The Man in the Iron Mask (Celebrated crimes #18)
"You are about to hear," said Aramis, "an account which few could now give; for it refers to a secret which they buried with their dead...."
So begins the magnificent concluding story of the swashbuckling Musketeers, Aramis, Athos, Porthos, and D'Artagnan. Aramis -- plotting against the King of France -- bribes his way into the jail cells of th...more
So begins the magnificent concluding story of the swashbuckling Musketeers, Aramis, Athos, Porthos, and D'Artagnan. Aramis -- plotting against the King of France -- bribes his way into the jail cells of th...more
Library Binding, 61 pages
Published
January 28th 2009
by Saddleback Educational Publishing, Inc.
(first published 1847)
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Everyone in the book lives behind an iron mask-built of honor first and foremost. Honor is first before riches or political place or family or work. I am torn. As much as I am in love with the Musketeers I cannot accept the code of honor they live by. Because they adhere so religiously to their honor code they are led into life threatening and adventurous episodes which entertain in reading but left me mystified by the underlying dismal outcomes in most cases. The characters who followed the fa...more
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Edited and annotated by David Coward, from an older translation. Well, the mammoth saga of the once-invincibles comes to a rather sad end. Porthos dies because his strength gives out. Aramis flees France in disgrace because his schemes come to ruin. And Athos dies because the one thing dearer to him to God, his son, leaves his company to go die in the Africa campaigns under the Duke of Beaufort. And d’Artagnan --- well, d’Artagnan’s star does not decline under the sun king, but that’s only ...more
It pains me to write this because I am, at heart, a print person. My paycheck depends on people wanting and buying printed materials. But this is one instance where the movie far outshines the book and I'm glad there was a screenwriter with a vision to see beyond this dismal book.
I had just read Three Musketeers by Dumas when I read this book. Perhaps it was the pleasure I took in this early book that spoiled Man in the Iron Mask.
Man in the Iron Mask starts out well. There is...more
I had just read Three Musketeers by Dumas when I read this book. Perhaps it was the pleasure I took in this early book that spoiled Man in the Iron Mask.
Man in the Iron Mask starts out well. There is...more
Man in the Iron Mask
Newsha Sedghi
Place yourself in a life as a prisoner. Alexandre Dumas was a French writer, known for his historical novels of high adventure which have made him one of the most commonly read French authors in the world. He loved to write about the three musketeers. He wrote books and poems. There were a lot of themes in this book, but the one that stood out to me the most is friendship. Friendship is the backbone of The Man in the Iron Mask, but it rapidly dis...more
Newsha Sedghi
Place yourself in a life as a prisoner. Alexandre Dumas was a French writer, known for his historical novels of high adventure which have made him one of the most commonly read French authors in the world. He loved to write about the three musketeers. He wrote books and poems. There were a lot of themes in this book, but the one that stood out to me the most is friendship. Friendship is the backbone of The Man in the Iron Mask, but it rapidly dis...more
I wish I could give this three stars, but this book truly was "just okay." The Three Musketeers and Twenty Years After must be read before this book, otherwise you will be very confused. I'm surprised that The Man in the Iron Mask is more famous than Twenty Years After (although neither are good stand-alone novels; they really require reading the previous novels first) because I found TYA to be much more humorous, more exciting, and more engaging all around. The only thing I liked more...more
I loved "The Three Musketeers," so it was only a matter of time before I found myself picking up "The Man in the Iron Mask." Caution: this is false advertising. The man who is in the iron mask is only a plot point, not the driving action of the novel. (Funnily enough, the plot I had anticipated was not so far from that of the diCaprio version of "MitIM," which I looked up later on imdb.)
I didn't like this novel as much because compared to "Musketeers,...more
I didn't like this novel as much because compared to "Musketeers,...more
All in all this series has it's extremely high points, and particularly low points for me. I don't like the idea of the Protagonist organization being called the "Black Order" and having ties to the Catholic Church. I may not be Catholic, but it just seems disrespectful. However, I can see a lot of truth in how they treat the Church, even if it is rather negative. I'm also not a big fan of the explanation of the main antagonists.
