C.D. Warner, et al., comp.
The Library of the World’s Best Literature. An Anthology in Thirty Volumes. 1917.
Alexandre Dumas (1802–1870)
Dumas, Alexandre, the Elder (dü-mä’). A celebrated French romancist and dramatist; born at Villers-Cotterets, Aisne, July 24, 1802; died near Dieppe, Dec. 5, 1870. He was grandson of a French marquis and a San Domingo negress. A few of the great multitude of his famous romances are: ‘The Count of Monte Christo’ (1844); ‘The Three Musketeers’ (1844); ‘Twenty Years After’ (1845); ‘The Knight of Maison-Rouge’ (1846); ‘Viscount de Bragelonne’ (1847); ‘Queen Margot’ (1847). Many of his stories were of great length, six to twelve volumes. Besides pure fiction he wrote a number of historical romances, as ‘Joan of Arc’ (1842); ‘Michelangelo and Raffaele’ (1846); ‘Louis XIV. and his Age’ (1847). His plays, which had extraordinary success, include: ‘Henri III. and his Court’ (1829); ‘Antony’ (1831); ‘Charles VII. with his Grand Vassals’ (1831); ‘Napoleon Bonaparte’ (1831); ‘Mdlle. de Belle-Isle’ (1839); ‘Marriage under Louis XV.’ (1841). ‘The Misses St. Cyr’ (1843). Nearly all his novels were put on the stage also. He wrote entertaining narratives of his travels in Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Spain, North Africa, Egypt, Syria, etc. (See Critical and Biographical Introduction).