Alexandre Dumas’s work has been adapted into countless languages, numerous inspirational take offs and has inspired legions of fans for centuries to come. We chatted about Iron Masks, Musketeers, Counts and more.

‘On what slender threads do life and fortune hang’

Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantès is confined to the grim fortress of If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and he becomes determined not only to escape, but also to unearth the treasure and use it to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration. Dumas’ epic tale of suffering and retribution, inspired by a real-life case of wrongful imprisonment, was a huge popular success when it was first serialised in the 1840s.

Robin Buss’ lively translation is complete and unabridged, and remains faithful to the style of Dumas’ original. This edition includes an introduction, explanatory notes and suggestions for further reading.

Young Adult Mag: Your work has been adapted numerous times. Do you have a favorite rendition?

Alexandre Dumas: I particularly love the version of The Three Musketeers with Chris O’Donnell. What can I say…he made a marvelous musketeer!

YA: True, true! Do you have a second-favorite?

AD: Likely The Count of Monte Cristo with Jim Caviezel. He is a true master.

YA: Agreed! That brings us to that work…What inspired the story?

AD: Real historical events are the best inspiration. I just took the climate of the times and exaggerated slight parts in order to entertain…Because what are we trying to do if not entertain?

YA: What do you make of claims of you working with a ghostwriter?

AD: No writer works in a vacuum and talking something out is different than being ghost written. That’s all I will say on that.

YA: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

AD: Learn about history before learning about fantasy…Grounding fantastical events in real-life happenings is key for me at least.