The Three Musketeers Readalong Post 2: Chapters 30-67.

Welcome to the second post of our The Three Musketeers readalong hosted here at A Literary Odyssey. Two weeks ago, participants posted their thoughts on the first half of Dumas' novel. Today, we will be discussing the second half of this French classic.

I really enjoyed the first half of this novel. I found it to be fun, light, and easy to read. In fact, I was well on my way to declaring this a favorite.

Because this truly is a fun read. Each chapter is filled with action and laughter. The musketeers and D’Artagnan are slightly ridiculous and while they seem to be in "peril" in certain parts of the novel, I never fear for them.

However, the book began to lose its charm for me in the second half of the novel. The focus shifted away from our male heroes for a length of time to follow our villain as she made her way to England. Madame de Winter is captured and we spend the next length of time with her in her captivity.

This is where Dumas lost me...and made me angry. We watch as de Winter continues to be made into a villain, which she is. But it is the way she reaches her viciousness that bothered me. She uses seduction and low tricks to manipulate the men around her...and after reading it for a while, I got annoyed. Why is it that women can only be clever when they use their sex appeal? It seemed to me as if Dumas was saying that women are either helpless (aka Constance Bonacieux or the Queen), or some kind of evil seductress. I didn't see a middle ground.

I also got annoyed with the treatment of Constance Bonacieux near the end of the novel. It almost felt like Dumas didn't know what to do with her.

I also got to the point where I was done being humored by the exploits of our heroes. It started to become tired. I wanted to shake them and make them care for the people around them. By the end of the novel, I began to see them as selfish and spoiled. Yes, grown spoiled men.

But the biggest problem is that I simply wanted more from this. Where The Count of Monte Cristo left me thinking and debating in my head, this was just what it appeared to me. I have been thinking about this novel for the last few days since I finished it, and I still can't find the deeper meaning I am looking for. In comparison to many of the other classics I have read, this one just seems to lack the lasting impact I want from these titles.

It was fun, yes. And I will probably reread it at some point. But it just lacked the depth I crave and the power to make a lasting impression on me.

How did you feel about it?

If you participated and completed the readalong, post a link to your post below. In addition, please leave me your e-mail so I can contact you. :) Thank you!

The Three Musketeers Readalong Post 1: Chapters 1-29.

Welcome to post 1 of 2 for the readalong of Alexandre Dumas’ The Three Musketeers hosted here at A Literary Odyssey. This post covers the first half of the book (roughly 300 or so pages depending on your edition), or the first 29 chapters.

This is only the second novel by Dumas that I have read. I have read The Count of Monte Cristo twice and have loved it intensely both times. So why did I wait so long to pick up another novel by Dumas? I think we can all be intimidated by the length in Dumas’ works. The Count of Monte Cristo is truly a brick of a book (my edition is over 1000 pages), and so are many of Dumas’ other novels. Sometimes when it comes to a choice between a 200 and a 600 page book, my sanity meter kicks in and I pick the shorter read.

But, halfway through The Three Musketeers, I feel like I am reading a quick novel. The pace never lets up. Each page has action and drama. I am sucked in to the world of the musketeers and D’Artagnan. Their swords crash constantly and there is never a dull moment.

When I first started, I was a little wary. Our main character, D’Artagnan, is introduced from the beginning a young (and kind of foolish) man who seemed to draw his sword at every little insult. I was put off by him at first and couldn’t believe that Dumas would craft such a silly character.

As the novel went on and I was introduced to more of the main characters (mainly the three musketeers: Athos, Porthos, and Aramis) I was drawn in to the action and liveliness of D’Artagnan. He wasn’t silly anymore, just chivalrous and young. Soon, I found myself beginning to fall in love with the romantic sweep of the novel.

Because at its very core, this is a fun novel and I need some of that fun in my life. While the novel certainly explores some deep things-like murder, treason, etc-it is done in a way that I am constantly entertained. Each of the four main characters makes me smile in their own way and seem to dance off the page. I love their banter, and their need to constantly draw their swords. It is fun, light-hearted, and not at all what I expected.

