dumas pere discussion

Anyone familiar with this one? Apparently about Diane de Poitiers and Diana,daughter of Henri II.

Never heard of it. Is it currently in print?

I found two editions on Amazon one by a publisher by the name of Wildside and that was who published the edition of The Queen's Necklace I purchase --- baaaaad translation. I've put in an interlibrary request at the library and if they can't get it I'm picking up the Collier edition from 1906. Prices on Abe aren't that bad.

Henry 2nd...so similar period to La Reine Margot. Part of a series? Is LRM next?
Good luck with sourcing it...and good luck on the translation.

LRM would be next, I'm reading that now. I think the next two after LRM are Chicot the Jester and The Forty Five Guardsmen.

I think if I stick with the 1906 Collier editions I'm pretty safe with the translation issue :)

No but I found it at Internet Archive:
http://www.archive.org/details/texts

Laura wrote: "No but I found it at Internet Archive:
http://www.archive.org/details/texts"

Interesting site Laura.
I feel some browsing may be in order...

It a good source specially for some rare books.

Thanks Laura. I'll defintely check back when I get my hands on the book.

I am curious since I never heard about this book...

Laura wrote: "I am curious since I never heard about this book..."

I used the link you provided and peeked at bit at the chapters and some of the scanned material. Diane de Poitiers is definitely in there (and I assume Henri II). I got some hint of a mystery surrounding the parentage of the second Diane, Henri's daughter or someone else. She's in love with this guy then who may be her brother or if he's not Henri will hate him enough that he wouldn't allow them to be together.

I must read it!! tahnks Misfit

laura, cool source at internet archive, thanks! It can also be downloaded in French (sorry) at alexandredumasetcompagnie.com. A summary from the dumas pere web site (dumaspere.com) says it was written in 1846/47, with Paul Meurice. It's set between 1551-1574 and is about a young man, Gabriel, who falls in love with Diane de Castro, the illegitimate daughter of Diane de Poitiers and Henri II. As Laura said, they begin to fear they are actually step-sibs — and that Henri II (Diane de Castros' dad) is responsible for the disappearance of Gabriel's dad. I won't share any other plot points but it sounds like a good one, with romance and battles and royalty. Historical/literary note: apparently Martin Guerre is, at one point, Gabriel's stable boy in this novel. There is apparently some debate over whether Dumas really wrote this one, but most experts seem to believe he wrote it with Paul Meurice (which seems to be the case with some of his best titles) and Dumas added the inimitable Dumas touch and took it from a good story to a great one. I'm intrigued now and want to read this one!

I'm even more intrigued than ever. I will order a copy as soon as I get word whether or not the ILL request comes through. We recently read Courtesan by Diane Haeger over at European Royalty and she had Diane de Castro as the daughter of Diane and Henri II, but she's supposed to be Henri's daughter by another woman (at least according to Wik).

I am also quite intrigued with this book, we must read and discuss it here.

I read the first couple pages, downloaded from an online web site (french, sorry) and it's really good!! Thanks for the tip, Misfit! Of course, there are 800-plus pages for me to change my opinion but...
Curious why this isn't one of the famous ones. It starts off really well, and the plot sounds great.
But then again, many of his really great ones aren't famous. I'm game to read and discuss if anyone else is. And I"m glad I have a head start... : )

Cynthia, did you get the french version at Internet Archive? I prefer to read Dumas in French...

you know, it's funny but I downloaded about four dumas novels yesterday from a kind of "outlaw" web site with a ton of dumas text (and a long preamble about how the police are after him and his web site is not allowed to exist any longer) (cue Twilight Zone theme music). I found the link at Wikipedia. And today the link is gone from Wikipedia. I have it bookmarked at home, and I'll post it but this one also has lots of texts, and it's where i got the two dianas: alexandredumasetcompagnie.com

thank you so much for the link Cynthia!!

I got it, it is a huge book as you said before...

I am going to get my hands on this one so would love to have a discussion. Maybe we'll make it famous. I'll have to look at Cynthia's link later. Outlaw or not I'd best not open it at work :)

I am planning to read The Mill on the Floss with Lee, Boof and others in the Victorian group by July 15. When we could start to discuss this one since both of them are quite large?? Suggestions?

Laura, I should know within a week or two whether I can get an ILL. If I don't I'll have to order them so its at least a month out.

