Twenty Years After

Written by Alexandre Dumas

Narrated by Frederick Davidson

Originally published in 1845 as a sequel to The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After is a supreme creation of suspense and heroic adventure.

Two decades have passed since the three musketeers triumphed over Cardinal Richelieu and Milady. Time has weakened their resolve and dispersed their loyalties. But treasons and stratagems still cry out for justice: civil war endangers the throne of France, while in England, Cromwell threatens to send Charles I to the scaffold. Dumas brings his immortal quartet out of retirement to cross swords with time, the malevolence of men, and the forces of history. But their greatest test is a titanic struggle with the son of Milady, who wears the face of Evil.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Blackstone Audio
• Release date: Mar 13, 2009
• ISBN: 9780786113088

Alexandre Dumas

Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870) was a prolific French writer who is best known for his ever-popular classic novels The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers.

Reviews for Twenty Years After

[john257hopper · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the banally-named sequel to Dumas's much more famous The Three Musketeers, once again bringing together D'Artagnan and his former comrades from the various paths in life that the events of the earlier novel left them in. There are the usual swashbuckling scenes, daring escapes and dramatic confrontations, but the villain here, Mordaunt, the son of the villainess in the earlier novel, is nowhere near as striking and memorable. Part of the novel takes place in England at the time of the trial and execution of King Charles I (and which gives rise to a memorable comment from Aramis showing his contempt for England and the English - "We shall be murdered there....I hate the English - they are coarse, like every nation that swills beer"). The politics of the Fronde are rather confusing (and I remember them as such from my History A level 33 years ago!) and overall this novel is not as strong as its predecessor.

[kerns222 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I just finished 3 musketeers. Should have stopped. Had enough swashbuckling. If that's your thing then this is another dose of the same/

[dbsovereign · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A sequel. The future finds our friends fatter.

[statmonkey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is often a forgotten entry in the Dumas oeuvre and that is really unfortunate. It is more than just a typical sequel, it takes place long after the original 3 Musketeers and then brilliantly back fills and recaps many events of the first novel without dragging down the new story. The plot promotes the same theories of a benevolent monarchy but subtly so and is enjoyable without considering the political ramifications of the characters motivations. All the humor and energy from the first book are there as Dumas once again shows that he belongs in the pantheon of great writers. For me, it is the occasional and casual line that the author throws in that stop you in mid-paragraph and cause you to recognize a great turn of phrase or an excellently developed scene that make this such a pleasurable read. In particular the first scene between Athos and the mother of his child.The side benefit to all of Dumas writing is the historical recap and accuracy with which he details the period of the book. You can easily get lost in time and place while learning a good deal about European History. I suppose also that as a male, the romantic idea friendship that goes beyond political boundaries and differences carries a lot of weight as well as the ideas that truth and honor are something more than pet phrases but actually provide rules to live by, has an attraction. This is not The Count of Monte Cristo but still one of the better historical adventure books to be read.Recommended to anyone who enjoyed The Count or The Three Musketeers. While a somewhat long book, don't be put off by it. It is one of those books that should be taken and drunk in slowly to appreciate the excellent writing and turn of phrase. This is a book I have come back to several times and enjoyed with each reading.

[schmerguls · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

1199. Twenty Years After, by Alexandre Dumas (read 25 Nov 1972) This is the great sequel to The Three Musketeers. It takes them up in 1648, and includes the effort by the heroes to save Charles I, with Athos, just under the scaffold, hearing Charles I's last private message. They capture Cardinal Mazarin, and extract favorable terms . The entire fantastic story is laid in the time of the first Fronde, and concludes in 1649. This is just an adventure story and is not really serious literature. But it is better written than the Rover Boys and I devoured the book with avidity.

[theidlewoman · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

While Twenty Years After is great fun, it seems that the rule of weaker sequels operated even in Dumas's day. First things first: I thought the Oxford Worlds Classics translation worked a lot better than the Penguin Red Classics translation of the Three Musketeers. However, the plot straggles a little. Dumas can't really decide what story he wants to tell - the uprising of the Frondeurs in Paris, or the musketeers' sortie to England to try to save Charles I. (Am I the only one who found that whole section unconvincing, or is it just because I'm English and already know the story of Charles I?) It seemed a little too easy to have as the enemy Milady's son, whom we are meant to believe is as depraved and evil as his mother was. I found it difficult to credit Dumas's initial concept: that these supposedly bosom friends have barely met in twenty years. Nor did I think it likely that if their service to Anne of Austria was as important as the Three Musketeers makes out, she would behave to them as she does here. Nevertheless, there are many, many wonderful passages, and I did enjoy the book as a whole. And the good news is, I've just started The Vicomte de Bragelonne, and Dumas is back on form.