I will say that the only fault I find in the novel is the main characters lack of...morals? There is constant repetition of the fact that they borrow money from others, steal, and gamble. I understand some of it, but it has gotten to be a little much (particularly the scene with Athos trapped in the cellar of that poor innkeeper). However, it is not enough to prevent me from really enjoying the story, and that is what matters.

The story is progressing and while 300 or so pages have passed, I am still anxious to see what happens. So far our heroes have killed numerous men, rescued gems from England, and been wounded. We have also learned a bit about each of their mysterious pasts and the lives of our musketeers are slowly being unfolded. I, for one, cannot wait to see what happens.

If you are participating in the readalong, please comment here and leave a link to your post so I can link it here. Make sure you check back often so you can visit other participants and see their thoughts (that’s what makes a readalong fun!).

I will see you back here on March 31 for the second half of the book!

All for one and one for all!

Falaise

Bookworm1858

Karen

L.L.

tasseled

Amy

Bex

Amy-Lit Quest (Not a participant, but wrote a GREAT post!)

The Three Musketeers Readalong Sign-ups:

I am pleased to announce the sign-ups for The Three Musketeers readalong for March 2011! I know that I was excited when this title won the showdown against Moby Dick by Herman Melville. And while I am still planning on reading Melville's tome on the white whale, and I am even more excited to pull this wonderful title off my shelf and dive in.

I like Dumas, even though I have only read one of his books (The Count of Monte Cristo). However, his stories, especially this one, are very familiar and accessible.

If you are unfamiliar with the story, here is a summary from Goodreads.com;

"Perhaps the greatest “cloak and sword” story ever written, The Three Musketeers, first published ion 1844, is a tale for all time. Pitting the heroic young d’Artagnan and his noble compatriots, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis against the master of intrigue, Cardinal Richelieu, and the quintessential wicked woman, Lady de Winter, Alexandre Dumas has created an enchanted France of swordplay, schemes and assignations. The era and the characters are based on historical fact, but the glittering romance and fast-paced action spring from a great writer’s incomparable imagination. From the perilous retrieval of the queens gift to her lover in time to foil Rechelieu’s plot to the melodramatic revelation of Lady de Winter’s true identity, The Three Musketeers is the unchallenged archetype for literary romance and a perennial delight for generations of readers."

Like I said, I am VERY excited for this readalong.

Here is the schedule I have planned out. The pages are based on my edition, which is a Bantam Classic paperback. I am sure that the chapters are the same. :)

• Post 1 will go up on March 15th (Tuesday): Post 1 will be over the first half of the book (the first 316 pages OR chapters 1-29)
• post 2 will go up on March 31st (Thursday): Post 2 will cover the second half of the book (roughly from page 317 to page 635 OR chapters 30-67)

If there is huge public outcry from the participants on any of these dates, please let me know and we can discuss changing things around.

To participate, all you need to do is comment here saying you're in! Make sure you leave me a link to your blog so I can link you here with your name. I do hope you'll consider. As my current readalong participants will soon be able to tell you, there are wonderful things in store if you complete the readalong!

If you are a participant, the only requirement for completion is to post on or around the posting date. I don't require you to comment on everyone else's posts, but that's the fun part!

So, are you in? If so, comment away! And please consider sending more people this way. The more the merrier.

"All for one, one for all!"

Participants:
InkWorkNow
Whitney
L.L.
Ellen
Bex
Falaise
Tasseled
Bookworm1858
Aimee
Karenlibrarian
Alexandra
FleurFisher (maybe)

Sunday Salon: April 25, 2010.

It is really hard to believe that April is almost over! Where is time going these days?

I had a pretty good week in terms of reading. I am still in the middle of the three books at left. While I did my post for The Count of Monte Cristo and the Classics Circuit on Friday, I still have a little left to finish. It is a phenomenal novel and I think i just bit off a little more than I could chew doing it along with a few other things.

I am also still working on the second collection of Sherlock Holmes short stories. They have fallen by the wayside in the last week as I have been chipping away at the two big novels, but I really want to get through them by the end of the month.

