Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870) was the author of more than a hundred
plays and novels including the famous Three Musketeers trilogy
(1844-47), The Count of Monte Cristo (1844-45), and The Man in the
Iron Mask (1848-50). His grandfather was a nobleman who lived in
the French colony of Santo Domingo (now Haiti), and his grandmother
an Afro-Caribbean slave. Dumas's father, a celebrated general in
Napoleon's army, eventually fell out of favor and then died when
Alexandre was four years old, leaving his family in poverty. At the
age of twenty-one, Dumas moved to Paris, where he enjoyed success
first as a playwright and then as a prolific writer of both fiction
and nonfiction. He took part in the uprising of July 1830, which
placed his patron, Louis-Philippe, on the throne, and built his own
imposing Ch teau de Monte Cristo outside of Paris. But by 1851, his
lavish lifestyle had bankrupted him, and he left France, fleeing
both creditors and Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte, the new ruler who was
no fan of Dumas. In the following decade, he made extended stays in
Belgium, Russia, and Italy, where he joined the movement for its
independence and unification. He died penniless but optimistic,
saying of death, "I shall tell her a story, and she will be kind to
me."
A scholar, critic, and novelist, Thomas Flanagan (1923-2002) was
the author of The Irish Novelists, 1800-1850 (1959), The Year of
the French (1979), which won the National Book Critics Award, The
Tenants of Time (1988), and The End of the Hunt (1994).
Marcelle Clements is a novelist and journalist who has contributed
articles on culture, the arts, and politics to many national
publications. She is the author of two books of nonfiction, The Dog
Is Us and The Improvised Woman, and the novels Rock Me and
Midsummer.
“The name Alexandre Dumas is more than French—it is universal.”—Victor Hugo
Gr 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 Cahners Business Information.
"The name Alexandre Dumas is more than French-it is universal."-Victor Hugo
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