The Three Musketeers

[donnaimmaculata]

I'm currently reading The Three Musketeers. It's a re-read - I read it at some point as a child in my adventure-novel phase, and then re-read it every five-six years or so. I initially had a massive crush on Aramis, but then Athos became my favourite. He's so delightfully cynical, level-headed and drunk

Comments

[elanor_x]

I really like the classical Russian version, but in it there is no strangling, ony poisoning. Have you seen this version

[donnaimmaculata]

It might have been poisoning, not strangling - what I remember is a painfully violent death. Most Western adaptations gloss it over.

Thank you so much for the links! I was telling a friend not long ago that I used to watch Russian adaptations of various literary sources a lot as a child and that so many of them are simply fabulous. Certainly much better than the American ones. They get the underlying darkness and corruption and the drama of human existence. I recently watched the classic (1967) Russian Anna Karenina adaptation on youtube, it is so much better than anything any Western filmmaker has ever created

[donnaimmaculata]

PS. I came up across this on youtube the other day, and it made me very happy:

[pauraque]

Huh, I've never read the book, so this was all news to me! Thanks for the interesting post. :)

[donnaimmaculata]

I've read the book a couple of times in the course of the years, but I keep forgetting what the original characterisation was like. The image created by the adaptations is too overwhelming.

I'm also craving Milady-centric fanfic in which she is not painted as the ruthless demon the novel claims she is. The original source leaves a lot of room for an alternative character interpretation.

[elanor_x]

What is the original source, if not the novel?

I see Milady as extremely ruthless and truly quite a demon. For example, it was her decision to poison Constance, while Richelieu spared Constance's life by deciding to imprison, not kill, the woman. In the novel he even remarks on Milady's cruelty in this, iirc. Milady also planned to use d'Artagnan to get rid of her late husband's brother. The musketeers don't poison and stab people to rob them, even if they're ready to kill anybody who hurt their honor (but expect the same standard being applied to themselves.)

[donnaimmaculata]

What is the original source, if not the novel?

I meant the novel. But I do think that, if you ignore the authorial voice telling you that Milady is a demon, you could read the character as much more complex, rather than the embodiment of evil. For example, the crime for which she was branded as a 15 or 16 years old girl was seducing a priest. The way the story is told she alone was the guilty party, whilst the priest was a complete innocent - which I think is a ridiculous notion.

And when Athos tells the story of his and Milady's marriage, he says: They came nobody knew whence; but when seeing her so lovely and her brother so pious, nobody thought of asking whence they came. They were said, however, to be of good extraction. My friend, who was seigneur of the country, might have seduced her, or taken her by force, at his will--for he was master. Who would have come to the assistance of two strangers, two unknown persons? Unfortunately he was an honorable man; he married her.

So he basically says he could have raped her (taken her

[anehan]

I've never read the novel, and after reading your post, I don't think I particularly want to, either.

Anyway, the only adaptation that I remember watching is the 1981 animation series, Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds. I don't actually remember anything about it, except that Milady was a black cat. I was half in love with her because she was so cool.

[donnaimmaculata]

It's one of those books you have to read young, revelling in the adventures.. Then, you can come back to them later and still like them because of nostalgia. This is the only one of Dumas' Musketeers novels that I've read, and I don't feel the need to read the others.

Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds was fabulous, I loved it so much. I had a crush on Spaniel!Aramis and everything!

[anteros_lmc]

It's so long ago since I read the book that I can't remember much of the characterisation at all, though I do remember that Milady's alleged wickedness was so far over the top to be laughable. I also vaguely remember the Musketeers themselves being rather irritating and selfish.

I haven't seen many of the more recent adaptations. Partner is a big fan of the 1973 version which just makes me giggle :}

[donnaimmaculata]

The thing is, as I realised on this re-reading, that Milady does not actually commit all that many crimes on the pages of the book. We are told her previous crimes by unbearably entitled, self-righteous men who want revenge; the chapter where they sit "trial" over her is actually really disgusting. The men are unbearable.

Oddly, all adaptations tend to go the "cheeky chappies" route, leaving out all the interesting, dark stuff! These characters have the potential to be much more interesting and multi-layered than they are presented in the films and than they have imprinted themselves on the readers'/audience's hive mind.

[ysande]

I agree with you. I really adore the book - but only the first half, up until where they start preparing for the seige and then it's all Milady and I find both her seduction of John Felton and her capture and execution deeply disturbing

[donnaimmaculata]

I think the fact that the book has always been presented as that fun adventure novel has tainted our perception of it. Dumas makes fun of the heroes and of their uselessness in many situations, and he does, in theory, present morally shady characters. But their moral shadiness is never addressed; the authorial voice appears to approve of them in everything that they do. I wondered recently if what happened here was similar to what apparently happened to Huckleberry Finn, which some people think is incredibly racist, when in fact it is anything but. If Dumas perhaps wrote a scathing satire of an adventure novel and deconstructed the Hero character by presenting the designated heroes as violent and hypocritical.

I like Milady's seduction of John Felton, actually ;-) I commented on the unfair treatment of Milady here. I would love to tackle the challenge some time to reconcile Athos PoV and Milady's PoV without turning one of them into a villain, but I don't even know how to do that with book Athos

[ysande]

I wonder if Dumas was just telling a story with no thought as to morals - that to him it was enough that he was writing about entertaining men, and that he had no need to make them 'good' as well? (I mean, maybe we think of 'good' as the highest accolade for a hero, and maybe Dumas thought 'entertaining' was.) I agree with you that the popular perception of the book (especially as a children's story) couldn't be further from the truth - it's really dark and depraved a lot of the time!

My problem with Milady's seduction of Felton was that it was TOO well done - I was thoroughly drawn in by it and felt it all and it distresses me even while I'm acknowledging Dumas' and Milady's brilliance!

Like you, Athos was my first real literary love :) I really wish his character had been better explored too. All I can say is that the sequels disappoint on that front :(
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