Alexandre Dumas Collection: The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers

The Count of Monte Cristo (Written in 1844 by Alexandre Dumas) (Translated in 1888 by George Routeledge)Steeped in adventure, this early nineteenth-century novel is representative of the times in which Dumas lived. The era of the Bourbon Restoration in France, the one hundred days of Napoleon’s return to power as emperor, and the reign of Louis-Philippe sets the stage for a man wrongfully imprisoned to seek revenge on those responsible for his incarceration.
Dantes, the young sailor accused of treason, befriends a fellow prisoner, an Italian named Faria who has made his way to Dantes’ cell in an attempt to escape. The pair spend their time sharing their knowledge of culture, language, science, medicine, mathematics, and hidden treasure. When his friend dies, Dantes puts his own plan of escape into action, taking Faria’s place in the burial sack to then cut himself free and swim to a nearby island where he hunts for the mysterious cache.
Returning to Parisian society after his many years of imprisonment and subsequently traveling the world as the newly claimed Count of Monte Cristo, Dantes is determined to take revenge on those who falsely accused him and who stole his future. He enacts a plan that he has spent the better part of his life preparing for only to ultimately offer mercy and forgiveness.
The Three Musketeers (Written in 1844 by Alexandre Dumbas) (Translated in 1853 by William Robson)D’Artagnan, a clever, foolhardy young nobleman departs from his home in France in the early 1600s seeking adventure, honor, and justice as part of the Musketeers of the Guard. Love, misfortune, and chivalry lead this young man and his elite group of friends on a journey of dueling for war, truth, and fortune.
Written by Dumas as a tribute to the history of France and its swashbuckler era of heroes battling to the death for their honor and the hand of a maiden, The Three Musketeers is a politically significant adventure novel defining the role that republicans and monarchists played during the period.
Ultimately, D’Artagnan, heartbroken, accepts the promotion to Lieutenant of the infamous Musketeers of the Guard although regretting the decisions he made along his journey to achieve this coveted position.