The Three Musketeers, Version 2
Alexandre Dumas
Read by Mark F. Smith
D’Artagnan, son of a poor Gascon aristocrat, travels to Paris to seek his fortune. His family connections enable him to obtain a position in a Guard regiment. His provincial ingenuousness and his hot-headed sense of honor earn him three duels in as many hours. Thankfully, his preparation with the sword is sufficient to recommend himself to his Musketeer antagonists, and they – Athos, Porthos, and Aramis – become his fast friends.
But fate also crosses D’Artagnan’s path with some dangerous people who become his opponents: a mysterious “man from Meung” and a woman who styles herself Milady, who has formidable seduction skills and a heart that is mean and violent. Fate also inserts D’Artagnan and his Musketeer friends squarely in the middle of a love triangle of heroic proportions – between Anne of Austria (the Queen of France), George Villiers (the Duke of Buckingham, France’s enemy), and the great spymaster, his Eminence the Cardinal Richelieu. Both of these gentlemen can command the armed forces of their respective countries to battle simply for the pleasure of beating the other. And the Musketeers must serve and risk life and limb at the siege of La Rochelle, a place where the Duke and the Cardinal have chosen to match wills.
In this age it was common for young cavaliers to live off the gifts of rich mistresses, and the four friends are certainly, it seems, bereft otherwise, although all are respectably employed as guardsmen to the King himself. Their love connections weave a further web about them which often seems to sidetrack their duty to King and country.
It takes all the efforts of the four to fend off the lethal consequences of mixing in the affairs of their betters and the slings and arrows (not to mention the musket and cannon balls!) of their outrageous fortunes. (Mark F. Smith) (26 hr 40 min)
Chapters
| Author's Preface | 5:39 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| The Three Presents of D'Artagnan the Elder | 38:45 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| The Antechamber of M. de Treville | 27:42 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| The Audience | 29:55 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| The Shoulder, The Baldric, and The Handkerchief | 19:35 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| The King's Musketeers and The Cardinal's Guards | 25:10 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| His Majesty King Louis XIII | 47:54 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| The Interior of the Musketeers | 22:30 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| Concerning a Court Intrigue | 19:52 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| D'Artagnan Shows Himself | 18:33 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| A Mousetrap in the Seventeenth Century | 22:18 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| In Which the Plot Thickens | 41:22 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| George Villiers - Duke of Buckingham | 21:20 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| Monsieur Bonacieux | 21:21 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| The Man of Meung | 23:27 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| Men of the Robe and Men of the Sword | 19:44 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| In Which M. de Segurier, Keeper of the Seals, Looks More Than Once for the Bell | 29:03 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| Bonacieux at Home | 31:50 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| Lover and Husband | 15:31 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| Plan of Campaign | 19:16 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| The Journey | 25:42 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| The Countess de Winter | 22:53 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| The Ballet of La Merlaison | 17:14 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| The Rendezvous | 25:29 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| The Pavilion | 24:47 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| Porthos | 44:33 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| Aramis and His Thesis | 40:26 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| The Wife of Athos | 47:30 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| The Return | 32:12 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| Hunting for the Equipments | 21:08 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| D'Artagnan and the Englishman | 17:44 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| English and French | 17:48 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| A Procurator's Dinner | 23:13 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| Mistress and Soubrette | 22:00 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| In Which the Equipment of Porthos and Aramis Is Treated Of | 20:18 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| A Gascon a Match for Cupid | 17:28 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| Dream of Vengeance | 17:03 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| Milady's Secret | 16:18 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| How, Without Incommoding Himself, Athos Procures His Equipment | 21:04 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| A Vision | 21:05 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| A Terrible Vision | 18:58 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| The Siege of La Rochelle | 30:03 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| The Anjou Wine | 17:43 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| The Sign of the Red Dovecot | 18:50 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| The Utility of Stovepipes | 19:20 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| A Conjugal Visit | 14:15 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| The Bastion Saint-Gervais | 15:49 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| The Council of the Musketeers | 37:47 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| A Family Affair | 33:57 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| A Fatality | 19:23 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| Chat Between a Brother and Sister | 18:40 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| Officer | 26:30 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| Captivity: The First Day | 17:26 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| Captivity: The Second Day | 18:03 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| Captivity: the Third Day | 21:51 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| Captivity: The Fourth Day | 21:36 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| Captivity: The Fifth Day | 37:15 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| Means of Classical Tragedy | 16:39 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| Escape | 18:30 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| What Happened at Portsmouth | 24:29 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| In France | 12:49 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| The Carmelite Convent at Bethune | 30:58 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| Two Varieties of Demons | 11:07 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| The Drop of Water | 32:27 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| The Man in the Red Cloak | 13:34 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| Trial | 19:05 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| Execution | 11:14 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| Conclusion | 21:06 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
| Epilogue | 4:04 | Read by Mark F. Smith |
Reviews
Narrated by Mark Smith, I think
One of the best narrators on Librivox. Its rare for a single narrator to do a story of this length but the story is the more awesome for it. As for the story itself, the ending tone was much different than the old Gene Kelly movie that brought me here, but I loved it all the same. Great story, great narration.
