What's your favourite book written by Dumas?

[Gibran]

I prefer Three Musketeers and 20 Years Later to the third.

[Whifflingpin]

If by "the third" you mean "The Man in the Iron Mask" then I'd agree with you. There are some other books in that series - "Vicomte de Bragelonne," "Louise de la Valliere" and "Son of Porthos." None of those is as memorable as "Three Musketeers" or "20 Years After." Of those two, I prefer the latter - the characters are more deeply developed, and, methinks, Mordaunt makes a better villain than Milady de Winter.

If you like the "3 Ms" then you'd probably find "The Forty-Five Guardsmen" and "Chicot the Jester" worth a read, especially "Chicot."

If you don't care for "Man in the Iron Mask" you should give "The Count of Monte Cristo" a miss for the next two decades, but then give it a try. I'd say that was my current favourite of Dumas', but in my teens I found it almost unreadable.

Others that I've read, in order of preference - Black Tulip, La Reine Margot, The Queen's Necklace and Chevalier de Maison Rouge.

[Gibran]

Hi,Whifflingpin
Black Tulip is a wonderful novel, but it's too short!I'd love to enjoy "The Count of Monte Cristo" as much as the series of "Musketeers", but my favourite female character in Dumas's work is Milady, it's fantastic!

Gibran

[Aramis]

Hey, guys! I haven't met you yet because school has been bogging me down, but I finally have a chance to say hi.

"Twenty Years After" is definately my favourite book of Dumas, though the "Count of Monte Cristo" is a close second (despite my being a teenager). The best ending to a book, though, is in "The Knight of Maison-Rouge." It was really sad, but Lorin just made my day with his little speech. (I don't want to give anything away for those who haven't read it.)

My favourite female character has got to be Rosa from "The Black Tulip." She's a lot more serious and devoted than other female characters of Dumas.

[Darlin]

I have to agree. That ending is so sad in "The Knight of Maison-Rouge" but you're right it's the best ending. Sometimes I've just picked up the book to read those last few pages. I highly recommend it. And, Aramis it's nice to see you haven’t deserted the forum altogether!

[Aramis]

Desert Club Dumas? Never. I have to admit, though, that I haven't been reading much Dumas lately. English class has kept mired in existentialist works by Kafka, Camus, Sartre, etc. It's mentally painful.

[Darlin]

Not just a teensy bit mentally stimulating?

[Aramis]

Actually, I feel more depressed than stimulated coming out of that class. "The Metamorphosis" was probably the best out of all the works we've read so far, but other than that, there's really not much of a plotline and the characters are completely unreal. There is way too much unnecessary description, and too many ideas are disconected. It's frustrating.

[mtpspur]

I only read the Musketeer saga (teriby out of order) and prefer Twenty Years After best. Mind you as a teenager I was horrified at these 'old' men running around 20 years after magnificent 3 Musketeers--then lo and behold another 10 the Man in the Iron Mask--horror. Then read Vicome de Bragalonne and was left hanging as it was --are your ready--20 years or so before I discovered a paperback edition of Louise de La Varrire--(now I'm in my thirties) and discovered mercifully the worst of the series was all in that portion--bore-bore-bore--well too much silly romance stuff going on.
At this point I read all the series in order and 20 Years After made much more sense then when I was a teenager. Somehow the Queen's lack of support for D'Artagnan went over my head in that one considering he saved her bacon big time in the first book. In my forties I finally tackled Count of Monte Cristo and found I had read it too late to fully value it. I had heard too much over the years and it was over-hyped to me. Dantes revenge was so slow in comsumation that it lacked impact for me. I'm 54 now--the Musketeers still sit on the shelf to be someday recommended to the grandchildren.

[Pandora Eve]

Count of Monte Cristo was my favorite. Actually I would have to say if you didn't like The Man in the Iron Mask The Count of Monte Cristo is the best antidote. I had read The Count first (nothing like starting on the top) and then the Musketeers saga. I hated the ending for poor Philip. True to history but, a difficult ending to take. I was hoping for an ending more like The Count of Monte Cristo. Well, as they say never judge a book by its movie.

[Chap]

The Dartagnan Romances are superb. And don't listen to those who denegrate Bragelonne, Louise, and Mask. They are all superb; they just have a different vibe. The Monk Section is great as is the Execution of Charles I. And the systematic takedown of Nicolas Fouquet is brilliant. The contrast between Richelieu and Mazarin is spot on as is the contrast between Fouquet and Colbert. I even loved the tragic character of Louise. One part even signals the beginning of detective fiction. Suddenly Dartagnan gets all Sherlock Holmes as he picks apart a dueling scene to determine what went on.

Monte Cristo is a masterpiece. Just a slam dunk.

Now my favorites of the others--
The Companions of Jehu (totally underrated). If you liked the secret society stuff of Twenty Years After and the later books and the Napoleonic royalist/republic conflict of Monte Cristo--then this is the book for you.

The Women's War--If you read Twenty years after and just wanted more Fronde then this book is the stuff.

The Corsican Brothers--If the Vampa section was your favorite part of Monte Cristo then read this. Remember how that section felt strangely Italian? Well this is a short italian Ghost/vendetta story.

Celebrated Crimes--Ok I am a true crime nut. And this is a greatest hits from history! Ali Pacha is amazing. In Monte Cristo he gets off pretty light. Here he is portrayed considerably less flatteringly. Seriously messed up. Not for the squeamish. The Man In the Iron Mask--now this is not to be confused with the novel. This essay considers a number of possibilities of who the mysterious stranger was. Personally, I think it was Nick Fouquet. The Borgias--Rodrigo, Cesare, Lucrezia, they're all here in their twisted glory. The Countess of Ste Geran--This seems to be the basis for the Villefort infanticide section of Monte Cristo. Grisly! Anyway this whole thing is a treasure trove. Dive in!

[Georges]

I have just read an amazing, unknown work by Dumas. It is called Georges! It is a very short piece written one year before the THree musketeers and The Comte de Monte Cristo. Even for those of you who may not be enthralled with Dumas, you will love this book. I could not put it down. It is full of the drama, romance, suspence and action he is known for and is his only work about race.
If you want to be transported, read this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[vonjuntz]

Cristo and vampa

[wilbur lim]

The Three Musketeers.

[LadyMusketeer]

I prefer the three musketeers, for me it is the best of all Dumas books, with very good writed dialogues and a very good storyline.