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Which is over 1,100 pages long but remains an enthralling page-turner. I hope you have the Penguin Classics edition, which has the most modern complete translation (by Robin Buss).
I do indeed have the Penguin edition which, as you say, is an excellent translation. Have you read any other other of Dumas' works? I confess I haven't but reading this has made me tempted to go for The Three Musketeers next.
Yes, I've read The Three Musketeers and its sequels Twenty Years After, The Vicomte de Bragelonne, Louise de la Vallière, and The Man in the Iron Mask.
Musketeers is of course a rip-roaring classic and much recommended--after reading it, watch Richard Lester's two part film adaptation The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers. None of the other films of the book come close.
Twenty Years After, the immediate sequel, is almost as good as TTM but more disillusioned. As the title indicates, it's set two decades after the first story and time has done some damage to our heroes. As for the three later sequels, they're disappointing. They're really three parts of a single historical romance (a very tedious one) set in the court of Louis XIV, and the original musketeers mostly have supporting roles. The iron mask business is almost an afterthought and it gets lost in the historical stuff. You can skip those books and watch Douglas Fairbanks's marvelous The Iron Mask instead.
Thanks for the recommendations, I've never heard of the Douglas Banks version and I'm a fan of his so I will check that out. I take it then you wouldn't encourage me to watch The Man in the Iron Mask with Leo DiCaprio? I've heard decent things and the cast is quite impressive but no doubt it pales it comparison to the novel.
I've never seen the DiCaprio version--I hear it makes some ridiculous changes to the original. There's also the 1939 Man in the Iron Mask, directed by James Whale, but I thought it was inferior to the Fairbanks film, which it borrows from. Fairbanks's Iron Mask has an extra poignance because it was his goodbye to the swashbuckling genre.
As for films of The Count of Monte Cristo, the best I've seen are Monte Cristo (1922), starring the very well-cast John Gilbert; The Count of Monte Cristo (1964), an excellent 300 minute BBC miniseries starring Alan Badel (only available on region 2 DVD); and Monte Cristo (1929), a stunning three-hour late silent film that might be the best version of all but is very hard to find (PM me for more info on where to find it).
As for the 1934 Hollywood version, some call it a classic but I found it very corny. I've never seen the 2003 film and I refused to watch the miniseries starring Gerard Depardieu
There are also several French productions that are said to be faithful adaptations but were never released in the UK or US. These include a miniseries starring Jacques Webber, a two-part film starring Kemal Khan himself, Louis Jourdan, and another two-parter starring Jean Marais.
I remember being wildly interested in that when it came out in 2006 then never got around to it. Might have to add it to the pile.
Defo worth a look. About just under half-way thru. The way Forsyth blends fact with fiction is excellent. Also in describing the characters background etc you get a very good history lesson of what went on during that time. Gripping and quite chilling as well.
Original Russian edition firt published in 1912, this English edition is from 1922.
I've been tearing through the Arkady Renko novels; I love the tight plots and the descriptions of Russia, plus one or another of them always seems to be 99p for Kindle. This one is set largely around Chernobyl and it's creepy as heck for this child of the 80s to read.
And what will you do after gaining this power??
Read another book.
Having just re-watched the Bourne Trilogy with my son, and still enjoying them, I thought I'd give this book a go, it's been in my 'to read' box for sometime, thinking that maybe I'd been wrong about Ludlum…er, no, this seems as poorly written and confusing as TPM.
1933 edition of an 18th century manuscript.
I've always been curious about The Bourne Identity but worried I might be embarrassed reading it and having it on my bookshelf.
I took a break, read Scott Mariani's new one, The Moscow Cipher, and then back to TBI, it's not getting any better! I can see why I gave up on Ludlum when I tried to read The Parsifal Mosaic…
HIGHER WORLDS
AND ITS ATTAINMENT
By RUDOLF STEINER
(Translation of Wie erlangt man Erkenntnisse der höheren Welten?)
ANTHROPOSOPHIC PRESS, New York
[1947]
Authorized English Translation by George Metaxa. Revised by Henry B. and Lisa D. Monges.
Original text from 1918.
Out of print for over forty years, The 007 Diaries introduces Roger Moore's James Bond Diary to a new generation of fans.
To tie in with the release of his first James Bond film, Live and Let Die, Roger Moore agreed to keep a day-by-day diary throughout the film's production, which would be published just ahead of the premiere in July 1973.
From his unveiling as the new 007 in 1972 through to his first scenes on location in New Orleans and his final shot in New York, Moore describes his whirlwind journey as cinema's most famous secret agent. Taking in the sights of Jamaica before returning to Pinewood Studios, Moore's razor wit and unique brand of humour is ever present. With tales from every location, including his encounters with his co-stars and key crew members, Moore offers the reader an unusually candid, amusing and hugely insightful behind-the-scenes look into the world's most successful film franchise.
https://www.bookdepository.com/007-Diaries-KBE-Sir-Roger-Moore/9780750987592?ref=grid-view&qid=1528661907515&sr=1-7
Strangely enough I received my copy from a June release, perhaps they are sold out and only available again at the 1st of October.
I only could find a paperback of this book 10 years ago but they were rather pricey so I never bought it untill now. So far good fun.