The Three Musketeers question

It's you.

I read this book in my early teens and I really liked it. I've only watched one version(but i don't remember which one, it was years ago) and thought it sucked, it wasn't very faithful to the book.

I really don't know why you wouldn't get into the book if you've loved the movies so much, maybe it was due to the poor translation as Keri suggested. Or maybe book is somehow different from the movies you've watched? There are several books that I read only after watching the film adaptation and was sorely disappointed.

A possible solution: open the book in the middle and read to the end, you will read your customary amount of the book, (half) but it will be the last half, thus you will have read the book in full!

Actually, to be serious, Dumas can be a little wordy, just keep at it!

Because it was published as a serial (like most of Dickens books) it can seem over written and long. I used to be able to read this every year, but now I don't have the concentration skills. Is it brilliant literature, no. Are they saintly characters, no. But it is one of the greatest swashbuckling, romantic, fun stories ever written. If you read it with the time period in mind all the servant mistreatment and affairs make sense. Suspend your modern perspective deriders of this story. Live by the Musketeers code and Dumas generous spirit for the length of this read.

I like the suggestion that you start in the middle. If you've "slogged" though the first half and seen movie versions you can probably figure out the few plot twists that never make it into the movies. And as for that - the book is a satire so for me only Richard Lester's 2 films with Michael York, Richard Chamberlain, Oliver Reed and Frank Finlay make the grade. Of course being a huge Gene Kelly fan I can't resist his rather mediocre version. The silent Fairbanks version is not too bad either but much as I love Messrs. Mikkelsen, Waltz, et al. yuck and double yuck to Sutherland and crew.

I summed up my Goodreads review of the book with the line, "I kept checking ahead to see if it had any plans to conclude." The writing was a bit tedious at times, and most of the characters (including d'Artagnan) are unlikeable, but I managed to get through it, and I felt it was worth the effort.

It picks up a lot after the middle again. The last dozen or so chapters are very fast paced.

It's take a LONG time to get started (200 pgs or so), like many 19th century novels, but eventually it becomes addictive.

It's not you. The conversations get boring sometimes, so the story gets sidetracked, but when you read it little by little,you may find it interesting, I also took my time to read it, although i loved the movie adaptations.

It's not you. It's not the translation, though, a bad one will hurt.

I stopped halfway through as well. The first half is amazing. D'Artagnan is a lovable, pompous, entitled, and proud ass, which gets him in trouble every second along the way. It's what introduces him to the real Musketeers. They're all fascinating and fun characters to follow. They get wrapped up in their ridiculous affairs and passions. It's fun. Dumas is casual, silly, and 'accidentally' profound. It's fast paced, and enjoyable every second of the way.

Then the gang goes on a trip to England (spoilers, sorta) and D'Artagnan has to leave all three of them behind in various states of distress, or possibly dead.

Then the story loses ALL momentum. D'Artagnan has to collect all the Muskteers, who are broken and frustrated. They each have some sad story about how depressed they are, and D'Artagnan eventually pulls them out of their ruts or distractions.

They make it back to France, and then everything they built in the first half of the book goes on the back burner because they go to war. I don't know if it picks up again, but the book loses all its charm and momentum. I lost interest, and haven't been able to pick it back up. The second half is like a completely separate book. I know it was a serial, but that's all the more reason to keep with one thread.

I don't know. I haven't been able to push through. I'd like to, though. I loved the first half.

I had the same problem. It was difficult for me to keep up because it felt like it was lagging along, but I ended up finishing it. Now I realize that I didn't really retain much of the actual plot because I was just reading without knowing what exactly I was reading. I just buckled down and read until the page became blurry.

I finally read the book last year. If I had not been reading it for a reading challenge, it may have taken me forever to finish. I thought it was really slow. Maybe it was just the writing style.

Some books can be great for others but just do not click with a particular reader. If a book does not click with you then there is no shame in that. There are thousands (millions) of other books out there. Many will be great for you and not click with someone else.

I've read a lot of the "classics" including Dumas' works and whilst I enjoy his stuff immensely there is something quite difficult about this book.

I think the problem was that a lot of the chapters seem to shunt from detailed interactions between the characters to almost rushed summaries of the action at the end of a chapter. It can leave you feeling a little cheated at time and for me hindered the momentum.

It's not you.

