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The Last Cavalier (The Sainte-Hermine Cycle #3)

3.65 of 5 stars 3.65 · rating details · 301 ratings · 56 reviews

Rousing, big, spirited, its action sweeping across oceans and continents, its hero gloriously indomitable, the last novel of Alexande Dumas-- lost for 125 years in the arcives of the National Library of Paris-- completes the oeuvre that Dumas imagined at the outset of his literary career.
Indeed, the story of France from the Renaissance to the nineteenth century, as Dumas...more

Paperback, 751 pages

Published 2008 by Pegasus Books (first published 2006)

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Oct 06, 2010 Stefanie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Whew! This very long yet unfinished book gets four stars because it's Dumas in adventure mode, which is always fun. The first half of the book focuses on Napoleon; the second, on the title character, Count Hector Sainte-Hermine. Saint-Hermine is ineffective and unengaging when we first see him. Because of his family's vow to uphold the right of the Bourbons to rule, Sainte-Hermine ends up on Napoleon's bad side and is imprisoned for three years. While in prison, he learns everything there is to...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Phil rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

The discovery of this "lost" final novel by Alexandre Dumas (pere) certainly had to be the literary find of the year. if not the decade, and maybe the 20th century.

Dumas, who wrote voluminously, wrote his novel serially, that is, in installments, being paid by the line. He cleverly had written into his contracts, that he reserved the right to edit those installments into individual novels, which were best-sellers in their day.

Dumas died, however, before his final novel was finished, and hence, n...more

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Jan 27, 2012 Lissa rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: literature, disappointments

Saying that I have read this book is a stretch. Have you seen it? It's a monster of a book. I think it might be able to take "War and Peace" in a cage fight to the death. I wasn't able to finish it, so "read" is sort of a lie. I tried very hard to read it. My dad and I were supposed to read it together, and I just couldn't maintain the interest. Dad got further along and confirmed what I was feeling: the main character (Count Sainte-Hermine) is a flawless prick (Dad's words) and it is difficult...more

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Aug 04, 2009 Robert rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was rollicking fun although frustrating. The novel is Dumas' last and it's unfinished. So there is no satisfying payoff at the end of 700 plus pages. Still it's thoroughly enjoyable. It made me want to read more of those classic adventure stories.
Now some of the complaints: Of course the "manly man having manly adventures" is out-dated. Women are essentially swooning eye-candy which I have to admit gets really tiresome after a while. The hero is almost perfect so perfect he began to get on...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Jose Vera rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Este libro es un poco más complicado de comentar....

Me explico; no sólo es una obra recien encontrada de Dumas (que fue publicada a modo de folletín), es también una obra inconclusa y,editorial Funambulista ha publicado sólo la primera parte de esta.

Es por esto que el libro queda cojo; pero trataré de comentar lo que he leido.

La historia se desarrolla en Francia durante el consulado de Napoleón, luego de la abolición. En el país (y fuera de él) existen todavía grupos de poder que quieren que vue...more

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May 06, 2012 Jaime rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history, hardcover-paperback

I love Dumas books. Lots of history with engaging fictional characters woven in to bring the stories to life. I would say that Sainte-Hermine is a blend of d'Artagnan and Edmund Dantes. I was sad to discover that Dumas did not finish writing this book, but was very glad that he wrote a letter (which is included in the front of the book) that quickly tells what his intentions for the end of the book were. If you do not want to spoil the ending, wait to read the letter until after you have finishe...more

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Jan 01, 2010 Gerald Sinstadt rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A lost masterpiece? Not for me. The frequent disruption to narrative thrust noted by another reviewer eventually became too much - I gave upon page 421. Dumas' strengths are undeniably there but payment by quantity undermines him. When Napoleon goes to hear a performance of The Creation, most of a page is given to a biography of Haydn; when St Hermine arrives in St Malo, a whole chapter relates the port's history; when his ship arrives at Mauritius, the narrative stalls again for another chapter...more

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Jul 12, 2011 Peter rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's unfinished, which is shame, and exasperating as I'm sure my copy doesn't mention that anywhere on the front or back covers. It's typical Dumas, though slightly too similar to the Count of Monte Cristo. Part II remains unfinished and part III is only 3 short chapters long, which after 600000 words is disappointing. Regardless though it still has the flair one expects from Dumas, in spite of the lack of any truly empathetic character-Dantes was fully formed, Rene seems only to be capable of h...more

