19 h 43 minAudiobook6 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 19 h 43 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What happens when loyalty to a king means turning against an old friend?
In Alexandre Dumas's The Man in the Iron Mask, Louis XIV rules a France alive with ambition and suspicion. D'Artagnan commands the king's Musketeers, while Athos lives quietly and Porthos longs for a title. Their old companion Aramis is now a bishop, guarding a secret plan that could shake the throne. In the Bastille, a prisoner remains hidden from view.
Around the king, wealth and favor become dangerous things. Nicolas Fouquet prepares a splendid feast, while Colbert feeds royal suspicion. Elsewhere, Athos's son Raoul loves Louise de la Vallière, whom the king admires. As private hopes meet royal power, the four old friends face demands that pull them apart. Duty, love, and loyalty no longer lead in the same direction.
What you’ll discover
- Friendship under strain Follow four aging companions whose different loyalties put the bonds of their youth under pressure.
- A secret behind bars Enter the mystery surrounding a hidden prisoner and Aramis's bold ambitions for the kingdom.
- Splendor edged with danger Visit Fouquet's lavish feast, where generosity meets a proud king's watchful suspicion.
- Love in power's shadow Share Raoul's struggle to keep faith as Louise drifts away and the king draws near.
- The cost of duty Watch d'Artagnan serve the crown while his heart remains with his old friends.
Who will love it
For readers who love swordplay, court politics and loyal friends tested by power, and anyone who enjoyed the earlier Musketeer tales.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Four old friends stand far apart
- A young king resents a rich minister
- Raoul loves a girl the king admires
- Aramis keeps a secret behind prison walls
- A grand feast at Vaux invites disaster
- D'Artagnan is caught between duty and friendship
- Loyalty is tested by ambition and duty
- Identity, freedom and the cost of a mask
- How Dumas builds and paces the tale
Who’s who
- D'ArtagnanCaptain of the king's Musketeers, clever and loyal, who serves the crown faithfully while his heart stays with his old friends.
- AthosThe Count de la Fère, a man of quiet honor, living for his son and for the memory of the old days.
- PorthosBaron du Vallon, enormous in strength and trust, who longs for a noble title and follows his friends without doubt.
- AramisBishop of Vannes and secret leader of a powerful order, patient and charming, who pursues a bold plan for the kingdom.
- Louis XIVThe young king, proud and watchful, newly ruling on his own and determined to be obeyed by every subject.
- Nicolas FouquetThe Superintendent of Finances, wealthy, generous and trusting, who hopes to win the king's favor with a splendid feast.
- ColbertA cold, patient clerk who wants Fouquet's post and feeds the king's suspicion with careful accounts.
- Raoul de BragelonneAthos's honest young son, who loves Louise de la Vallière and struggles to keep faith when she drifts away.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
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- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 19 h 43 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 6 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
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The Man in the Iron Mask
by Alexandre Dumas · 1847
D'Artagnan must choose between his friends and his oath as a bishop's secret ambition threatens the throne.
Challenging10–20 hours to read25 languages
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In short
Four old friends, one secret prisoner and a king who cannot bear to be outshone. The Man in the Iron Mask is the last act of the adventure Dumas began with The Three Musketeers.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Four old friends stand far apart
The four Musketeers are scattered across France. Athos lives on his small estate near Blois, and his whole life turns around his son Raoul. D'Artagnan captains the king's Musketeers. He is clever, loyal and a little tired.
Porthos is now a wealthy baron who dreams of a title. Aramis has risen furthest and most quietly. He is a bishop, and in secret he holds a far higher post in a powerful religious order.
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What is The Man in the Iron Mask about?
It is a historical adventure set in the court of Louis XIV. A bishop plots to change the fate of the kingdom, while the four old Musketeers face friendship, loyalty and duty on opposite sides.
Is The Man in the Iron Mask a true story?
No, it is fiction. It draws on real people such as Louis XIV and Fouquet, and on a real legend of a masked prisoner, but Dumas invented most events and characters' choices.
Do I need to read The Three Musketeers first?
It helps but is not required. This story is the end of a long saga, so the friendships carry more feeling if you know their past. The book still stands on its own.
The author
Alexandre Dumas
1802–1870 · French novelist and playwright
Alexandre Dumas (1802–1870) was a French novelist and playwright. He was born in Villers-Cotterêts, lived in Paris, and died in Puys, near Dieppe. He wrote The Three Musketeers (1844), The Count of Monte Cristo (1844–1846), Twenty Years After (1845), and The Black Tulip (1850).
More by Alexandre Dumas
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