The Brothers Karamazov has been a pleasant surprise and my last post over the 4th part and my feelings about the book as a whole will be posted on Thursday. I will be glad to wrap up all of these books. I find it hard to concentrate on so many different books at once. My mind is going all different directions as I read them! At least with reading the short stories I can settle in with one story in one quick sitting and not be bothered.

I did really enjoy the read-along and would love to do more of them in the future. It makes reading the harder books a little easier, since I almost feel like I have to get posts up to meet my commitment. Odd, isn't it? I did join a Paradise Lost read-along with Rebecca Reads. Paradise Lost is another title that intimidates me, so I hope to get through it unscathed. Speaking if intimidating titles, what books scare you off??

Goals for this week are to finish the three books I have in progress: The Brothers Karamazov, The Count of Monte Cristo, and The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes.

Happy Reading!

Classics Circuit Tour: Alexandre Dumas

I would like to welcome the Classics Circuit and Mr. Alexandre Dumas to my blog today on his tour! For those of you who are unaware of the Classics Circuit, it is a great way to experience some wonderful classic authors and their writing on a variety of blogs.

I had originally intended to read two pieces of Dumas' fiction, The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers in anticipation of today's tour, but I only managed to spend quality time with the Count.

I originally read The Count of Monte Cristo as a freshman for my Honors English class. It was one of the three books we were required to read over the summer and I absolutely loved it. It was far different than anything else my little 14 year-old self was reading and has remained a long time favorite.

The Count of Monte Cristo follows the story of Edmond Dantes, a sailor who's luck was beginning to turn for the good. On a stay home when his ship comes into port, it seems as if Dantes has the world at his feet. His father is excited to see him, his fiance wishing for their wedding day, and the prospect of soon being named the captain of his ship. However, sinister plots by people close to him and his family result in Dantes being thrown in jail for over 14 years.

In jail he meets a fellow prisoner and together they plot to escape. Dantes learns other languages and propriety. It is only when his fellow prisoner is on his death bed that he learns of a treasure buried on the island of Monte Cristo. It is after Dantes escapes that the story takes a different turn.

Mysterious characters begin to emerge and the lives of the people who knew Dantes 14 years before begin to change. Some find fortune and riches from unknown sources. Others find tragedy and are murdered. Slowly, person by person, Dantes exacts his revenge for what was done to him unjustly.

It is a novel that encapsulates great themes of love, adventure, and revenge. I remember the first time I read it how shocked I was that we were being allowed to read this for a school assignment. The power of Dantes and what he is doing was so different from anything else I had ever read in English class.

Even with this last re-read, I fell in love again. Dumas has managed to create a portrait of vengeance that is all-powerful and will always linger as the epitome of revenge stories. Dumas' skill lies not only in the characters he molds, but in the strength of creating a lasting story that does not age through the decades.

The Count of Monte Cristo has always remained a favorite of mine since the first time I read it, and will always remain that way. It is a timeless story and a great place to start if you are new to Dumas.



I encourage you all check out the Classics Circuit (it is linked above) and to even participate! It is a great way to discover the classics in small doses, and you all know how I feel about the classics!

Life Gets in the Way.

Well then. I missed blogging like crazy this past week, and reading.

Again, I am so sorry that I went missing for a little bit, but I had some other obligations that took up a lot of time this past week. It takes a LONG time to fill out multiple online applications, but they are finally finished and we are waiting to see what happens. I barely had time to check my e-mail, let alone get posts up!

But, I have a big back-log of posts ready and waiting to go up (I am behind about 6/7 books from what I am currently reading), but they'll gradually go up as they always do. And I had been doing so well and had caught up so I was only 1 book behind. What can I say, life gets in the way sometimes.

Anyway, you can look forward to some great things in the near future. I have another The Brothers Karamazov post coming up on Thursday, as well as being the home of the Classics Circuit on Friday. Both should be wonderful.

Since I didn't do my Sunday Salon post, I'll just let you know that I haven't done a whole lot of reading in the last week. Even though I only had a small chunk of Persuasion left after the read-a-thon, I didn't finish it until Sunday. I have also been working my way through The Count of Monte Cristo for Friday's post, but I highly doubt I will also get through The Three Musketeers by then as well, like I had planned. Oh well, life happens.

