Three Musketeers: Chapter 36

In every Dumas, it seems, a few dull chapters must fall. We had the Epic High Drama of d'Artagnan's race to England to save the Queen's honor, and then d'Artagnan's less epic but still delightfully picaresque journey to retrieve his friends, who had been waylaid by the cardinal's men during said race to England.

I particularly enjoyed Aramis's about-face: he's on the very cusp of becoming a clergyman, only to become again an enthusiastic musketeer when d'Artagnan shows Aramis a note form his mistress. Clearly a man of the "Lord, make me chaste; but not yet," persuasion.

So after all that excitement it was perhaps inevitable that there would be a bit of a letdown. The last few chapters have been mostly about d'Artagnan's love/hate infatuation with Milady (moderately amusing! But also HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN CONSTANCE, D'ARTAGNAN?) and his friends' attempts to get their hands on enough money to outfit themselves for the latest war, which honestly seems like a drag. They had wonderful horses from England, Dumas! If you could have just left them those horses, we wouldn't have to worry about all this rigmarole, and could instead be galloping ahead in the plot.

I am also pining for more of Anne of Autriche. Possibly her part of the book is done and over with, though.