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May 01, 2011 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dumas does it again, taking a story fantastic all on its own and giving it that extra umph with its mixture of historical back round and settings. Dumas is my favorite author for many reasons, one being the author of my favorite book The Count of Monte Cristo and another being his complex plots and set ups involving many characters. Despite being his largest book The Last Cavalier is engrossing and exciting. The worst thing about this book is it is unfinished, however if you pick up on some o...more

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Jul 14, 2011 Frances rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people who like historical fiction, anyone ages 13 and up

Shelves: classics, historical-fiction, fiction, history

I've enjoyed all the other Dumas novels I've read so far, and this was no exception. I couldn't put it down and read it in three days! The characters are wonderful; the men are honourable and the women are feminine (things we've almost lost in today's culture), and it was an inspiring read. There was a sense of respect and honour even between enemies, and it was refreshing to see them do the right thing even if it meant personal loss.

Dumas adds a lot of historical background information about t...more

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Mar 08, 2011 Jeanette rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics

This is one of those books that when you first pick it up...it's so heavy you may drop it. Knowing what a great author Dumas was after reading The Count of Monte Cristo I knew that I wouldn't be disappointed. There are so many characters in this spun novel that you would think you would get lost in all the details....but it couldn't be any further from the truth. These characters were so real & so awesome that I simply didn't want the story to end. When I turned to the last page I was so dis...more

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Mar 14, 2013 Matt rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Those who know me know that I am a big fan of Dumas. The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers are two of my all-time favorite novels (Musketeers, incidentally, seems to be rising in my estimation vis-à-vis CMC, perhaps because of the former's incredible wit). So needless to say, I was expecting a lot out this book. It didn't fully meet those high expectations, but I would still recommend it. The fact that this unfinished 800-page novel was recently discovered after being lost for over...more Those who know me know that I am a big fan of Dumas. The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers are two of my all-time favorite novels (Musketeers, incidentally, seems to be rising in my estimation vis-à-vis CMC, perhaps because of the former's incredible wit). So needless to say, I was expecting a lot out this book. It didn't fully meet those high expectations, but I would still recommend it. The fact that this unfinished 800-page novel was recently discovered after being lost for over a century is in itself pretty amazing (and it is worth finding out more about the discovery in the introductory materials—although I would recommend reading them after you've finished the text, so as not to "spoil" anything).

The book itself feels quite disjointed. The protagonist, Count Sainte-Hermine, doesn't even appear for about the first 100 pages, and when he does, his back story is told in a somewhat clunky manner of him narrating his past to his soon-to-be fiancé. This back story is riveting, but just when you think you are getting into the story of the young count, he disappears from the novel for another couple hundred pages until the end of the first half of the book. What fills the rest of the first half is a rather intriguing portrait of Napoleon before he declares himself Emperor, including how he put down an apparent royalist conspiracy. This portrait of Napoleon, for me, was one of the more interesting parts of the book.

In the second half of the book, Napoleon recedes (at least as a character) and we follow the adventures of Sainte-Hermine, as he sails on the high seas as a French corsair, hunts tigers and breaks hearts in Burma, plays a pivotal role in the battle of Trafalgar, and (as the unfinished novel draws to a close) hunts bandits in the service of Napoleon's brother King Joseph of Naples. The young count, whose real name is Hector but who goes by Rene or sometimes Leo, excels at just about everything (including humility, of course) and by the end of the book, this kind of gets on your nerves. But his adventures are genuinely exciting, and if you like Dumas, I think you will enjoy the ride here. If you want perfection, you'll certainly get it from Sainte-Hermine (who is seemingly flawless) but not from Dumas' Last Cavalier.(less)

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Oct 01, 2012 Jamie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-novels, entertainment-adult

This Dumas book was originally printed in parts as a newspaper series, but was "lost to history" until 1990. I believe this book was the last of Dumas' and, similar to Mozart's last piece, it remains unfinished. Knowing this fact, I think, helps with the abrupt ending. Otherwise, I think the reader would be left feeling a greater dissatisfaction than if he knew what to expect. I loved reading this book. Yes, it is long and full of history (which I love), but it is true to and typical of Dumas' w...more

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Feb 24, 2010 Margaret rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: french-literature, napoleon, historical-fiction, authors-cd

This is Dumas' last novel -- well, most of it. Dumas scholar Claude Schopp discovered references to it and then tracked the installments down in the Bibliothèque Nationale; then he found some manuscript pages, never published, opening a new episode of the serial.

