There was a fascinating story in The Telegraph last week about a new book and a new film in France that alleges that the legenday novelist Alexander Dumas, left, author of The Three Muskateers and The Count of Monte Christo and other fabulous, fantastic stories of the 18th and 19th century, benefited enormously from having a ghost writer–indeed, a ghost writer who may well have done the lion’s share of creative work. Claude Schopp, France’s leading Dumas expert, says in a book to be released next month that Auguste Jules Maquet , below, was the man who actually came up with the plot for the trilogy featuring Porthos, Athos, Aramis. and d’Artagnan.
Says The Telegraph: “In the 1830s, Maquet, a novelist and playwright, had tried to have his works published but was told: “You have written a masterpiece, but you’re not a name and we only want names.” Another writer, Gérard de Nerval put him in touch with Dumas and asked the already famous author if he would rework one of Maquet’s plays, which was subsequently published. Soon afterwards, Dumas, a bon vivant who consistently spent more than he earned, fled his French creditors for Florence. There, he asked Maquet if he would let him publish one of his novels in serial form. Dumas renamed it Le Chevalier d’Harmental and it was published in 1841, signed only Alexandre Dumas. This was to be the start of a hugely fruitful literary 
partnership. Maquet would come up with the plots and historical backdrop and Dumas would embellish and expand on the story in his flamboyant style. . . .Dumas would pay Maquet handsomely and reap the glory.”
No fool, Dumas got Maquet to waive ownership of the work. In 1858, the pair fell out over money, which the debt-ridden Dumas owed his ghost writer. “Maquet took him to court three times, asking not just for money but recognition. During one court case, an editor at Le Siècle, a newspaper that serialised Dumas’ works, sent a letter to Maquet backing up his claims. He recounted how an episode of the Vicomte de Bragelonne which was due to be published in his paper had gone missing the day it was due to be printed. Dumas was unavailable so Maquet was contacted. By midnight he had rewritten the episode, which was published. When, the following day, the Dumas “rewritten” text was found, “only 30 words from 500 lines were not absolutely the same”. Despite such support, the court ordered Maquet financial compensation but rejected his demands to be recognised as co-author.”
And to this day, Dumas gets the credit. Most of it. On Maquet’s tombstone in Paris’ Père-Lachaise cemetery are engraved The Three Musketeers, the Count of Monte Cristo and La Reine Margot. Dumas’ remains, of course, were recently tranferred to the Pantheon, the Paris mausoleum where France’s greats are interred.