However, the main character is amazing, l...more
However, the main character is amazing, l...more
I thought this had a lot more to do with Phillipe, but I was wrong. Pfff. Also, I proved my absolute lack of knowledge of this time period >.>
Excellent writing, in my opinion, though the French names may be difficult to keep up with for some. The characters are excellent (I do believe this is Dumas's strong point), funny, but also melancholy when the scene asks for it. They are easy to become attached to. The famous three represent their respective virtue well, consistently but human...more
Excellent writing, in my opinion, though the French names may be difficult to keep up with for some. The characters are excellent (I do believe this is Dumas's strong point), funny, but also melancholy when the scene asks for it. They are easy to become attached to. The famous three represent their respective virtue well, consistently but human...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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First off, this is nothing like the film. By reading the reviews here I had kind of gathered that, but I was still surprised at how unalike they are. There really are no similarities other than the fact that Louis XIV gets switched. I've seen the film many times, so it was a bit hard to accept a different version. That being said, it wasn't a bad book, but not amazing either. What hindered me most is that you have to read the first couple musketeer novels first to fully appreciate the story, whi...more
I thought that this was probably the best of the three books...until I got halfway through it.
The story that I believed this was going to be was only present in the first 3rd of the novel! Now, don't get me wrong, I shouldn't blame the the book for my pop culture knowledge of the story (via DeCaprio), but it really seemed like the main action of the story was over too quickly.
After that, we have to watch all of the musketeers die...it sucks (especially Porthos!).
...more
The story that I believed this was going to be was only present in the first 3rd of the novel! Now, don't get me wrong, I shouldn't blame the the book for my pop culture knowledge of the story (via DeCaprio), but it really seemed like the main action of the story was over too quickly.
After that, we have to watch all of the musketeers die...it sucks (especially Porthos!).
...more
I would have given this book four stars because Dumas is a fabulous writer, but it was just so sad. I'm not sure who came up with the screenplay for the movie (starring DiCaprio), which was full of success and happy endings, because the book was full of failings and deaths and sad endings. I was also surprised that the man in the iron mask didn't become the man in the iron mask until halfway through the book and that he remained that way. So sad! I do recommend this book, especially if you h...more
Most people aren't aware that Dumas wrote not one but 19 huge adventure novels involving the Three Musketteers, and that this one was the very last. This book was very sad to me, as it was a far cry from the youthful optimism and joie d' virve of his earlier 3M books, but the adventure as always was first rate. A good read and a wrap on the 3M Saga.
After reading The Count of Monte Cristo (which is one of my favorite all-time novels), I was terribly disappointed by this novel. It just couldn't hold my interest. Still, I gave it three stars acknowledging that authors wrote and spoke differently than they do today. Also I suspect maybe it just didn't translate well. I have always been fascinated by the concept of this story, but I'm not a fan of mid-19th C. writing style. Too wordy, sentences overly long, too many unnecessary details. T...more
I didn't realize till I was pretty well into this book that it's actually the end of Dumas's series about The Three Musketeers. It has almost nothing to do with the man in the iron mask. Seriously nothing, I don't know how it became the title of the book. In fact, I'm still really curious to know what ever happened with him, poor guy. Even without having read The Three Musketeers first I still really enjoyed it and I can only imagine if I'd read this in the proper order how much more satisfying ...more
While the Main in the Iron Mask is not my favorite in the Three Musketeers trilogy, it does have great action and intrigue. While most people have heard of the Three Mustketeers, I think that more people have a good sense of the plot and understanding of Man in the Iron Mask. I highly suggest that you dive into the whole trilogy before starting Man in the Iron Mask though, as you will enjoy it so much more knowing where the characters come from and who they are.
The Musketeer Trilog...more
The Musketeer Trilog...more
Of all the Dumas books, this one is just such a page turner! I think translation has a lot to do with it and I had purchased the Barnes & Noble version. I don't know if they "dumb" it down or not, but I found it so well written I was staying up way late into the night to read it.
First I have to give a disclaimer and say that I have not read any of the other books in the Three Musketeers trilogy and wasn't even aware there was a trilogy until I opened this book and read the foreward. I mostly wanted to read this book because I loved the movie. I was incredibly disappointed to find that the part of the story that correlates with the movie is over and finished in the first half of the book. I was surprised and shocked that the idea of a twin of the king being hidden away...more
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This is the last of Alexandre Dumas' Three Mustketeers cycle of novels. There's an interesting and quirky thing about the series that I didn't realize until I had started this one, which is that the two thick novels that fall between "The Three Musketeers" and this concluding volume are only available from Oxford University Press, and they are not widely distributed or read. So, like a lot of readers, I wandered into this one having missed a lot of intervening story. It's like coming i...more
I absolutely love the film; the story is of the highest standard and should [on paper - ironically] make a brilliant read.