I loved the beginning, because I am a fool for Napoleonic fiction, and Dumas' portraits of Napoleon and Josephine are wonderful. But then, the last half of the book is all over the place, and I really had to talk myself into finishing it...more

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Aug 20, 2008 Misfit rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, 19c-lit, one-time-read-only

A Dumas novel no one new existed! What a find this must have been, to discover an unknown work of Dumas hidden away in the Library of Paris. As the novel opens, it is the dawn of the 19th century and Napoleon rules as First Consul, not yet having being having been crowned Emperor, and the Royalist forces are still battling to restore the crown. Our hero, Hector, the Count Sainte-Hermine has seen his father and two older brothers nobly die for the Royalist cause. During a brief truce, Hector hope...more A Dumas novel no one new existed! What a find this must have been, to discover an unknown work of Dumas hidden away in the Library of Paris. As the novel opens, it is the dawn of the 19th century and Napoleon rules as First Consul, not yet having being having been crowned Emperor, and the Royalist forces are still battling to restore the crown. Our hero, Hector, the Count Sainte-Hermine has seen his father and two older brothers nobly die for the Royalist cause. During a brief truce, Hector hopes to set all battles aside and declares for his true love, Claire de Sourdis. However, just before the marriage contract is signed, Hector is called back to the Royalist forces and is eventually imprisoned (and forgotten) for three years. When he is remembered and released, Hector is stripped of his title and must serve in either army or navy as a mere enlisted man, an insult for one of his class.

Hector signs on as a Corsair instead of the regular Navy and the adventure begins. Bereft of his lost love and his family fallen before him, Hector's only wish is to live life to the fullest and if he must, to die as nobly as his father and brothers did. Problem is, no matter how hard he tries, he never succeeds. Thus begins battles at sea, a fight to the death with a shark, hunting tigers and crocodiles and a close call with a python, as Hector carries off every situation with dignity, charm and élan. If this book hadn't been unknown until two years ago, I'd swear that Hector was the model for our present day super heroes. Swooning female? Out come the smelling salts and more from his bat-belt! It was so over the top and campy at times, but jolly good fun.

No, I'm not giving away the whole story -- actually the first half of the book has very little to do with Hector and very much to do with Napoleon at the start of his reign -- those who read the book jacket and expect it all to be about Hector and his heroics will be sorely disappointed. There is much politics, intrigue and battles about Europe. About half way through Hector comes back into the story and things cooked along for most of the rest of the book until the last 100 pages or so and then dragged down again. I'm not huge on battle scenes, so those were slow for me also, particularly the intricate details of the battle of Trafalgar. I confess to skipping a few pages there.

Readers should be advised that this recently discovered novel was never finished, and we'll never know where he planned to take the story in the end. There are many chapters of what appear to be needless characters, history and scenes, but not knowing how Dumas planned to complete the story, how are we to judge? I recall reading The Count of Monte Cristo (Penguin Classics)and so many chapters that went off into another direction until the end where he pulled all the threads together in the end, and perhaps that is what Dumas planned with The Last Cavalier as well. We'll never know. (less)

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Jun 14, 2008 Liviu rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: series_read, mainstream, 2008_release_read, t1_recommended_2008

After the superb Le Chevalier de Saint Hermine - translated as Last Cavalier - which had a story how it got in print almost as convoluted as its plot, and then became an unexpected bestseller, there was a problem. Dumas has been dead for a long time and the first book ended in the middle, with some chapters from the planned continuation and an outline.

