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annecrisp's review against another edition
3.0
2.5*
I rounded up because the scenes with Porthos are excellent, and the D'Artagnan and Aramis scenes are good. The rest of the book needed some dramatic editing.
I rounded up because the scenes with Porthos are excellent, and the D'Artagnan and Aramis scenes are good. The rest of the book needed some dramatic editing.
_mercury_'s review against another edition
3.0
I'm only giving this 3 stars cause I don't like what Louise did to Raoul in the end. The Sun King wasn't even worth it.
lindseysparks's review against another edition
2.0
The three (four) musketeers did not appear nearly enough in this. It was very drawn out and repetitive. I'll admit I started skimming in the middle, something I never do! I stuck with it because I want to read the Man in the Iron Mask and didn't want to totally skip this since it and the previous book in the series were intended to be one novel ending in the Man in the Iron Mask. It would have been fine had it been about half the length.
haazex's review
4.0
Louis XIV and the French Court
This volume focused mostly on the romantic intrigues at the French court blended with more humorous interludes with our famous heroes. I started to wonder if Dumas had divided up the work as the style between these varied quite a bit, but perhaps it is simply my imagination or the translation. In a sense I felt like I was taking part of a 17th century soap opera with at times brilliant (and almost poetic) descriptions blended with romantic cliffhangers following the norms and rituals of the court. I have to admit that I very much enjoyed being within the French court’s massive salons, hallways and gardens as well as partaking in Louis XIV’s luminous weeklong fête. Reading this work is definitely a worthwhile enterprise for any Dumas fan or if one is looking for an immersion into the aristocracy of the times. Strangely, time flowed quickly while reading these Dumas tombs (which is a good sign)! I planned to read the d'Artagnan romances this summer. I'm looking forward to the final volume of the saga: [b:The Man in the Iron Mask|54499|The Man in the Iron Mask (The D'Artagnan Romances, #3.4)|Alexandre Dumas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1571392348l/54499._SY75_.jpg|2971402]
This volume focused mostly on the romantic intrigues at the French court blended with more humorous interludes with our famous heroes. I started to wonder if Dumas had divided up the work as the style between these varied quite a bit, but perhaps it is simply my imagination or the translation. In a sense I felt like I was taking part of a 17th century soap opera with at times brilliant (and almost poetic) descriptions blended with romantic cliffhangers following the norms and rituals of the court. I have to admit that I very much enjoyed being within the French court’s massive salons, hallways and gardens as well as partaking in Louis XIV’s luminous weeklong fête. Reading this work is definitely a worthwhile enterprise for any Dumas fan or if one is looking for an immersion into the aristocracy of the times. Strangely, time flowed quickly while reading these Dumas tombs (which is a good sign)! I planned to read the d'Artagnan romances this summer. I'm looking forward to the final volume of the saga: [b:The Man in the Iron Mask|54499|The Man in the Iron Mask (The D'Artagnan Romances, #3.4)|Alexandre Dumas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1571392348l/54499._SY75_.jpg|2971402]
teresavh's review against another edition
5.0
I cannot put this book down, I am in love with the French classics. Never disappoint!
thatokiebird's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I understand why they broke this incredibly lengthy book up into three, Louise de La Valliere being the second part of The Vicomte de Bragelonne, and then it finishing with The Man in the Iron Mask - but while reading it... this one at least can definitely not stand alone. The first two books would be a little dull if considered as an individual, but read through as one continuous story - it's a great story. This second part definitely centers mostly around our title character Louise, and the king of France's incredibly inappropriate crush on this young betrothed-to-someone-else woman in order to avoid scandal after crushing on a different married woman who is his sister-in-law. (like what??)
Louise is a very lame heroine of a story. Actually, I'd argue that she's not in fact the heroine at all, but just a plot point to further along the story while the real story is about the males that adore her. She has little character development or charm, and like another reader said in their review: "I'm almost tempted to go back and count a) the times she fainted, and b) the times her only dialogue consisted of, "Oh, sire!"" SO true. She's so tiresome. After reading this 22 hour book, I'm still at a loss for why Raoul so loves Louise, AND why the king falls for her too??
This book is filled with so. much. dialogue. When it's one of the Musketeer's conversations, I'm all in. They're always absolutely witty and captivating. But so much of the dialogue in this book is between dull characters, and my mind would eventually drifted away from the story.
Still, the ending had me gasping and I can't wait to start the conclusion of this lengthy series with The Man in the Iron Mask.
Louise is a very lame heroine of a story. Actually, I'd argue that she's not in fact the heroine at all, but just a plot point to further along the story while the real story is about the males that adore her. She has little character development or charm, and like another reader said in their review: "I'm almost tempted to go back and count a) the times she fainted, and b) the times her only dialogue consisted of, "Oh, sire!"" SO true. She's so tiresome. After reading this 22 hour book, I'm still at a loss for why Raoul so loves Louise, AND why the king falls for her too??
This book is filled with so. much. dialogue. When it's one of the Musketeer's conversations, I'm all in. They're always absolutely witty and captivating. But so much of the dialogue in this book is between dull characters, and my mind would eventually drifted away from the story.
Still, the ending had me gasping and I can't wait to start the conclusion of this lengthy series with The Man in the Iron Mask.
saralynnburnett's review against another edition
5.0
I think this is my favorite Dumas book - beautiful, touching, and yet adventurous!
cheezvshcrvst's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0