French Lit Discussion Group

The members of the French Lit Discussion Group have decided to undertake the eighteen-month reading of the Alexandre Dumas’ D’Artagnan Romances, which begins with The Three Musketeers and ends several books later with The Man in the Iron Mask.

The group, which has been growing in recent months, consists of people who are interested in French culture. It meets at 7 p.m., the second Monday of each month at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon, Metairie. Group members have a general understanding of the French language but the books are read in English. Most group members have been to France.

The D’Artagnan Romances consist of at least five books that were serialized in French newspapers when they were written, beginning in 1844. When they were published in book form, there were as many as nine volumes.

The most recent discovery of unfinished The Red Sphinx, written near the end of Dumas’ career in 1866, is included in the endeavor.

7 p.m., Jan. 12 – The Three Musketeers, first of three sessions, chapters 1 to 22.

7 p.m., Feb. 9 – The Three Musketeers, second of three sessions, chapters 29 to 44.

7 p.m., March 9 – The Three Musketeers, third of three sessions, chapter 45 to the epilogue.

7 p.m., April 13 – Twenty Years After, first of three sessions, chapters 1 to 33.

7 p.m., May 11 – Twenty Years After, second of three sessions, chapters 34 to 67.

7 p.m., June 8 – Twenty Years After, third of three sessions, chapters 68 to the end.

The Three Musketeers consists of approximately 675 pages; Twenty Years After of about 785 chapters. The other books in the series include The Viconte de Brageleone (670 pages), Louise de la Valliere (670 pages), and The Man in the Iron Mask (715 pages), and The Red Sphinx (835 pages).

Because all of Dumas’ works are in the public domain, participants are encouraged to look for free sources such as Gutenburg.com or YouTube.com for free audiobooks.