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The Man in the Iron Mask represents the last third of a much larger novel known as The Vicomte de Bragellone (Raoul, Athos'son). Dumas may or may not have intended to divide his work in the way that it has been. The Vicomte de Bragellone is usually divided into three volumes--Vicomte de Bragellone , Louise de la Valliere , and finally,The Man in the Iron Mask. |
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The final and most famous installment of the "Bragelonne" trilogy. Dumas was not only the great yarn-spinner of 19th century literature, an effortless storyteller with a sure instinct for melodramatic excitement, but a writer able to weave subtler moods into his relentlessly paced stories. |
First in a trilogy featuring, once more, D'Artagnan and his musketeer comrades....It is May 1660 and the fate of nations is at stake. Mazarin plots, Louis XIV is in love, and Raoul de Bragelonne, son of Athos, is intent on serving France and winning the heart of Louise de la Valliere. D'Artagnan, meanwhile, is perplexed by a mysterious stranger, and soon he learns that his old comrades already have great projects in hand. Athos seeks the restoration of Charles II, while Aramis, with Porthos in tow, has a secret plan involving a masked prisoner and the fortification of the island of Belle-Ile. D'Artagnan finds a thread leading him to the French court, the banks of the Tyne, the beaches of Holland, and the dunes of Brittany. "The Vicomte de Bragelonne" opens an epic adventure which continues with "Louise de la Valliere" and readies its climax in "The Man in the Iron Mask." This new edition of the classic translation is fully annotated; and an introduction sets Dumas's saga in its historical and cultural context. |
Against a tender love story, Dumas continues the suspense which began with "The Vicomte de Bragelonne" and will end with "The Man in the Iron Mask." It is early summer, 1661, and the royal court of France is in turmoil. Can it be true that the King is in love with the Duchess D'Orleans? Or has his eye been caught by the sweet and gentle Louise de la Valliere? No one is more anxious to know the answer than Raoul, son of Athos, who loves Louise more than life itself. Behind the scenes, dark intrigues are afoot. Louis XIV is intent on making himself absolute master of France. Imminent crisis shakes the now ageing Musketeers and d'Artagnan out of their complacent retirement, but is the cause just? This new edition of the classic English translation of 1857 is richly annotated and sets Dumas's tale in its historical and cultural context. |
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