I am somewhat schizophrenic when it comes to Alexander Dumas. On the one hand I consider Alexander Dumas to be my favorite author and The Count Of Monte Cristo to be my favorite novel. I have read quite a bit of Dumas (probably 20 or 30,000 pages or more). On the other hand I have found many of his books to have uneven or inconsistent writing quality. It well known that once Dumas became successful he hired a stable of writers to compose much of his work. His actual contributions to each published work varied. As a consequence, he may have sketched out a plot and written certain sections of a novel and had a ghost writer compose the rest. In "The Chevalier d'Harmental" some of these inconsistencies are present. At one point the author goes into an extended synopsis of the events of the previous 3 or 4 chapters. It is almost like Dumas felt that the writing was too muddy (which it was) so he reviewed the events for the reader.
What I love about Dumas's works are the gripping plots, the chivalry and the delightful dialogue. Dumas fans will not be disappointed on this score with "The Chevalier d'Harmental". The story grabs the reader immediately with all 3 qualities (chivalry, plot and dialogue). As usual for Dumas, the history may escape the reader at first but a bit of research will enlighten. One cause of confusion is that historical figures are often referred by names and salutations. It is not obvious to me who should be "Monsieur" who should be "Monseigneur" who should be "Your Majaesty" who should be "Your Highness" etc. The characters are also referred to by different nom de plume's and that gets confusing. These criticisms are minor and are fairly standard for Dumas.
All in all I would highly recommend The Chevalier d'Harmental for hardcore Dumas fans. I would recommend something else for someone who is experiencing Dumas for the first time (e.g. The Count Of Monte Cristo or The Three Musketeers).
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