Books like Alexandre Dumas' The Three Musketeers

My copy is a dog-eared, mass-media, three-and-a-half inch thick copy that I've read at least three times. I love the story. I love Dumas's writing. How can you not love the ever-arrogant D'Artagnan who shows up to the big city in a second-hand suit on an ugly mare and almost immediately racks up three duels with gentlemen over things like insulting his ugly horse. Clearly, Porthos, Athos, and Aramis find the gall of this newcomer intriguing - I can hear them saying to each other, "he kind of reminds me of...me." Within the first chapter, D'Artagnan goes from crossing blades with the Musketeers to fighting side by side with them in a skirmish with the Cardinal's men, and ultimately earning the respect their friendship is built on.Not to mention the story includes new romance, ghosts from the past, clandestine meetings, backstabbing politics, and a femme fatale like none other.