The Theatre of Life

On a sweltering July evening in 1844, Alexandre Dumas stood on the terrace of his latest extravagant acquisition—a piece of land in Port-Marly where he planned to build the most fantastic château in France. At forty-two, he was the most successful writer in Europe, his novels serialized in every major newspaper, his plays performed from Moscow to New York. As fireworks exploded over the Seine—purchased with this morning's royalties—he raised a glass of champagne to his assembled guests: actresses, nobles, artists, and admirers from every corner of society.

"My friends," he declared, his booming voice carrying across the gardens, "they say I write too much, too fast, that I employ too many collaborators. But life itself is collaboration! History provides the plot, I merely add the dialogue. And what dialogue it is!" The crowd laughed and applauded. Everyone knew Dumas's factory system—his army of researchers, co-writers, and assistants who helped him produce his astounding output. But they also knew that only Dumas could transform their research into magic.

A messenger arrived with the evening papers. "The Three Musketeers" had just concluded its serialization in Le Siècle, and all Paris was demanding more. His publisher was offering a fortune for a sequel. Dumas skimmed the reviews—"vulgar," sniffed the critics, "mere entertainment." He laughed. Let Balzac probe bourgeois psychology, let Hugo thunderously prophesy. He, Dumas, would give the people what they truly wanted: adventure, romance, heroes who faced death with a jest.

As the party continued into the night, Dumas was already plotting "Twenty Years After." D'Artagnan would age but never lose his spirit. The musketeers would reunite for one more adventure. Because that was the secret Dumas understood better than any of his literary peers: people read not to understand life but to escape it, not to face reality but to transcend it. And who better to lead that escape than Alexandre Dumas, the grandson of a slave who had made himself the king of romance?