So look for new posts that will start going up tomorrow!

I look forward to catching up on all of your wonderful posts!

Sunday Salon: April 11, 2010.

My eyes are still feeling a little heavy after reading so much yesterday, but let's give this post a go!

Things are going to get a little crazy around here this week, and I doubt I will get much of anything done before Tuesday. On Tuesday Matt and me are heading up to Michigan State for their annual Teacher Recruitment Fair. Every year school districts from around the country and Michigan go to meet with new grads, and old alums like me, and see if jobs can be found! The last two years I focused solely on talking with Michigan schools, since we didn't want to move. This year, however, we have both come to the realization that Michigan is floundering and there aren't very many teaching jobs.

We researched all the the out of state districts and have a list of our top districts (mainly in Colorado). Our only criteria was that there was a university or college within driving distance!

Anyway, Tuesday should be an exciting day and I hope that I come home with good news...and a job contract!

After all the excitement of Tuesday, I do have some grand reading plans!

• Finish Persuasion by Jane Austen: In all reality, I should finish this today, since I only have 60 or so pages left. It will make good bedtime reading tonight.
• Read/Finish The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas for the Classics Circuit. I keep putting these off and I need to finish them both!
• Read/Finish Part 2 of The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky. I read another 100 pages yesterday in the read-a-thon, but I still have a chunk to go before Thursday's post.

Well, with all of that being said, I am going to go make breakfast and eat before I leave for work!

Happy Reading!

Sunday Salon: March 28, 2010.

This was definitely a more calm week than last week. I would say that it was needed!

The weather changes have really been bothering me. I am susceptible to migraines, and I have had quite a few this week. With fronts coming in, the temperature changing, my head has been pounding almost all week.

I am glad to say that starting tomorrow I got back to full time hours working at the park and my supervisor pay! Matt and I are really looking forward to me working more and I can't wait to have more time to be out of the house and doing something. I love working at the park!

Unfortunately, no sub jobs for this week. I rarely saw anything posted and when I did, it was something I am not qualified to sub in (special education resource rooms).

There are rumors circulating in Michigan that there is a bill in question forcing many teachers of retiring age to retire, or they will be forced to start paying their own benefits. As an unemployed educator, I'm not sure what to think about this. There are a LARGE number of retired-age teachers still working, so having those jobs open would mean great things for the thousands of people in my situation! But, I don't know if this bill is the right way to do that. Who knows!

In reading news this week, I had another great week. I managed to get through a Holmes novel and Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. Woolf always takes a little more concentration than I think it will, but it is always worth it. I even went to the library to check some things out and get small paperback copies of each of the Holmes novels. I have rheumatoid arthritis and my big, hardcover edition of the complete Holmes stories and novels is too heavy to hold up. Unfortunately, my library is lacking in the individual novels. All they have are the big compilations which doesn't help my situation. I did find a large print edition of A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four. I read A Study in Scarlet out of it and the huge letters actually made my eyes go a little batty. All of the other novels and story collections I am trying to get through inter-library loan. We'll see how that goes.

I also made some big changes here on the blog. After an e-mail from blogger letting me know they were revising some templates and editing options, I decided to take advantage of their new 3-column look with a total blog makeover that is completely different from what I had (hopefully you noticed). It makes things easier for me since I don't have to scroll way down to see some vital pieces of information. I also think the template is little more custom to my blog-the whole "odyssey" theme. I am loving it, but expect to see a few small tweaks and changes as I get used to it.

I also added another page at the top. I have been getting a lot of e-mails recently with questions about my blog, so I figured I should answer them. Rather than have one big post, I thought it would be easier to have an easily seen page with the answers. Feel free to check it out!


This coming week I am hoping to get through another Sherlock Holmes novel, as well as The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. I am also hoping to start one of the 2 Dumas novels I am reading for my stop on the Classics Circuit. My giveaway for two signed, hardcover copies of Carrie Ryan's books ends Thursday at midnight.