Mill on the Floss is awesome.

well, no rush then, so maybe i'll order it from Abe. I'll be amazed if you can get it via ILL, misfit. Good luck with that. Are you in Connecticut (where we have ILL)? We don't want to be vying for the single ILL copy in the state... : )

Cynthia wrote: "well, no rush then, so maybe i'll order it from Abe. I'll be amazed if you can get it via ILL, misfit. Good luck with that. Are you in Connecticut (where we have ILL)? We don't want to be vying for..."

No, I'm in Washington State. The only reason I'm hopeful is I got several of the 1906 copies via ILL from a local college library - I'm guessing they "may" have one of those entire works of Dumas. We'll see. The ILL program is pretty good they've really come through on some very odd-ball requests. I've had books come from all the way across country.

Ok, no hurry then...

Woohoo! Volume 1 just showed up at my holds list at the library as an ILL title. Damn, they are good.

wow, that IS impressive.OK, let the reading begin

when, when?? and what about Barbarosaa, would you join us? I am going to read The Mill on the Floss by July 15 with the Victorian group...

Laura, I'm guessing I should have my hands on it by the end of the week, first of next week. I just requested volumn II so we'll see if they get that as well. I was just looking at Abe, they have some decent prices for the two book set. I only looked at US Sellers. I can always keep notes and discuss with you two later.

I can't renew an ILL so I have to read them when I get them.

Laura wrote: "when, when?? and what about Barbarosaa, would you join us? I am going to read The Mill on the Floss by July 15 with the Victorian group..."

I'll not be joining this group read...wallowing in mainly Arthurian stuff just now. Will be following the group though.
After my musketeers binge I need a wee change for a bit.

which arthurian stuff? I used to LOVE arthur stories, then I think i read them all and moved on to Dumas...

Laura, how about if misfit and i start now and you catch up? I'm reading on my computer screen so I guaranteee i'll be going reeeeallly slow.

I promise I'll keep my trap shut until Laura is ready to catch up. Just stay off Amazon in case I post a review :)

Cynthia wrote: "which arthurian stuff? I used to LOVE arthur stories, then I think i read them all and moved on to Dumas..."

Just finished Le Morte D'Arthur The Winchester Manuscript and Malory The Life and Times of King Arthur's Chronicler, the Bernard Cornwell trilogy prior to that.
A re-read of some dark ages source stuff next after a wee pulp related pause.
Still have a bunch of Dumas lying around, but I'm saving it for a wee while.

No problem guys since Lee and I are planning to start The Mill on the Floss this week-end. I will also read The Twoo Dianas on the screen of my computer Cynthia since there isn´t any audiobook for this book.

Argh! My volume I that I just picked up is volume II. I was so set to start reading it today too. I came from the Preston Carnegie Library, on the inside front flat is stamped Dated received March 10 1917.

I will join you as soon as I finish The Mill on the Floss.

Cynthia and Misfit, I just start it, slowly....

I'm on page 37 and loving it, especially the way he's just portrayed de Poitiers. He has such an elegant and graceful way of portraying beautiful women.

It is a book keeper, isn´t?

Laura wrote: "It is a book keeper, isn´t?"

Indeed, and would be a good starter book for anyone new to Dumas. It's quite readable IMHO.

I made it to page 100 before I headed off to bed. E books do not lend themselves well to curling up in bed with (or taking to the loo).

I love the way he's portraying de Poitiers. What is the hold over her that Montmorency seems to have?

I read up to page 74, I must go a little further in order to answer your question.

arrggh, i better hurry and catch up! I'm inspired by Misfit — I'm reading it on my computer too, and being a baby about it, so I guess I'll suck it up and get going. I wonder why this one is so unknown if it's so good?

very strange indeed Cynthia. Perhaps it was not so popular as the other Dumas books.

I'm going to have to tear myself away soon and get to the gym. Glad I took a vacation day today, I can sit at this damn screen all day and read.

Oh oh, Nostradamus (sp?) just came into the picture around page 110.

*must stop teasing you two*

In the meantime, I will try to catch you. However, the French version is not illustrated!!! snif snif snif

Boo hoo. I'm just back and getting ready to sit down with it again. I love the way Diana is being portrayed. I have a question about Francis but I'll wait until you both pass page 100.

The number of pages in the French and English versions are different!! I just finished chapter XIII. What about you Cynthia??

I'm on Chapter XXV. Mandy at ER is trying to get her hands on this book. I'm going to send her an invite to join us here.