[lukerik-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This is a very different proposition from The Three Musketeers. While much of the story flows along well, there are some quite boring passages and the plot, such as it is, is diffuse, and the content sometimes irrelevant. I think this may be caused by its serial nature - I think I'm right in saying that Dumas was paid by the word! Its status as a classic depends on its thematic brilliance. It's obsessed with social status and the divisions between classes. All characters are motivated by these divisions, or by the acquisition of money which is of course closely connected. Most clearly I suppose you see it in the characters of Anne of Austria and Charles I. They have gone so far as to believe that their class actually makes them closer to God. As to this edition, the translation is largely readable, though the anonymous translator does occasionally mangle the English language. The introduction is more of an outro to the series as a whole, and gives away plot points right up to the end of The Man in the Iron Mask. More seriously, the notes also do so. At one point Dumas hides Dogtagnan's opponent's identity both from him and from us. There's a note at this point which tells you who it is. This is not the only occasion where this happens. Not only is this unprofessional, it's also extremely rude.

[lkernagh · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not quite as good as The Three Musketeers but still a worthy read. Age and experience has tempered some of D'Artagnan's youthful exuberance and zeal, but not any of his passion to see a mission through. His friends - Athos, Porthos and Aramis - are best described by D'Artagnan: "Athos, for generosity, is a hero of romance; Porthos has an excellent disposition, but is easily influenced; Aramis has a hieroglyphic countenance, always illegible." While Dumas attempts to re-create the evil incarnate that was Milady in Mordaunt, I felt that Mordaunt lacks the cunning, sharp intellect and beguile that made Milady such a formidable foe. Still, he was a great evil character for the Musketeers to have against them. The same can be said for Cardinal Richelieu's replacement, Cardinal Mazarin. While the story could be considered a bit lackluster compared with The Three Musketeers, I liked how Dumas created a situation of divided loyalties for the four friends to give the already interesting historical setting of Paris in revolt and an England in conflict under Cromwell's authority added umph. Dumas has tempered some of the cavalier attitudes of our four friends - they are getting up there in age, you know! - while still retaining some of the verbal banting for more light-hearted moments, such as when D'Artagnan asks Porthos if a reconciliation has brought tears to his eyes and Porthos replies, "Yes," said Porthos; "but I do not know if it is feeling or the wind that makes me weep; I think it is the wind." ;-)Overall, another delightful adventure with the four friends and I am looking forward to reading book three in the D'Artagnan Romances series, The Vicomte de Bragelonne, or Ten Years Later.

[bookmarque · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Although not nearly as well-known as the first in the d’Artagnan Romances (The Three Musketeers) I think it might be better. Just. It depends on how you look at the books; as individual tales or as parts of a much longer story, which they are, but are also sold as stand-alones to some degree. At least the first one is. And as a stand alone it often takes the pot off the boil for the reader and goes to a lot of trouble describing the home life of our heroes. Much needed for us to get to know them, but not so great for a nail-biter of a plot. Twenty Years After doesn’t give as much characterization to each participant and thus the story moves on relentlessly with no stops for admiring the scenery.A lot has happened in the twenty years since we last met d’Artagnan, Porthos, Athos and Aramis. D’Artagnan is still only a lieutenant in the Musketeers, he longs to be promoted to Captain since the post is now open. Porthos has married his mistress and inherited vast estates and has more money than he knows what to do with. Athos has adopted a local orphan named Raoul and made him his heir. Aramis has become an abbe, but longs to be a Musketeer again. Cardinal Richelieu has died, replaced by Mazarin, universally loathed by the people, but not by Anne of Austria. Anne is now a widow and regent to her son Louis the XIV who is only 10. Mazarin holds the real power though.With promises of a captaincy and a baronetcy for d’Artagnan and Porthos respectively, they agree to serve Mazarin. Unfortunately, Athos and Aramis cannot be convinced to join them and instead come out of retirement on the side of the people clamoring for other aristocrats to get their due. One of which is the Duc de Beaufort, imprisoned in Vincennes. Later they both end up with Charles I against Cromwell when Porthos and d’Artagnan end up entangled on the pro-Cromwell side. At first they can’t see their way through their difficulties, but their friendship is too strong for modern politics and they promise to always put it first. The lackeys, too, are present and get involved in most of the plots in one way or another. Grimaud especially has a lot to do with the Duc de Beaufort and springing him from prison. Oh and Planchet, too, even though he’s not serving d’Artagnan anymore.The plot itself is pretty convoluted, full of underhanded people doing dastardly things. The king of the villains is Mordaunt though; son of Milady and bent on revenge for her death. This, of course, puts him at odds with our four friends and he’s a persistent thorn in their sides for most of the book. I think because there isn’t really much done to round him out as a character, he comes off as more evil and single-minded than his villainous mother. His scenes are great stuff, his malice fairly oozes through the words. From what I understand the next two books continue in the political vein started in this book and focus on Raoul, the Monarchy Restoration effort in England and the first years of Louis XIV’s reign. I’m looking forward to them - I think I’m a Dumas addict now.

