader laughs at d'Artagnan and also takes his side. Paris lies ahead, and it will not be kind.
That’s 1 of 9 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Who’s who
- D'Artagnan
- A proud young Gascon seeking a Musketeer's career, he befriends Athos, Porthos and Aramis in Paris.
- Athos
- A reserved and noble Musketeer, he becomes D'Artagnan's trusted friend alongside Porthos and Aramis.
- Porthos
- A strong, cheerful and vain Musketeer, he shares his companions' dangers and enjoys fine clothes.
- Aramis
- An elegant Musketeer with religious ambitions, he is the secretive companion of Athos and Porthos.
- Cardinal Richelieu
- The king's powerful minister, he employs Milady and opposes the queen through court intrigue.
- Milady de Winter
- A charming and dangerous agent, she serves Cardinal Richelieu and manipulates those who trust her.
- Constance Bonacieux
- The queen's devoted linen keeper, she is D'Artagnan's landlord's wife and becomes his love.
- Monsieur de Tréville
- The protective captain of the King's Musketeers, he gives D'Artagnan encouragement upon reaching Paris.
About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 234,000 words
- Reading timeAbout 15 h 35 min
- Listening time25 h 55 min
- FormatseBook, large-print eBook, audiobook, 15-minute summary; paperback and hardcover at cost
- LanguagesEnglish and 11 other languages
Questions about The Three Musketeers
What is The Three Musketeers about?
It follows d'Artagnan, a young Gascon who goes to Paris in 1625 to join the King's Musketeers. He befriends Athos, Porthos and Aramis and becomes caught up in a plot against the queen by Cardinal Richelieu.
Is The Three Musketeers a true story?
Not strictly. Dumas based it on old memoirs about a real soldier named d'Artagnan and set it in real events of the 1620s, but most scenes and many characters are invented. It was first published in 1844.
Why is the book called The Three Musketeers when there are four heroes?
The three are Athos, Porthos and Aramis, who are already Musketeers. D'Artagnan is a newcomer who wishes to join them, so the title names the three while the story follows the young man who becomes their fourth friend.
Who is Milady de Winter?
Milady is a beautiful and dangerous spy who works for Cardinal Richelieu. She is clever, cold and skilled at winning trust, and she becomes the main enemy of d'Artagnan and his friends.
Is The Three Musketeers hard to read?
No. The chapters are short, the dialogue is lively and the plot moves fast. The story is easy to follow and written to entertain.