The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas

[Kell]

I am, though, liking the way the three main musketeers have more and more flaws revealed as we go along; how their vanity and lies come along, and how they seem slightly less competent and brilliant the more we see of them.

I loved that about them - it was almost as if they unravelled as time went on - especially where a woman was involved (most evident in the cases of d'Artagnion and Athos, if I remember correctly!).

 

Anyway, so far - with the exception of Countess De Winter - Dumas treats women incredibly badly. His regional stereotyping is bad; but his stereotyping of women is horrible. Lots of "Because women are simple, and turned easily by a handsome man, she did what he said" nonsense.

In the case of Milady, she turns the stereotype on its head by turning the handsome (and not so handsome) men. She uses her feminine wiles to do her dirty work and leaves the men high and dry! (Early example of girl power? LOL!)