Solid Read
Co_Zy
Solid reading of an excellent, classic story -one of the most widely read French novels of all time! I prefer the consistency of pronunciation and pacing of this version as compared to the version read by a group of volunteers (although that one is listenable, too). Many thanks to Mark Smith!
A Narration For One & All
Vin Warrican
Mr Smith delivered a riveting narration. The versatility of his voice brought life to all characters therein. To one, such as I, familiar with the movie adaptations, it was fascinating to learn the full story of Musketeers & discern the variations & similarities betwixt the adaptations & the famous tome itself. In listening, I felt I heard Van Heflin's Athos & Gene Kelly's D'Artagnan or Charlton Heston's Cardinal Richlieu & Richard Chamberlain's Aramas. All portrayals, however, pale in comparison to Mr Smith's singularly accomplished portrayal of M'Lady- particularly within the 'Captivity' chapters of the story. A Splendid Narration breathing singular Life into an often told, though equally often abridged, adventure.
Brilliant
Not only is the story an excellent one, the dictation one of the best I've heard. At no time did I have any problem in knowing which character was which due to the narrators brilliant voices. It has cost me more of my spare time than I could afford in listening to this recording, but I have gladly paid it and will do so again.
Excellent narration
MaryH
Definitely want to listen to Mark Smith, friend of Alexander Dumas, again! 😁
Methinks that the sword is mightier than the pen
Lord de Ville
this is a swashbuckling tale set in the early 17th century, when the French believe themselves to be superior to all other nations and who reacted with belligerent self righteous indignation in response to the slightest challenge. Quite a stretch for our imagination then. It was a time when quarrels were resolved with a few deft strokes of the sword. Nowadays we have to complete an online form and submit it to the complaints handling procedure. this is an epic story and Mark Smith does a sterling job at maintaining pace and enthusiasm so as to keep us fully engaged. I suspect that French is not a standard curriculum topic in the schools of South Carolina as his French accent is a little wayward and he even mangles the author's name. but I cannot complain too much as I don't speak French. Note: I can speak French, I just don't. In summary, the escapist plot and larger-than-life characters are complemented by Mr Smith's animated reading and have left me wanting more. "Encore" I cry. Or "bis" in French.
Good
Mark Smith is an excellent reader though out. The story itself felt a bit long. Also I was surprised at how the main characters were not the noble, honorable gentleman that I assumed the musketeers would be. There are also four of them! I did enjoy it but was close to dropping it in the middle. I have never seen a film adaptation so it was completely new to me.
Riveting tale; don't expect the movie
CB
This French tale is a daring look at France and the time of the Musketeers. So much happens as to make one sometimes amused and often despair for the lives of the four main characters. I did not know every movie rendition differed greatly from this book's storyline, keeping the characters well-portrayed but events quite different. Which is better? Listen to this to find out.