The Last Cavalier: Being the Adventures of Count Sainte-Hermine in the Age of Napoleon

I haven't read Alexandre Dumas since I was a teen (a long time ago), but I remember "The Three Musketeers" and "The Count of Monte Cristo" quite well. Then again, what I remember best may be the movie versions I watched again and again as a kid. When I saw that a "lost" novel had been published for the first time, I thought it was time to revisit Dumas' work. I'm glad that I did. As a finished unfinished novel, "The Last Cavalier" is fair and worth three "stars." It was originally published as a newspaper serial and Dumas never had the chance to re-edit/rewrite it for book publication as he did his other works. Dumas was paid by the word, and there are thousands here that would surely have been cut. The titular hero, Hector (René, Comte Leo) de Sainte-Hermine, is over the top invincible and incomparable. He has no flaws (in a Doc Savage, pulp fiction, sort of way), so it's hard to identify with him; and Dumas interrupts Hector's story too often with what's happening elsewhere in history. Did I mention he was paid by the word? Still, Hector's panache and romp through Napoleonic history is a tour de force worth reading. Characters like George Cadoudal, the corsair (privateer) Surcouf, Napoleon, Nelson at Trafalgar, and Minister of Police Fouché come alive with idiosyncrasies and feats of personal codes of honor to delight any swashbuckling fan. For me, as a writer, what was even more fascinating was the book's preface by Claude Schopp, who found and reconstructed the novel. In it, Dumas is quoted as saying that he is "more a novelizing historian than a historical novelist." In this light, I look at the book as more of a history than a novel and am interested in re-exploring Dumas' other books from that perspective. Also, in the preface is a letter from Dumas outlining his complete plan for the novel. It is as complete a synopsis of the whole story as any editor could wish for. So it was great to be able to refer to that and see where and how Dumas added and changed the story line (Hector's entire time as a seaman and in India are not in the outline). This alone was worth the extra "star." I highly recommend this book to any reader, Dumas fan or not.

As I read The Last Cavalier by Alexander Dumas I couldn't help but think I was reading a story intended for people in the nineteenth century. Certainly, Alexander Dumas himself never thought as he penned this story that it would premier in the 21st century. Let me admit right up front that I am not a Dumas scholar and I haven't read all of his works. Like many I've restricted myself to The Three Muskateers and The Count of Monte Cristo, probably to my misfortune. But now I can chalk up another Dumas novel, and a fair one at that. Who knows, maybe I'll read them all. The Last Cavalier is the story of Compte Hector de Sainte Hermine, a royalist who is put off by the young blade Napoleon. Imprisoned and then released, Hector heads to sea where the real drama of this story rests. However, in the end I never felt that sympathetic to the main character or his plight, and I'm not really sure he's that likable. I also had a hard time getting through the book. I stopped on several occasions to read other books. I always knew I'd return, but it did take a commitment to finish. It's not the page turner The Three Muskateers is, nor does it have the drama of The Count of Monte Cristo. In the end it is probably unfair to compare The Last Cavalier to these earlier works since The Last Cavalier wasn't finished. I suspect Dumas might have edited and perhaps rewritten parts of this work. If you're a Dumas fan then I recommend The Last Cavalier. Peace to all

If you have read my reivews of Dumas' other works, you will see that I have said in the past that "Dumas never disappoints". However, I think that this book comes as close to that as ever. Although I say that, I still give the book 4 stars because I just like how Dumas writes. However, there is no question in my mind that his other works are much better. I will list them in order of my preference: 1) The Count of Monte Cristo; 2) The Three Musketeers; 3) 20 Years After; 4) The Knight of Maison Rouge; 5) Le Reine Margot; 6)The Vicomte de Bragelonne. I have not read the Black Tulip or the other 2 Musketeers books. This book does have its good points. The history of the Count's family is very good. The wedding scene is also very good. The fencing parts of the stories are good. The history of the times is good but it takes a long time to get through. The part of the story in Burma is also a long part that has nothing to do with Nepolean. It was a little slow during these times. The other problem with the book is that it was not finished at the time of Dumas' death. However, that did not take too much away from the book. I also found that there was nothing that the Court could not do. He tries to get himself killed on many occasions so he can die an honorable death but only comes out smelling like a rose. It is as if he is super-human - which is fine for a little bit but not the whole story. Overall, I was glad that I read it but I would rather have taken the time to read his other works first. If you have not read Dumas then you are really missing out on a great writer. If you have not read him and want to start, begin with his other works. I would suggest the unabridged version of the Count of Monte Cristo. It is long but well worth the read. When you have read many of his other works, then pick this one up. It is a good read but not as good as his other major works. Given the above review, I can still say that Dumas does not disappoint.

Alexander Dumas is best known for his classic novels 'The Three Musketeers' and 'The Count of Monte Cristo'. What is not so well known is that he also authored "The Last Cavalier: Being the Adventure of Count Sainte Hermine in the Age of Napoleon". Thought lost for more than 125 years, this major novel by Dumas was rediscovered in the archives of the National Library in Paris and has now been translated into English for the first time. Count Hector de Sainte-Hermine has been languishing in prison for three years when on the eve of Napoleon's coronation as emperor of France, he final learns what's to be his fate. He is stripped of his title and denied the hand of the woman he loves, but given his freedom on the condition that he serve in the imperial army. Hector subsequently embarks on a series of daring escapades and wins fame and glory fighting against brigands, bandits, the British, boa constrictors, sharks, and crocodiles. At the battle of Trafalgar it is his marksman's bullet that fells the English Admiral Lord Nelson. But his ultimate destiny is to be found in Paris and his father's implacable enemy -- Napoleon. Strongly recommended for academic and community library collections, "The Last Cavalier" has all the excitement and daring associated with a Dumas adventure novel, and at 544-pages in length, will prove to be a substantial as well as substantially rewarding read.

I had wondered if I would still be as enthusiastic about Dumas' grand opus as I had been as a youth. I find the story truly magnificent. Dumas' sagacity, perception, wit, style, and artful compelling drama are beyond compare. He anticipates an edited style of action that is apparent in cinematic action stories of today. The sexual politics are reflected in today's modern sitcoms. Read and marvel.