That said, I did finish the book (possibly just because of my completist tendencies), so if you're interested enough that you've tried repeatedly, it's worth it to keep trying. The plot does vary (a LOT) from the movies, but it's worth reading. Some good suggestions above for when it starts to seem like a slog (that I might start using on some of the "wordier" authors I'd like to read).

Just keep going!! It's a good read with a satisfying ending. I really enjoyed The Three Musketeers the first time I read it, but ever since the initial thrill and after reflection the book does seem to lack something. I believe that something might just be that the plot seems a bit disconnected, and at times even aimless, like someone else said there just isn't a super strong and consistent plot driver. The characters certainly make the story. After reading the whole of the D'artagnan Romances I find I like the last installment best, The Man in the Iron Mask, though still these books sadly do not make my favorites list. Hopefully this isn't a spoiler but perhaps something that will drive you to finish the damn book is - C'mon, don't you wanna see Milady De Winter get what she deserves?

Maybe set a certain amount of time a day or a certain amount of pages so you don't get overwhelmed with it. I've got to do this with older books cause they just don't flow like modern ones do.

I can certainly see how you can only make it halfway through. There doesn't really seem to be any great objective of plot driver which keeps you engaged, and if you don't connect with the characters then it could be really difficult. However, it's worth sticking with just for the 'captivity' chapters (essentially 52 through to 58), for me they're Dumas near his best.

I agree with those who say it's probably the translation. The dialogue is flowery and old-fashioned, but in between the prose is very flat.

I do love the story, though, and have read it several times. The musketeers are indeed vainglorious opportunists. This doesn't come through as much in the abridged editions. I was shocked to discover what b------s they were when I finally read the whole thing. I still enjoyed the adventure and romance, but it was impossible to like the musketeers. D'Artagnan was more sympathetic.

translation I think is the tough one here and on any of the older works out there.

I devoured this book in 2 days I was so hooked, so I agree with the others who have said that it might just be personal taste or the translation. I did find that when the four characters get separated during the trip to London and you don't see the three musketeers for a minute, I had more trouble staying interested. Never really been a fan of d'Artagnan :\

(And accuracy aside, I really liked the new movie and thought that Ray Stevenson, Luke Evans, and Matthew Macfadyen were - sorry to use the cliche - born to play those roles. Best casting job I've seen in a while. Disney one with Keifer Sutherland was horrid.)

I liked it.. From the moment I opened it I liked how it was written. There are a few parts that lost me too though, but I think it's just a matter of taste. Maybe this author is just not for you to read.

Read the book and saw the movie version with Gene Kelly. (Yes, a movie with no dancing!) The book is not as exciting as the movie and I can understand why someone would have difficulty sticking with it. When I run into that situation, I put it down for a week, read another chapter, put it down for a day or two, read another chapter -- you get the idea. This is my method and may not work for everyone. Nothing wrong with you at all. I tend to be compulsive about my reading, so maybe there's something wrong with me.

I had the same problem- I got a few chapters in and wasn't too thrilled with it. I stepped away from it for a few days and went back to it and it was a lot easier. If you're still having trouble, I'd say to just put it aside for a little bit and then return to it. Hope you can make it through!

Esseffsee wrote: "I have begun reading TTM's several times, but it just doesn't hold my interest as a text. I have seen and loved almost every film version (even the bad ones)and know enough about the plot and chara..."

I love the Dumas book and have read it several times. I like its older, flowery, historical romance/swashbuckler language.
If you don't, that is no reflection on you. It's just a matter of personal taste. Enjoy the story via the movies (except for the thoroughly awful (offal) Disney version of the '80s--a travesty).
I can think of a number of books I don't want to read even though I enjoyed the movies, such as Moby Dick, Ivanhoe, and The Last Mohican.
I would not recommend any other Dumas. "The Wife of Monte Cristo" is particularly hard going

Perhaps it is all the film versions that you've seen. I have only seen one film version (the latest) so I can't say much on them. But I have read other reviewers say that the films are very loosely based on the book,only getting the characters and a very basic outline of the plot correct. I would think that if you expected the book to be like the film versions, you'd be disappointed. A poor translation could be a problem as well or simply that you don't like Dumas's style. I feel that way about Tolstoy. I know many love him but I just couldn't force myself to read more that 100 pages. I feel in love with the characters in TTM right away and enjoyed the whole series immensely but I didn't have any other versions or expectations to influence my view.

It's a very boring book.

it's you. totally you. :| this book is amazing. i read it in two days. this book is really easy to read. unless you are under 10 or 9.