The Three Musketeers

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 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 GeneseoCopyright 1994 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


Review
"I do not say there is no character as well-drawn in Shakespeare [as D'Artagnan]. I do say there is none that I love so wholly."
—Robert Louis Stevenson


From the Trade Paperback edition.


Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French


Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French


Download Description
In his Memoirs, Monsieur d'Artagnan relates that, on his first visit to Monsieur de Treville, Captain of His Majesty's Musketeers, he met the illustrious corps in which he was soliciting the honor of enrolling. Their names were Athos, Porthos and Aramis.


The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature
Novel by Alexandre Dumas pere, published in French as Les Trois Mousquetaires in 1844. A historical romance, it relates the adventures of four fictional swashbuckling heroes who lived during the reigns of the French kings Louis XIII and Louis XIV. At the beginning of the story D'Artagnan arrives in Paris from Gascony and becomes embroiled in three duels with the three musketeers Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. The four become such close friends that when D'Artagnan serves an apprenticeship as a cadet, which he must do before he can become a musketeer, each of his friends takes turns sharing guard duty with him. The daring escapades of the four comrades are played out against a background of court intrigue involving the powerful Cardinal Richelieu. Dumas wrote two sequels that concerned D'Artagnan and the three musketeers: Vingt Ans apres (1845; Twenty Years After) and Le Vicomte de Bragelonne ou dix ans plus tard (1848-50; The Vicomte de Bragelonne; or, Ten Years Later).


Card catalog description
In seventeenth-century France, young D'Artagnan initially quarrels with, then befriends, three musketeers and joins them in trying to outwit the enemies of the king and queen.


From the Publisher
Athos, Porthos and Aramis are seasoned bodygaurds to Louis XIII of France, when they are joined by the hotheaded young d'Artagnan. Their efforts to preserve the honor of their Queen over the affair of the diamond buttons, engineered by the scheming "Milady", make for an unsurpassed tale of adventure and romance.


From the Inside Flap
It's "one for all and all for one!" as D'Artagnan and his three pals follow a course of swashbuckling intrigue and adventure in 17th-centry France.  


From the Trade Paperback edition.


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Sword fights, duels, and spies! Everyone loves a good adventure story, and THE THREE MUSKETEERS is one of the favorites of all time. In this Radio Theatre adaptation, the St. Charles Players heighten the action and drama of the story, using a full cast of characters in a live-action format while the narrator moves the story from scene to scene, filling in the background information. The cast does a wonderful job portraying the characters—the proud, even arrogant, D'Artagnan, the playful Porthos, the serious and proper Aramis, and Athos, loyal and trustworthy, but with secrets of his own. Milady almost purrs as the beautiful but treacherous femme fatale, and most of the supporting characters are excellent in their roles. Filled with intrigue, action, romance, and suspense, this is solid family entertainment that could whet the appetite for more classics. W.L.S. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine


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