The Man in the Iron Mask

I finished reading The Man in the Iron Mask by Dumas this week. I have to say, I was sadly disappointed in this novel. I have enjoyed Dumas' other works that I have read: The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers. I found this book to presume too much on the part of the reader. Characters were mentioned, but no depth was given. It was assumed you would remember the characters from previous novels such as Twenty Years Later. There were also political intrigue events that were left dangling.

I will admit that this is a novel about which I had preconceived notions. I have seen the movie several times and found it to be a very enjoyable plot. Typically, I read the book first and so the movie is a let down or at the least an inferior representation. This is a case where the title is practically all that is the same of the mediums. In the novel, the man in the mask, plays a trivial point in the plot. As a matter of fact, the character is barely discussed. He is the catalyst for events in the latter part of the book, but you are never aware of what happens to him.

When I researched others thoughts on the novel, I found that many loved the book and found it to be a fitting end to the Musketeers serial. I will go ahead and read other Dumas novels, maybe familiarizing myself with some of the lesser known works will give me a better feel for The Man in the Iron Mask. Right now, though, I am disappointed in a book I had long looked forward to reading.

The Man in the Iron Mask

http://atmyhearth.blogspot.com/2006/10/man-in-iron-mask.html