Luckily Claude Schopp who found the original book in archives, and worked on it many years to make it get in print, is a very good novelist on...more

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May 23, 2008 Cynthia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dumas-et-al

So far, this is one of the good ones, much better than the book that came before it in this series, Les Blancs et les Bleus. I'm particularly interested in Napoleon, so that's an added incentive to stick with it.
*******
well, just finished it (finally) and really thought this book would never end. It's interesting but it's very repetitive; the heroes keep having the same battles and adventures over and over again. It feels like Dumas just loved this character so much (once he finally introduces...more

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May 07, 2012 Bebe rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Audiobook - Enjoyable like all Dumas stories, mixing fact and fiction to create an adventurous story. Hector Sainte-Hermine our hero, wins battles, crushes heart, kills tigers and pythons while in his service of Napoleon who do not reward the Count for all his efforts, maybe if Dumas had finished the tale he would have gotten his just rewards.

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Jul 21, 2009 Ckw538 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dumas is one of my favorite authors. And this novel is one of his bests. Too bad it is unfinished. The biggest problem is a hack of a Dumas expert tried to finish it. Other than that its a great story taking you from revolutionary France to the jungles of India. A great novel, and there is not much more to add to that.

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Feb 04, 2009 Jason rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Not what I would consider Dumas' crowning achievement but nonetheless an entertaining novel in the way only Alexandre Dumas could portray a part of french history. This was supposedly his last novel and was undiscovered until recently by a French Professor.

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Feb 27, 2011 Paul Callister rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historicalnovel

This is Dumas's lost novel. Pretty good for a historical novel for the info about Napoleon. The protagonist was too idealized for me--he could out shoot, out fence, be stronger, be more gallant, and was more handsome than anyone else.

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Jul 10, 2009 Margaret rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: abandoned

I guess it's not really read since I abandoned it, but the system won't let me unselect read. Although it read quickly and kept me occupied during a long day in an airport, after 300 pages it was neither about Count Sainte-Hermine or anyone's adventures making ultimately boring.

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Jun 04, 2013 Lauren rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My French professor translated this! It's Dumas's last work and isn't complete. Reads like a history book for the first two thirds.

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May 20, 2012 Mike rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Pushed as the last lost book by Dumas. Was OK, but too historical for me - not interested in that era or those people. Didn't finish.

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Aug 10, 2011 Isabel Lara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Volver al estilo de Dumas es delicioso! Recordar las lecturas de la infancia y dejarse llevar por el maravilloso narrador sabelotodo :)

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Feb 25, 2010 Dorene rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Heartbreaking ending, as the novel was unfinished by Dumas before he died.

All of the romantic elements are there, and the voyage is one of Dumas' greatest as you walk along side with Napoleon, Nelson, into the raw jungles of Burma, and wait ever patiently for true love to be validated as was fore told by the fortune teller - yet it is not, we are left hanging.

The Count Sainte-Hermine embodies all of the heroic elements that makes Dumas' men so grand and larger than life. He reinforces the humbl...more

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Jun 23, 2012 Giorgi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

it should be more interesting or i should read it more interestingly

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Jan 10, 2011 Cara rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I usually like Dumas, but this was really disappointing.

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Dec 31, 2009 Samantha rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009

Not my favorite Dumas book. There was a lot of rambling in the first half of the book, but I really enjoyed the second half when we really see the title character's story.

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Jul 20, 2008 Miss rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I didn't realize that it's really just the third installment in what is essentially Dumas' history of France. Don't go into this expecting your usual historical fiction. Think of it more as a history book that reads like a beach novel. The translation is smooth and sometimes funny but there isn't enough drama to keep me in it for 700 pages. There isn't enough Josephine and really isn't she what keeps Bonaparte from being just another dreary old Caesar wannabe? But what do I know? Have you seen t...more

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About Alexandre Dumas

This note regards Alexandre Dumas, père, the father of Alexandre Dumas, fils (son). For the son, see Alexandre Dumas fils.

Alexandre Dumas, père (French for "father", akin to Senior in English), born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, was a French writer, best known for his numerous historical novels of high adventure which have made him one of the most widely read French authors in the world. Many of h...more

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Books by Alexandre Dumas

The Man in the Iron Mask (The D'Artagnan Romances, #5)

Twenty Years After (The D'Artagnan Romances, #2)

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The Last Cavalier (The Sainte-Hermine Cycle #3)

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