[twiglet12 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I am on the side of Better than The Three Musketeers because there is more history and more of a story and I like the fact that there are conflicts between the friends. I still love The Three Musketeers just because it has been one of my favourites for such a long time and is still and excellent book and they both still get maximum starage.

[leahdawn_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

While this excellent book may not need another review, I feel that I have to say I enjoyed this one even more than "The Three Musketeers". I was thrilled to see Athos, Aramis, Porthos and D'Artagnan reunited, albeit much older and wiser, to embark on another grand adventure. And this one even had explosions!If you have read "The Three Musketeers", do not hestiate to pick up "Twenty Years After", it is certainly worth a read!And reading Dumas taught me some new words, like 'anthropophagi'. :)

[soylentgreen23 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I absolutely adored the first 'Three Musketeers' book. It was thrilling, it was fast-paced, it was unpredictable, and the characters were the sort you could fall in love with. 'Twenty Years After' is a decent sequel, looking at the lives of those same musketeers two decades later, and their subsequent adventures. The political intrigue is there, the action is there, the friendship is there, and yet that little bit of magic that was present in the first novel doesn't seem quite the same.

[clarencex_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book for all the reasons expressed below. One of the great things in the book is that it develops the characters of the four further than in first volume. We see the feet of clay - the avariciousness of D'Artagnan, the arrogance of Porthos, the snobbishness of Athos, the hypocrisy of Aramis, etc. But, rather than lessen the men, these faults seem to make them more human and even more attractive. I haven't had this much fun in years.

[clurb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The sequel to The Three Musketeers doesn't have quite such an exciting plot and lags a bit in places. But, saying that, there's a prison break, civil war, the execution of a king, explosions, midnight flights, murder, politics, love and humour. No, this isn't as good as The Three Musketeers, but it's still very, very good.

[misfit_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's been twenty years since the close of The Three Musketeers, and only D'Artagnan remains in service to the French Crown. Richelieu is dead and his protege Mazarin now holds the power behind the throne. Anne of Austria rules as regent for her young son, and civil war threatens France. D'Artagnan is sent to bring the Musketeers out of retirement, but they find themselves at odds between the two sides in the civil unrest. D'Artagnan wants to be promoted to captain and Porthos who wants to be a baron, side with Mazarin, Athos and Aramis with the Fronduers (sp?). However, they soon find that although much has changed, their love and friendship for each other remain intact, particularly when faced with the evil son of Milady, who is bent upon revenge against those who executed his mother. There's way too much plot to even try to explain, leave it to say that there is much adventure and derring do, from the civil war in France to the conflict between Charles I and Oliver Cromwell in England. I especially enjoyed the nail biting, sit on the edge of your seat excitement during the escape from England and Mordaunt, along with the rescue of D'Artagnan, Porthos and Athos from Mazarin (what fun!). Along with the excitement comes the humor of their constant banter and escapades making for a near perfect read. I personally liked the parts in England the best, but I think that's because I have a better understanding of English history than French. Even after researching that period in France and Mazarin online, I still got a bit confused at times, but that is a minor issue in comparison to the rest of the story. Dumas is brilliant (as always) and his dialogue is among the best (as always). An awesome sequel to the Three Musketeers, and I am looking forward to starting the next chapter in this story, The Vicomte De Bragelonne.

[wolf8_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My favorite book along with a tale of two cities, a better book than the 3 musketeers as it has so much more of history and adventure, plus you see them in a more realistic light

[gibbon_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A beautifully produced edition of a gripping historical romance set in the time of Cromwell, Charles I of England and Cardinal Mazarin of France. Most of the attraction is in the lengthy but fast-paced story, but it is not without insight into character, especially as it affects the actions of those with and without political power.