This book...

[dredstone]

I agree with your general comments about the theme and mood of the books. I'd like to add that I think the novel(s) were typical of the adventure stories that were written during or about the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. (My favorite of the type is "Treasure Island", but "The Three Musketeers" is great too.) The message of all of them has always been that daring, courage, and faith can deliver you from hardship and into success. <br> My ex-wife always called these books "boys books", I'm glad you proved her wrong.<br><br>Cheers<br>

[Uric]

I think you answered a lot of good questions for me and are very well informed!Bravo!..I also find that intriging that you are a fan from QC! Good stuff ! I have West Indian roots alike Dumas!<br>peace!

[Unregistered]

To the person from Canada:<br><br> How is the name d'Artagnan pronounced? I have not seen the movie.

[Margot]

Don't watch the movie if you want to know how to pronounce his name, unless it's a French movie. I don't know how to tell you in writing, except that you do NOT pronounce the G. Ask a French person how to pronounce it, they'll be more than happy to oblige you, I'm sure.

[Margot]

What kind of a name is "Forehead"?

[me]

I've always heard d'Artagnan pronounced "Dar - tan - yun". I'm sure that's<br>an english pronunciation, though...

[Forehead]

To all of you, hello,<br><br>I'm a girl from Québec, in Canada. I'm a true fan of all Dumas' work, and if I can, I'll try to answer some of your questions about the book and the characters. In first place, this book was written in French, so if the language and the prose don't seem this complicated in English, they sure are in French. In second place, the book is titled "The Three Musketeers" because it relates the story of a young man, d'Artagnan, who gets to meet three great and known musketeers. Remember that d'Artagnan becomes a Musketeer only at the end of the book.<br><br>After that, Athos, Porthos and Aramis didn't have professions before they became musketeers: Aramis only had plans on becoming a priest. If you want to learn what happenned to Aramis, Porthos, Athos and d'Artagnan after "The Three Musketeers", Dumas wrote two books about their older years: first, "Twenty Years After", and second, "The Vicomte de Bragelonne, or Ten Years Later". In these two books, we see Aramis becoming a priest, Porthos being a rich and prosperous man, Athos raising his son Raoul, and d'Artagnan serving the king Louis XIV. <br><br>And in the end, I don't agree with those who doubt about the greatness of d'Artagnan. He is a vailliant and courageous man, and a superb genius. D'Artagnan is a man of heart an honor, that held in his hands the destinies of kings and nations. Maybe his younger years were a bit more light, but when we read this, we have to keep in mind that this story takes place in the years 1600. Personnaly, I consider d'Artagnan as the most interesting hero of all times.<br><br>So that's it, I hope I answered to some of your questions. And I agree with all those who think that this book is worth the time: I think this story of Dumas is an amazing tale of friendship, devotion and rightness. <br>Bye!<br>Forehead <br>