Alexandre Dumas

Lore & Background

Alexandre Dumas, born in 1802 in Villers-Cotterêts, France, was a French novelist and playwright of extraordinary productivity, whose published works totaled 100,000 pages. He is among the most widely read French authors, with his works translated into numerous languages. Dumas began his career writing plays, achieving immediate success with his first production in 1829. He later wrote many magazine articles and travel books, and his historical adventure novels—including *The Count of Monte Cristo* and *The Three Musketeers*—were originally published as serials. In the 1840s, he founded the Théâtre Historique in Paris. His father, General Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, was born in the French colony of Saint-Domingue to a French nobleman and an enslaved African woman, making Alexandre of mixed-race ancestry. After working for Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, Dumas fell from favour following the 1851 election of Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, leaving France for Belgium, then Russia, and later Italy, where he founded a newspaper supporting Italian unification. He returned to Paris in 1864. An English playwright who knew him described Dumas as generous, large-hearted, delightfully amusing, and egotistical, with a tongue like a windmill, especially when speaking of himself.

Reader's Guide

Alexandre Dumas was a remarkably prolific author whose published output reached one hundred thousand pages, encompassing novels, plays, magazine articles, and travel books. He is best known for his historical adventure novels, many of which first appeared as serials, including *The Count of Monte Cristo*, *The Three Musketeers*, *Twenty Years After*, and *The Vicomte of Bragelonne: Ten Years Later*. His career began in the theatre, where his first play, *Henry III and His Court*, was a success when he was twenty-seven, followed quickly by the popular *Christine*. These early triumphs allowed him to write full-time. In the 1840s, he founded the Théâtre Historique in Paris. His works have been translated into numerous languages, making him one of the most widely read French authors, and since the early twentieth century many of his novels have been adapted into films. Dumas also engaged directly in politics and journalism: he participated in the 1830 Revolution that placed his former employer, the Duke of Orléans, on the throne as Louis-Philippe. After the election of Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte in 1851, Dumas fell from favour and left France, living for several years in Belgium, then Russia, and finally Italy. In 1861, he founded the newspaper *L'Indépendant*, which supported Italian unification. He returned to Paris in 1864. English playwright Watts Phillips, who knew Dumas later in life, described him as extraordinarily generous and large-hearted, yet also delightfully amusing and egotistical, with a tongue that, once started on a subject—especially himself—would never stop.

Did You Know?

• Alexandre Dumas was a French writer.
• He is known for the historical adventure novel *The Count of Monte Cristo*.
• He is known for the historical adventure novel *The Three Musketeers*.
• His works were originally published as serials.