Audiobook

Man in the Iron Mask

In this, the last of the Three Musketeers novels, Dumas builds on the true story of a mysterious prisoner held incognito in the French penal system, forced to wear a mask when seen by any but his jailer or his valet. If you have skipped the novels between The Three Musketeers and this, a few notes will bring you into the story:

On one side – Aramis, now a bishop and secretly the Captain-General of the Jesuit Order, who believes he has found a path to a higher honor – the papacy. Monsieur Fouquet, the vastly rich minister of finance, Aramis’ ally. Philippe, the identical twin of King Louis XIV, who grew up in ignorance of his pedigree, and whose surrogate parents were murdered on the king’s order and himself sent into the notorious Paris prison, the Bastille, there held in solitary confinement.

On the other side – King Louis XIV, selected as the twin who would be king by his mother, and who intends that his brother will never challenge him. Monsieur Colbert, first minister, who is jealous of Fouquet and plots his downfall.

Unaligned and in danger of collateral damage – d’Artagnan, now captain of the King’s Musketeers and so the king’s chief defender, who suspects plots running beneath the surface and who is trying to unearth them. Athos, now the Comte (Count) de la Fer and one of the most respected noblemen of France. Raoul, Athos’ son and vicomte (viscount), desperately in love with Mademoiselle de la Valliere, who the king has taken as his mistress. Porthos, grown extremely stout and happy as the Baron du Vallon.

Aramis discovers the hidden Philippe and hatches a plot to substitute him for the sitting king, putting Louis in Philippe’s cell in the Bastille. This even succeeds… for a short while. But Aramis has not reckoned with a man whose loyalty to the throne exceeds his own welfare and who disastrously reverses the plot. Now it is time for the plotters to scurry to cover, there to figure some way to recover their lost ambitions. (Summary written by Mark Smith.)

Genres: Literary Fiction

Running Time: 21 hours 01 minute 42 seconds

#	Chapter Name
1	00 - Introduction Mark F. Smith	17:48
2	01a – The Prisoner (Part 1) Mark F. Smith	33:54
3	01b – The Prisoner (Part 2) Mark F. Smith	33:57
4	02 – How Mouston Had Become Fatter Mark F. Smith	19:33
5	03 – Who Messire Percerin Was Mark F. Smith	15:51
6	04 – The Patterns Mark F. Smith	24:22
7	05 – Where, Probably, Moliere Obtained His First Idea of the Bourgeois Gentilhomme Mark F. Smith	15:08
8	06 – The Bee-Hive, the Bees, and the Honey Mark F. Smith	22:27
9	07 – Another Supper at the Bastille Mark F. Smith	17:51
10	08 – The General of the Order Mark F. Smith	21:12
11	09 – The Tempter Mark F. Smith	22:12
12	10 – Crown and Tiara Mark F. Smith	19:45
13	11 – The Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte Mark F. Smith	13:17
14	12 – The Wine of Melun Mark F. Smith	13:29
15	13 – Nectar & Ambrosia Mark F. Smith	11:17
16	14 – A Gascon, and a Gascon and a Half Mark F. Smith	30:41
17	15 – Colbert Mark F. Smith	15:37
18	16 – Jealousy Mark F. Smith	16:14
19	17 – High Treason Mark F. Smith	23:17
20	18 – A Night at the Bastille Mark F. Smith	17:26
21	19 – The Shadow of Monsieur Fouquet Mark F. Smith	41:12
22	20 – The Morning Mark F. Smith	21:05
23	21 – The King’s Friend Mark F. Smith	41:22
24	22 – Showing How the Countersign Was Respected at the Bastille Mark F. Smith	18:55
25	23 – The King’s Gratitude Mark F. Smith	20:42
26	24 – The False King Mark F. Smith	24:58
27	25 – In Which Porthos Thinks He Is Pursuing a Duchy Mark F. Smith	13:05
28	26 – The Last Adieux Mark F. Smith	13:08
29	27 – Monsieur de Beaufort Mark F. Smith	20:45
30	28 – Preparations for Departure Mark F. Smith	21:05
31	29 – Planchet’s Inventory Mark F. Smith	13:19
32	30 – The Inventory of Monsieur de Beaufort Mark F. Smith	15:17
33	31 – The Silver Dish Mark F. Smith	18:27
34	32 – Captives and Jailers Mark F. Smith	23:21
35	33 – Promises Mark F. Smith	28:58
36	34 – Among Women Mark F. Smith	20:59
37	35 – The Last Supper Mark F. Smith	17:20
38	36 – In Monsieur Colbert’s Carriage Mark F. Smith	18:59
39	37 – The Two Lighters Mark F. Smith	17:52
40	38 – Friendly Advice Mark F. Smith	14:14
41	39 – How the King, Louis XIV, Played His Little Part Mark F. Smith	20:13
42	40 – The White Horse and the Black Mark F. Smith	18:57
43	41 – In Which the Squirrel Falls, the Adder Flies Mark F. Smith	24:40
44	42 – Belle Isle-en-Mer Mark F. Smith	23:59
45	43 – Explanations by Aramis Mark F. Smith	26:54
46	44 – Result of the Ideas of the King & the Ideas of D’Artagnan Mark F. Smith	6:39
47	45 – The Ancestors of Porthos Mark F. Smith	10:18
48	46 – The Son of Biscarrat Mark F. Smith	14:28
49	47 – The Grotto of Locmaria Mark F. Smith	15:28
50	48 – The Grotto Mark F. Smith	20:12
51	49 – An Homeric Song Mark F. Smith	12:46
52	50 – The Death of a Titan Mark F. Smith	16:09
53	51 – Porthos’ Epitaph Mark F. Smith	17:05
54	52 – Monsieur de Gesvre’s Round Mark F. Smith	14:02
55	53 – Louis XIV Mark F. Smith	20:20
56	54 – Monsieur Fouquet’s Friends Mark F. Smith	16:48
57	55 – Porthos’ Will Mark F. Smith	14:46
58	56 – The Old Age of Athos Mark F. Smith	13:58
59	57 – Athos’ Vision Mark F. Smith	15:59
60	58 – The Angel of Death Mark F. Smith	13:16
61	59 – The Bulletin Mark F. Smith	15:41
62	60 – The Last Canto of the Poem Mark F. Smith	15:31
63	61a – Epilogue (Part 1) Mark F. Smith	31:30
64	61b – Epilogue (Part 2) Mark F. Smith	31:42