The Three Musketeers

By: Alexandre Dumas

Narrated by: Walter Covell

Set during the reign of Louis XIII (1610-43) and based on actual events, The Three Musketeers is perhaps the greatest "cloak and sword" story ever written. Three Musketeers, loyal servants of the King, are joined by the dashing D'Artagnan, a veritable Byronic hero. These four are pitted against the master of intrigue, Cardinal Richelieu, and the quintessential wicked woman, Lady de Winter. Dumas was quite expert in pacing and varying action while weaving historical fact with purest fiction. This great work is the unchallenged archetype for literary romance and has been a perennial delight for generations of readers.©1990 Jimcin Recordings (P)1990 Jimcin Recordings

Critic reviews

"The Three Musketeers is excitedly brought to life by the gifted, energetic voice of Walter Covell, who seems to be reading with a smile and enjoying the story as much as any listener." (Booklist)
"This classic story of heroism and friendship set in prerevolutionary France needs no introduction. The wonderful tale should be background reading for every French history course. Covell's semi-voiced reading is entertaining and he interprets the story effectively and reads the different characters with varying degrees of emotion and intensity. Although the whole recording is over 25 hours, the listening experience is well worth the time required." (Kliatt)

Give us more Dumas

A very colorful, passionate story of the musketeers, the King, Cardinal Richelieu, Lord Buckingham, and the Queen of France. Strong characterization and a fascinating, intricate plot. I even felt the same regret the musketeers displayed when they caught-up with My Lady. Each of the Dumas novels available on Audible is highly satisfying: Three Musketeers, Man in the Iron Mask, and Count of Monte Cristo. Let us have even more of the novels made available. I will read any that are added to Audible.

Excellent narrator.

fabulous

Amazing reading by Mr. Covell and an exciting, humorous adventure as always by Mr. Dumas. Loved it.

listen carefully to the sample!

A wonderful book, but I feel that this recording does not do it justice. It sounds as if it was recorded off of a 1960's transistor radio speaker! Also, Mr. Covell has this odd habit of pausing at many of the french phrases, and also emphasizing them when saying them, which can get a bit annoying.

nobility and storytelling

On first listen the first ten minutes or the antiquely ornate language put me off and made me think the book might be tedious. Another twenty minutes or so and I was hooked, eventually even by the language itself, which in part carries the spirit of the story, which plays heavily on the romanticism of honor.

A reviewer below seems to say that the French culture depicted was amoral and even degenerate, and there may be some truth to it, but I'd say rather that the characters get their appeal exactly from their having such a lofty sense of "morality", or ethics, or honor - only very different from what we're used to. Strange maybe to us that having a married mistress would be considered honorable, and that it's less whether you kill someone (or are killed) than how you kill or are killed, and for what cause. But despite its weaknesses, it's not weak: it's fun and lively and full-blooded - really living. In our culture, where it feels like lives are thrown away for no reason, while others live lives that risk and mean nothing, it's so terribly appealing to read about people living life on a high and courageous and adventurous edge - heroic. It's not that they don't value life - when I finished the book, after all, I was filled with such a desire that my life could be worth as much as theirs - but life to them is worth so much exactly because they value honor and integrity so much more than life itself. The book puts you in touch with nobility of spirit; it got me seriously thinking how to live in greater adventure.

But beyond this response to that review, I gained an enormous respect for Dumas' storytelling abilities - his way of milking every last bit of pleasure and excitement out of the plot. He makes you eager to know what's going to happen, but you don't want it to happen any faster because you're enjoying the telling so much - in particular the company of the characters (and in particular Athos!). Extremely fun to listen to - and affected me deeply.

Great story, bad recording

This a fine Dickens novel -- not too long, full of drama, suspense, even a good amount of action in the riot scenes set during the French Revolution. The reader for this version is a bit hammy, but, hey, it's Dickens, so not inappropriate. However the sound recording is very poor, sounding muffled and indistinct unless you turn it up pretty high and even then it's sometimes difficult to understand. I'd listen on headphones only, and people who find British accents difficult should take a pass.