I am hoping for another good reading week, so keep your fingers crossed!

Happy reading everyone!

Sunday Salon: March 21, 2010.

I had a really great week this week! One of the biggest accomplishments was getting caught up on the piles and piles of laundry that were taking over our bedroom. It is so nice to have clean clothes to wear! But I am amazed at how much laundry two people can have.

Tuesday night was the return of our community band after a 2 week break. Matt and I both play (trumpet), so we were glad to get back into the swing of things. We have some great music this half of the semester and I am pretty excited. We're playing a piece inspired by Whitman's poems! I have mad love for Whitman, so I am really into the piece we're playing. I even have a solo!

Wednesday was St. Patty's Day, so we had grand plans (this is where it is nice to not be working). Unfortunately I woke up with a nasty migraine, so after nursing me for a bit Matt met some friends for breakfast and early beverage consumption. Thankfully by the time they returned here I was feeling better. We all hung out for awhile until I went to work from 4 to 8, then partied some more after. It was great to see friends and family and just relax. Also, it was gorgeous outside so the windows were wide open and we all enjoyed some fresh air.

Thursday was also a great day. We slept in before cleaning up from the night before. Thursday night I got to meet Carrie Ryan! I also picked up some extra copies of her books for her to sign and for me to give away! It was a great experience and I really need to make it a point to go to more book signings. I love hearing writers discuss their writing process and the stories behind their novels. It is simply fascinating. Carrie was especially wonderful and offered great insights to up and coming writers.

Last night we were originally going to travel into the "thumb" of Michigan to my in-laws' cabin for a maple syrup making party, but I woke up with a sore throat and came home from work with those dreaded white spots in my throat. Matt decided to stay home and nurse me, which was a wise decision since our power ended up going out!

In book news...

Earlier this week I got a newsletter from Penguin Classics announcing the release of more titles to their Hardcover Classics line. I mentioned in an earlier post how I am desperately want all of these editions. In general, I really like Penguin Classics. They are well done and beautiful editions. And these gorgeous hardcovers are no exception. I own the editions of Wuthering Heights, Cranford, and Tess of D'Urbervilles, but I really want all of them (Note: If anyone wants to butter me up, please buy me these. Thanks.). Here are the five new editions:

Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll

Emma by Jane Austen

Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence

Treasure Island by Robert Lewis Stevenson

The Odyssey by Homer

I would like one of each, thanks! I personally love the new edition of The Odyssey, I just love the color and the image of the waves, but each one is beautiful. I would love to have all of them on my shelves. If you want to see the whole line, here is the place to look. I should probably add here that Penguin has no idea who I am, so I am not specifically endorsing their products for them. I just love them!

I also had a pretty good reading week. I finished Lord of the Flies, which was an odd little book. I also read Death of a Salesman and Misanthrope. I am also working on number 55 on the original list, which is the "Complete" Sherlock Holmes novels and stories. It is a huge task, but I am working on the first novel, A Study in Scarlet. To get through all four novels and 56 short stories will be a long process-bear with me! I have The Cherry Orchard by Chekov on my desk, as well as The Picture of Dorian Gray. To be fair, I'm not sure what is up next. I think I might have a long visit with my bookshelves to see what pops out.

I am probably going to work on finishing up the Lost Challenge in the next couple of weeks. I only have two more books to read for it, but I am not sure which. I have these four titles to choose from: Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, and The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. Any suggestions?

I also need to work on completing two Dumas novels for the Classics Circuit. I am going to read two novels for the circuit, The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers, so I should get going on those.

It seems like I have a lot of reading to take care of in the next few weeks!

Happy Reading everyone!

Sunday Salon...on Monday.

This has been a horrid week. My laptop has some insane virus on it that is driving me crazy and while Matt and I have tried to get it off with a lot of different scans, nothing is working. We decided that we are just going to wipe it and reboot it tonight. Luckily, I got on yesterday and managed to save everything I needed, so I shouldn't lose anything else (I lost my novel in progress back in January when we tried to wipe the laptop-sensing a trend?)