I was quite presumptuous and only took this book to read on a three hour train journey, after an hour I was instantly bored. My copy is quite a small and faded-paged one; I still couldn't find the flow of the wording and the story wasn't THAT interesting -- in comparison to the 5 star film.
I think it has a lot more potential as a read. I'm not denying the fact th...more
I was quite presumptuous and only took this book to read on a three hour train journey, after an hour I was instantly bored. My copy is quite a small and faded-paged one; I still couldn't find the flow of the wording and the story wasn't THAT interesting -- in comparison to the 5 star film.
I think it has a lot more potential as a read. I'm not denying the fact th...more
I loved the Count of Monte Cristo, so I thought I would like this. It was exciting for the first 1/3, then I had to force myself to finish it. There was no real plot, just a lot of french politics that I didn't understand. Maybe there was something in the story that I completely missed--I've done that before, but in my defense, the novella was in German. This book should be called "How the Musketeers Die," because the man in the iron mask is hardly part of the story at all. I guess...more
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I read the Man in the Iron Mask looking for something similar to The Count of Monte Cristo. Unlike the latter, the characters of the Man in the Iron Mask are rather superficial. They don't have the human feelings of doubt or regret towards the actions they make; unlike Edmond Dantes who often questions himself in his acts of vengeance.
Alexandre Dumas has a good use of diction. On page 128 Porthos talks using intelligent words unlike his usual self and so Dumas creates a passage that mi...more
Alexandre Dumas has a good use of diction. On page 128 Porthos talks using intelligent words unlike his usual self and so Dumas creates a passage that mi...more
I really liked this book while I was reading it. I love Dumas's plots. He's a master. But with this one, I just got too scared! It's not for the faint-hearted reader (me.)
I admit my motives for picking this book up were not pure. While I always enjoy a good classic and I like to make sure I have read a wide berth of them, my real motivation was the fact that I quite enjoyed the movie (starring Leonardo DiCaprio) of the same title.
That was a really bad reason, seeing as the two have vitually nothing in common other than the title and one main detail. The worst part of it is though, is that I like the movie's version more!! Maybe it is because I have n...more
That was a really bad reason, seeing as the two have vitually nothing in common other than the title and one main detail. The worst part of it is though, is that I like the movie's version more!! Maybe it is because I have n...more
It's not a good idea to start with the third in a series, but that's what I did, and I still enjoyed the book. It definitely made me want to read the previous two books, but I didn't have them available at the time. What intrigues me the most about this book is the title, because relatively little of what happens actually deals directly with the man who ends up wearing the mask. I get the connection, but it doesn't seem the most likely title.
If you are a fan of Dumas' muskateers...more
If you are a fan of Dumas' muskateers...more
After seriously adoring the Count of Monte Cristo, I was somewhat disappointed in this one. However, I think a large part of this was my own fault--I had not read the Three Musketeers, and thus I just felt kind of lost throughout this whole novel. It is the last installment of the Musketeers, and I felt like the book just threw me in with these profound characters and I spent the whole time trying to figure out who they were.
I was very interested in the beginning, when the book w...more
I was very interested in the beginning, when the book w...more
Having seen a couple of movie versions before getting around to reading the book, I thought I knew what to expect. Nope. Have to give credit to those writing screenplays, they focus on and expand on the only intersting chapters of the book, and ignore what is ultimately just a final farewell to the four musketeers. All the intrigue about substituting the twin brother is a mere fraction of the book, and that whole escapade ends in a fizzle. Very surprising, given what I was expecting. Still,...more
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| SPSV Mrs. Rodgers...: Daniel Cooley | 1 | 4 | Nov 01, 2011 09:24pm |
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 i...more
More about Alexandre Dumas...
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 i...more
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“I am strong against everything, except against the death of those I love. He who dies gains; he who sees others die loses.”
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“Does the open wound in another's breast soften the pain of the gaping wound in our own? Or does the blood which is welling from another man's side staunch that which is pouring from our own? Does the general anguish of our fellow creatures lessen our own private and particular anguish? No, no, each suffers on his own account, each struggles with his own grief, each sheds his own tears.”
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