The Man in the Iron Mask by Alexandre Dumas

As I work my way though the library audio book collection, the selection du jour is The Man In The Iron Mask by Alexandre Dumas. When I got the book, I had heard of it, and I think at one point I had seen part of the Richard Chamberlain movie version. But, I was unaware that it was the conclusion of the Three Musketeers series. I read The Three Musketeers when I was in high school, so it would be a challenge to see how much of it I could remember. As for the other intervening books, it appears that the divisions between the volumes varies, but in one division, they are entitled, Twenty Years After, The Vicomte de Bragelonne, and Louise de la Vallière. The section I'm reviewing (Iron) filled 14 CDs, so Dumas must have been a voluminous writer.

The book is one for which it is difficult to give a detailed plot synopsis without potentially giving away too much of the story. But, suffice it to say that the three musketeers, Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and d'Artagnan, are back and older than ever. I think it was mentioned that Athos was in his early 60s, and, while d'Artagnan may have been a few years younger, there are many references to gray hairs and the like. All four of them are either weathy or in a position close to the king.

When the book started, I had the impression that it was part comedy and part the story of a plot to overthrow King Louis XIV of France. But a great deal of the book concerns the plot's aftermath, along with other intrigue inside the French royal court. Time and distance have drawn the old friends physically apart, but not out of each others' hearts or minds. This is, then, a story about friendship. Despite finding themselves on different sides with respect to the king, they can still manage to do their duty while keeping their loyalty to each other. Oh, and they can still put up a fight, too. Mere mortals had better not mess with them.

Like some other classics, the book is long and somewhat uneven. It takes a while to get into the story, and then, after gaining familiarity with the style of the author and the characters, it gets good. However, this book is also troubled by references to all that has taken place over the past 35 or so years that was detailed in the middle volumes. Of course, Iron Mask is a must-read for Three Musketeers fans. And it's not bad at all. But when it comes to classics, you can probably do better.