Product Description

"All for one and one for all!"

The young and headstrong D'Artagnan, having proven his bravery by dueling with each, becomes a friend of Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, members of the King's Musketeers. He is in love with Constance Bonancieux and, at her urging, he and his friends head for England to reclaim two diamond studs that the Queen has imprudently given to her lover, the Duke of Buckingham.

Richelieu, the chief minister of King Louis XIII, will resort to anything - even murder - to stop the Musketeers from interfering with his plan to ruin Queen Anne's reputation, and her influence over the King.

The Three Musketeers is one of the world's greatest adventure stories, and its heroes have become symbols of youth, daring, and friendship. Behind the flashing blades, Dumas explores the eternal conflict between good and evil.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1238436 in Books
• Published on: 2005-07-25
• Released on: 2005-07-25
• Formats: Audiobook, MP3 Audio, Unabridged
• Original language: English
• Binding: MP3 CD

From Library Journal
A perennial favorite, this work continues to hold appeal for adventure lovers. Full of intrigue, swordplay, and revenge, it is the story of d'Artagnan, a young nobleman who travels to Paris in hopes of joining the Musketeers, a group of swashbuckling adventurers who serve King Louis XIII. His wit and fighting ability make d'Artagnan a welcome addition to their ranks, and together the four young men work to foil the King's evil rival, Cardinal Richelieu. Despite the period setting and constant violence, the story captures and sustains the listener's interest as the Musketeers vanquish the villains. Michael York reads superbly, his rich baritone voice giving each role convincing clarity. The audio format is particularly suited to the tale. The production quality is excellent. Recommended for general collections.
- Nancy R. Ives, SUNY at Geneseo
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 6 Up-With swelling musical background, the clash of swordplay, and the occasional thump of a head being cut off, the St. Charles Players bring back the feeling of radio theater in their rendition of the classic tale by Alexandre Dumas. The players' voices emit every nuance required to let listeners experience the swashbuckling deeds of the famous heroic threesome and the boy called D'Artagnan who wants to join their ranks. When the young man arrives in Paris with the wish to enlist with the King's Musketeers, he finds himself challenged to three duels in his first afternoon in the city by men who turn out to be Porthos, Aramis, and Athos-the Three Musketeers. Instead of fighting against them, the twists of fate have D'Artagnan battling for them against the evil Cardinal Richelieu's guards. After demonstrating his worth with a sword, D'Artagnan proves more of his mettle by journeying to England to foil a plot to embarrass France's Queen Anne, the former Anne of Austria. D'Artagnan saves his queen but loses the woman he loves, so he seeks vengeance and, in turn, instills himself firmly in the ranks of the Musketeers. The flavor of the original is evident even though this abridged version includes only highlights in its retelling.
Joanne K. Hammond, Chambersburg Area Middle School, PA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
This classic adventure epic is presented here in a compact, affordable production. The double-tracking is slightly inconvenient but is overcome by the narrator's superb reading. Page's flawless pronun-ciation of the numerous French words blends with his formal British English to give color and credence to the grandiloquent language of the translation. His characterizations are equally well performed. The characters emerge richly faceted: the nefarious Lady DeWinter; the pious but fallible Athos; the haughty, boisterous Porthos. The listener is carried through the romantic verbiage by this energetic, exciting performance. J.J.F. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Customer Reviews

Swashbuckling Good Fun!!
What fun! This books just jumps right out and keeps moving along (except for a couple of slow spots -- but needed to develop the character's past, etc.) The cameraderie between the Musketeers is awesome and they are incredibly wonderful scamps.

D'artagnon was adorable, as were Athos, Aramis and Porthos. The evil Milady was truly EVIL and WICKED. The dialogue was brilliant (as always), it just crackled right along. I think we all know the basic story and how it ended, but reading the book was much more enjoyable than the movie, as they always are. It did bring back many memories of that wonderful version from the 70's, with Michael York and Raquel Welch. I will have to revisit that. I also highly recommend reading the sequels, Twenty Years After, The Vicomte de Bragelonne, Louise de la Vallière and The Man in the Iron Mask. Dumas rocks!!

A very good classic
The Three Musketeers is really a pretty good book and worth reading. The musketeers are Athos, Porthos and Aramis, but there is also another character which is almost more the focus of the novel. This is D'artagnan, a young man who first comes to blows with each of the Musketeers, but then becomes good friends with each of them.

I'd say the first half of this novel seems a little less focused than the first. I don't know if it was just me, but I found I kept getting confused about what exactly what was happening and how various events were related. The second half seems much more clear and is certainly very entertaining.

Dumas gives each of the characters a distinct personality and although the musketeers often seem mysterious, there's still a sense of understanding their motivation and concerns. Each is a brave gentleman in service of their country, enjoying their adventures and journeys.

I'd say this is really a good book and definitely worth reading if you're interested.

Good Book If You Like Adventure.
The Three Musketeers is about a boy around 20 years of age named D'Artagnan who travels to France to become a Musketeer. He then encounters three important characters named Porthos, Aramis, and Athos. He arranges a duel with each of them and then realizes that they are all Musketeers. Soon the Cardinal's guards arrive to fight with the Musketeers. D'Artagnan fights with the Musketeers and defeats the leader of the Cardinal's guards that attacked the Musketeers. After this he makes a name for himself to the King, Cardinal, and the leader of the Musketeers, M. de Treville. He makes friends with Porthos, Aramis, and Athos. He soon gets involved in a plot against the Queen set up by the Cardinal, and D'Artangnan is the only one who can save the Queen from her predicament. In the process he also becomes deeply involved with one of the Queen's servants. The characters were exellent and their personalities fit together perfectly. Dumas combines action, comedy, and romance into one well written novel. Altough it was fairly wordy, the plot was good and kept me interested throughout the book. The characters are portrayed very well in the book; there's the treachorous Milady, who is completely nuts. D'artagnan who is just an all-around hero. He has brains, and skill, and anything he lacks he makes up for with pure bravado and determination. Athos, who was a wise and sad character, and the most excellent leader. Aramis, was an interesting cross between religion and swashbucklery, while Porthos could not be funnier. I also enjoyed the way the mood of the story could change from moment to moment. Lightheartedness at the beginning when D'Artagnan meets the Three Musketeers. Suspense at the capture of M. Bonacioux. As well as pride, whenever the heroes cry out the well remembered "One for all, and all for one." Overall I think this is a great book and highly recommend others read it.