"Twenty Years After" by Alexandre Dumas, summary Automatic translate

The adventure novel "Twenty Years After" was written by Alexandre Dumas in 1845. The author transports readers to France and England in the mid-17th century, when the monarchical foundations of both countries were undergoing a severe crisis. The work depicts the spiritual maturation and character evolution of beloved characters against the backdrop of major historical cataclysms — the French Fronde and the English Revolution.

The novel is part of the famous "Musketeer Trilogy" cycle and occupies second place in it, following "The Three Musketeers" and preceding "The Vicomte de Bragelonne, or Ten Years Later." The work has been successfully adapted for the screen several times in France, the USSR, and other countries, becoming a recognized classic of adventure fiction.

The Return of the Musketeers and Dissension in France

The events of the first part unfold in France in 1648. During the minority of King Louis XIV, the country is governed by his mother, Anne of Austria, and his prime minister, Cardinal Giulio Mazarin. In Paris, a low-key grumbling against the Italian’s extortionate taxes is growing, culminating in the Fronde movement. Recalling the heroic deeds of the past, the lonely cardinal summons d’Artagnan, who, after twenty years of service, has never risen above the rank of lieutenant. The cardinal instructs the Gascon to find his former comrades.

D’Artagnan sets out in search of his comrades from the war. Porthos, now a well-fed and wealthy owner of several estates under the name of Seigneur du Vallon, readily agrees to return to the ranks, hoping to receive a baronial title. However, Aramis, who has taken holy orders and become the Abbé d’Herblay, and Athos, Comte de la Fère, who is raising his adopted son Raoul, refuse to support the cardinal. They sympathize with the Fronde, defending the interests of the nobility and the freedom of the country.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Fronde, the Duke of Beaufort, escapes from the Château de Vincennes thanks to a cunning plan involving a pie and the help of his loyal servant, Grimaud. Mazarin sends d’Artagnan and Porthos in pursuit. On the road, the friends encounter a detachment of nobles guarding the Duke and are astonished to recognize their adversaries as Athos and Aramis. Refusing to shed each other’s blood, the four musketeers arrange a secret meeting in Paris at the Place Royale. There, swearing an oath on the cross, they reaffirm the inviolability of their friendship.

Simultaneously, events closely connected to the protagonists’ distant past unfold in England and France. The son of the executed Milady, who has adopted the name Mordaunt, appears on the scene. Filled with a thirst for vengeance, the powerful youth finds and, disguised as a monk, confesses the former participants in his mother’s execution. Upon learning the truth, he mercilessly kills the executioner from Béthune and vows to exterminate all four musketeers, as well as his own uncle, Lord Winter. Grimaud witnesses this massacre and rushes to warn Athos.

The Paris Revolt and the Rescue of the English Monarch

An uprising known as the Day of the Barricades erupts in Paris, sparked by the arrest of the popular parliamentary councilor, Brussel. The rebellious populace forces the court to relent and release the prisoner. At the same time, Lord Winter arrives from England, pleading for aid for King Charles I, who is suffering defeat in his struggle against Parliament and Oliver Cromwell’s forces. Athos and Aramis undertake a noble mission and travel with Winter to England to rescue the monarch.

At the same time, Cardinal Mazarin sends d’Artagnan and Porthos with dispatches to England to Oliver Cromwell. On a foggy island, the friends’ paths cross again. The English King Charles I is treacherously betrayed to Cromwell by the Scots. In a brutal skirmish, Lord de Winter is killed by his nephew Mordaunt. D’Artagnan and Porthos carefully take Athos and Aramis "prisoners" to protect them from immediate reprisals by the Puritans.

Having united in London, the friends devise a daring plan to rescue Charles I. D’Artagnan cunningly kidnaps and hides the city executioner. However, the sinister Mordaunt volunteers to serve as the executioner and dons a mask. Before the eyes of Athos and Aramis, Charles I is executed on the scaffold near Whitehall Palace. Before his death, the king manages to whisper the word "Remember" to Athos, who is beneath the scaffold, confiding in him the secret of the royal treasure hidden in Newcastle for the heir.

The fight with Mordaunt and the explosion on the felucca

The Musketeers track down the disguised executioner and infiltrate Cromwell’s secret hideout, where they unmask Mordaunt. D’Artagnan challenges the young man to a duel, but the wily opponent escapes through a hidden door in the wall. The friends rush to Greenwich to sail for France on the felucca "Lightning." Mordaunt gets ahead of them, makes a deal with Skipper Groslow, and mines the felucca’s hold with barrels of gunpowder.

Suspecting something amiss thanks to the observation of Grimaud and Mousqueton, d’Artagnan and his comrades manage to climb into the boat at night and cut the rope. The felucca explodes in mid-sea, destroying the English crew. Mordaunt emerges from the blazing waves, begging for rescue. The magnanimous Athos offers him his hand, but the avenger attempts to drag the Count to the bottom. In a deadly underwater battle, Athos is forced to stab Mordaunt in the chest.

Capture in Rueil and a daring escape

Having escaped on a foreign vessel and landed in France, the friends are separated. Athos and Aramis set off for Paris, while d’Artagnan and Porthos are captured near Compiègne by a detachment of soldiers loyal to the cardinal. They are taken to Rueil and locked in the Hunting Pavilion. Upon learning of his comrades’ capture, Athos seeks an audience with Anne of Austria at Saint-Germain, but instead of helping, the hot-tempered Mazarin orders his arrest as well.

D’Artagnan and Porthos demonstrate their resourcefulness and physical strength: they break down the window bars, stun and bind the Swiss guards, disguise themselves in their uniforms, and infiltrate the neighboring Orangery Pavilion. There, they free Athos and unexpectedly capture Mazarin himself, who has descended into the underground secret vault to retrieve gold. The friends take the captive minister to Porthos’s castle in Pierrefonds.

Held hostage by the Musketeers, the treacherous Cardinal is forced to sign a peace treaty with the Frondeurs, fully satisfying the demands of Parliament and the princes. Furthermore, Mazarin signs patents for his friends themselves: d’Artagnan receives the long-awaited rank of captain of the King’s Musketeers, and Porthos receives the coveted baronial title. D’Artagnan personally goes to Anne of Austria and, through his intelligence and nobility, secures her signature on the treaty.

The royal court makes a triumphant entry into Paris. During a chance street skirmish with a rebellious crowd, d’Artagnan accidentally strikes Count Rochefort, and Porthos strikes down Bonacieux, a former innkeeper turned beggar. The civil war subsides, and order is restored in the capital.

In the epilogue, the four friends bid farewell, having fulfilled their duty. Aramis departs for Normandy to see the Duchess de Longueville and then returns to his monastery. Athos departs for the Bragelonne estate, entrusting Raoul d’Artagnan with his military training. Porthos returns to his lands to proudly enjoy his baronial title, and d’Artagnan remains in Paris to command the company of the king’s musketeers.