Since I was so upset about not blogging and getting new posts up, reading fell by the wayside for most of the week. I did start Wuthering Heights on Saturday morning and now I only have about 50 pages left. But, reading was not as successful as it could have, and should have been.

I also had my first day of substitute teaching on Friday. I spent half the day in a kindergarten classroom. I was completely out of my element, since I am certified for 6-12, so I don't think I will be taking a job like that again any time soon. I do have a 2-day job lined up for Thursday and Friday at the district that wanted to hire me this past summer and the job is in my age group and subject matter, so it should be a fun 2 days!

I also signed up for the Classics Circuit in April. I am bummed not to be participating in the Zola tour. I read Germinal in December and loved it, but it was the only Zola on my list. To make up for my disappointment, I will be reading two novels for Dumas, which I am eager to read.

I am also disappointed in the lack of entries for my giveaway, so if you haven't already, please enter! And spread the word! There is a link at the top of my blog.

Goals for this week:

• Laptop back up and running.
• Finish posts for O Pioneers and Little Women
• Finish Wuthering Heights
• Read Alias Grace

Happy reading everyone and I hope to be back in the full swing of things soon!

Book 25: O Willa....

Way back in the summer before ninth grade, I had a reading assignment to complete. Since I was attempting to be an over-achiever, I signed up for Honors English. That last few weeks of school in 8th grade were a bummer once we all found out we had to read three assigned books before the beginning of school.

Those books were The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, a choice between Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card or David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (I wisely chose Card's book unlike 4 of my classmates), and My Antonia by Willa Cather.

I decided to bring these three books with me on our annual summer vacation up to my grandparent's cottage. I have many great memories of reading up there in the summer while lying on the end of the dock, or sitting in the boat, and that summer is no exception.

Things start off well. I decided to read The Count of Monte Cristo first, since it seemed to be the heaviest of the three. I actually ended up loving the revenge and violence of the book and flew through it in 2 days. Then I decided to read Ender's Game. I had not read any science fiction at that point, but reading that book launched my love affair with the genre. By this point, I was ecstatic. If all Honors English was like this, I was going to be amazing. My teacher was going to love me and I knew I was going to rock in my class and show off my mad reading skills.

But I had one book left, and that book was My Antonia by Willa Cather. When we went to buy a copy, it definitely didn't seem intimidating. After all, it had a pink cover. I figured it was a girly romance and I could fly through it, no problem!

That is where it all went downhill. For some reason, I HATED Cather's novel. It was all I could do to force myself through it, page by page, moaning and groaning the entire way. I can vividly remember sitting in the back of the boat, book in hand, and trying not to chuck it in the water and be done with it. Somehow, I managed to finish it and I vowed that I would never read it ever again.

On the first day of ninth grade, however, the world's scariest English teacher, Mrs. P, gave us the lecture that scared us for the rest of the year (I was actually petrified of her until 12th grade when she subbed for us. Then I realized she was actually an awesome lady). She told us on that first day that the first month of school would be devoted to those three books and we were going to discuss every detail.

She also told us that she had no problem letting us struggle under water for as long as we needed to, and she was the kind of person to only dive in and get you if you actually drowned. It was a scary speech for a freshman.

We managed to discuss the other novels and there was a general consensus that everyone like the book choices. After all, they were pretty entertaining. But when it came time for My Antonia, no one said much of anything. In fact, the only thing I can really remember about the book is the "red grass" and that was all my classmates could remember. We discussed that red grass blowing in the wind so many times that I swore that if I ever saw red grass in my life I would scream (I haven't so I haven't had to embarrass myself yet).

It was pure luck that I was not assigned to the group that had to do a final project on My Antonia. We all felt bad for those poor kids (I got to do my project on Ender's Game).

So, you can understand why I have reservations about reading Willa Cather again. I mean, she ruined my summer and I don't even remember why! However, I am a believer in that a book has to come to you in the right moment for you to click with it (unless it is Dickens because I will never click with Dickens) and perhaps at 13 I just wasn't ready for Cather. I am willing to give her another chance and see if age has helped, especially since it has been 11 years since that experience.

Here is to second chances and red grass!