Alexandre Dumas

Depicted by his English colleague Watts Philips as the most true-hearted person he had ever met, Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie was a French writer of well-known historical novels and adventure books. Some of his most popular works include The Count of Monte Cristo, The Three Musketeers, and Twenty Years After.

Alongside the likes of Victor Hugo, he is considered one of the greatest French authors of all time, translated into over 100 languages. Back in 2002, by the orders of the French president himself Jacques Chirac, Dumas’ remains were transferred from Puys to the Pantheon, the place where some of the most important figures of French history lay at peace.

Most of his work is in audiobook format today. In fact, some of them are available on Speechify. Therefore, allow us to introduce you to Dumas and his work by providing you with a summary of some of his most significant novels in the text below.

A review of the life of Alexandre Dumas Père— French author and playwright

Dumas’ father Thomas-Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie was a son of a général commissaire and marquis Alexandre Antoine Davy de la Pailleterie and a black slave, Marie-Cessette Dumas, born in the colony of Saint-Domingue—now Haiti. He would later move to France to join the French army military school, finally becoming a famous general.

Dumas’ father married Marie-Louise, and together they had three children, of which Alexandre was the youngest. He was born in 1802, in Villers-Cotterets in Aisne, France. The young Alexandre Dumas worked for the Duke d’Orléans, who would later become King Louis-Philippe, writing theater plays and magazine articles. However, after Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte came to power, he fled from Paris to Belgium then to Italy and even to Russia.

During his career, Dumas worked closely with various assistants, with Auguste Maquet being the most famous. Together, they wrote the novel Georges, which would serve as an inspiration for his later work The Count of Monte Cristo. Unfortunately for Maquet, his role in the work wasn’t as recognized as he wanted, so he eventually sued Dumas.

Thanks to the major success of the book, Dumas earned lots of money. This helped him build his own country house, appropriately named Château de Monte-Cristo. He was known for having numerous mistresses and several illegitimate children despite his marriage to Ida Ferrier. He was often referred to as Alexandre Dumas père to differentiate him from his son Alexandre Dumas fils.

Some of Dumas’ most historical books as an author

As mentioned, Dumas is one of the greatest French authors, not just of romanticism, but of all time. His work in historical fiction, drama, and nonfiction includes dozens of titles. He even wrote many romance novels, such as the Valois Romances with characters like François, Henry II, Marguerite, and François II. Many of his works have been included in compilation books such as Alexandre Dumas by Jean de Lamaze.

Here, we’re taking a look at four of his most famous historical fiction books.

The Three Musketeers (1844)

Originally titled in French Les Trois Mousquetaires, The Three Musketeers tells the heroic story of D’Artagnan who seeks to join the king’s elite guard of swordsmen—the musketeers—comprised of Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. After befriending them, they end up fighting for justice in affairs of state and court.

The book is the first part of the D’Artagnan Romances, which also consist of sequels Twenty Years After (Vingt Ans apres) and Ten Years Later (Le Vicomte de Bragelonne ou Dix ans plus tard). Interestingly enough, the book was released a few years before the Second French Revolution, during the time of civil unrest between monarchists and republicans.

You can listen to The Three Musketeers and Twenty Years After as audiobooks on Speechify.

The Count of Monte Cristo (1844-1845)

Alongside The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo is Dumas’ most famous novel. It tells the revenge story of Dantes, who is wrongly accused of treason and sent to prison, where he learns of the treasure on the Island of Monte Cristo. After a famous escape, which we won’t spoil, Dante finds the riches and starts his plans for revenge against the men who framed him.

The Count of Monte Cristo is available as an audiobook on Speechify.

The Man in the Iron Mask (1850)

The Man in the Iron Mask continues the story of D’Artagnan and his fellow three musketeers. After an unfortunate set of events, Athos gathers the two other musketeers to try to convince D’Artagnan to join them in an attempt to install King Louis XIV’s brother to the throne. The king’s brother is rumored to be kept in a cell with an iron mask on his face, hence the name of the novel.

Once again, Dumas’ The Man in the Iron Mask is available in audiobook form right here on Speechify.

The Black Tulip (1850)

The Black Tulip is another famous Dumas book we need to talk about. Namely, Alexandre Dumas writes about Cornelius von Baerle and his sole purpose in life—to create a black tulip, one that would win him a grand prize for its cultivation. However, when his godfather is assassinated, the protagonist entangled in a dangerous and deadly political game.

Just like the previous three Dumas’ masterpieces, The Black Tulip is available as an audiobook in Speechify’s ever-growing collection of titles.

Dumas’ influence on film, television, and theater productions

Although it’s not talked about enough, Dumas’ influence on film, television, and theater is enormous. Namely, most of his works have at least one adaptation in the mentioned three formats. For example, La Reine Margot (Marguerite de Valois: An Historical Romance) has four movie adaptations alone, with the first one being way back in 1910.

The reason why Dumas’ work is so popular can be talked about for hours. However, we think that it’s actually rather simple. Dumas’ novels are full of inspiration and are just in themselves great tales, ready to be told and retold generation after generation. Nevertheless, let’s list some of his work that was adapted into film, television, theater, or all three.

• The Three Musketeers
• The Man in the Iron Mask
• The Count of Monte Cristo
• Le Chevalier de Sainte-Hermine
• The Marie Antoinette Romance series
• The Vicomte de Bragelonne—Ten Years Later

Listen to some of Alexandre Dumas’ books with Speechify Audiobooks

In case you consider yourself an avid reader but also fond of audiobooks, Speechify is the place for you. Speechify is home to over 60,000 audiobooks, including various works by none other than Alexandre Dumas. All you need to do is subscribe, and you’ll get the chance to get your first audiobook for only $1.

FAQ

Who was the first black general in the French army?

Thomas-Alexandre Dumas was the first French general who was a person of color. He was the father of none other than Alexandre Dumas, the writer.