The Vicomte de Bragelonne - Alexandre Dumas

Published by Collins: London and Glasgow, 1954.

First published 1847, originally in French.

Book 3 of the 'D'Artagnon Romances.' Preceded by 'Twenty Years After.' Followed by 'Louise de al Valliere.'

This is the third of the D'Artagnon Romances by Alexandre Dumas, the first of which - The Three Musketeers - is by far the most famous, followed by the fifth and last in the series, The Man in the Iron Mask. Each book focuses more or less on the same core of individuals, with D'Artagnon being the most prominent in each entry. In this book he is by far the most important character in the book, despite the fact that some parts of the book do focus heavily on other characters altogether. One of these other characters is Raoul, the son of original Musketeer Aramis, who is also known as 'The Vicomte de Bragelonne.' 

'Wait,' you might say, 'that's the title of the novel!' Yes it is! But don't get your hopes up! Raoul is a fairly minor character in the book all things told. He appears in the first few chapters, reappears once in the middle of the novel, and then turns up again in the last dozen or so chapters... which, considering the book has 92 chapters, is not saying much!

If you have read my review of Twenty Years After you may recall that in that book, the four main musketeers end up on opposing sides of various conflicts. This plot point re-emerges again to an even stronger degree - with some of them actively seeking to work against each other - although all three of the original musketeers (not counting D'Artagnon himself) are far more minor characters in this book than in the two prior ones.

The plot in this book is also the least focussed in the series thus far. The first section of the book is fast paced, leaping into action as D'Artagnon and Athos both seek to help Charles II of England regain his throne. But this mission is accomplished only about a third of the way into the book, and it takes a while for the follow-up plot to really kick in. Before that happens, we get chapters devoted to D'Artagnon learning how to live as a rich man, as well as Mazarin (the cardinal who replaced Richelieu as a main antagonist in Twenty Years After) sorting out his will before his death. The plot then focusses on another antagonist (or is he? The book's loyalties shift a bit), Fouquet, trying to save his friends from execution by the king... and D'Artagnon is sent to investigate him... and there is an island to explore... and then Raoul eventually comes back into the story...

...overall, the fact that this book was originally written in a serial format shows a lot more than in the previous books. There were definitely parts where this story dragged.

Dumas, however, remains a readable author, particularly for one of his era, and despite its flaws, certain scenes still amp up tension, or amuse, or intrigue the reader.

I don't regret reading this book - I would even say that on the whole I enjoyed it - but it is my least favourite of the series thus far.

Completed 6 October 2026.

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