Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I remember reading as a child and enjoying the story. Rereading now was harder. Too much descriptive flowery language (assume style at the time) and not enough getting on with the plot for me made it annoying. Skipped through paragraphs to get to the end. Found the characters a bit frustrating
oh boy what a book and what a story
from hate to lies to betrayal to love to politics
It was a perfect story
but I didn't understand was the prince a good person or bad person
he was terrible at the beginning of the story then at the end he show a lot of kind
from hate to lies to betrayal to love to politics
It was a perfect story
but I didn't understand was the prince a good person or bad person
he was terrible at the beginning of the story then at the end he show a lot of kind
adventurous
slow-paced
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870) is known for his historical novels. The most famous are set in France: [b:The Count of Monte Cristo|7126|The Count of Monte Cristo|Alexandre Dumas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1611834134l/7126._SY75_.jpg|391568] and [b:The Three Musketeers|10410265|The Three Musketeers (Vintage Classics)|Alexandre Dumas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1349155274l/10410265._SY75_.jpg|1263212]. For The Black Tulip, published in 1850, Dumas looked north: the story is set in 1672 in Holland, the western part of the Netherlands. This year is known in Dutch history as the ‘Rampjaar’ (Year of Disaster), during which the Republic was at war with England, France and two German principalities and came close to being overrun. Despite their successful politics, Grand Pensionary (raadpensionaris) Johan de Witt and his brother Cornelis were blamed for the misery and lynched by an angry mob that favoured Stadholder William III (who would also become king of England in 1689).
Embedded in this historical context, Dumas creates a fictional story around tulip grower Cornelius van Baerle, godson of Cornelis de Witt. At the height of the Tulip mania, Cornelius is about to win a prestigious prize with his cultivated black tulip when his jealous neighbour Isaac turns him in to the authorities. Sent to prison for alleged treason, Cornelius fights for his life, love and reputation.
Dumas does not always stick to the facts. He shifts the Tulip mania (which occurred in the 1630s) back by half a century and confuses William III with William the Silent. A bigger drawback is that his characters remain superficial; Isaac, in particular, seems somewhat cartoonish. Then again, The Black Tulip is yet another exciting adventure. I appreciated how Dumas honours the 17th century love for flowers, especially tulips, as reflections of God and beauty. The disgraceful murder of the De Witt brothers also painfully illustrates how history repeats itself, particularly in relation to the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. Altogether, it was a pleasure to read this novel while on holiday in the Netherlands.
Embedded in this historical context, Dumas creates a fictional story around tulip grower Cornelius van Baerle, godson of Cornelis de Witt. At the height of the Tulip mania, Cornelius is about to win a prestigious prize with his cultivated black tulip when his jealous neighbour Isaac turns him in to the authorities. Sent to prison for alleged treason, Cornelius fights for his life, love and reputation.
Dumas does not always stick to the facts. He shifts the Tulip mania (which occurred in the 1630s) back by half a century and confuses William III with William the Silent. A bigger drawback is that his characters remain superficial; Isaac, in particular, seems somewhat cartoonish. Then again, The Black Tulip is yet another exciting adventure. I appreciated how Dumas honours the 17th century love for flowers, especially tulips, as reflections of God and beauty. The disgraceful murder of the De Witt brothers also painfully illustrates how history repeats itself, particularly in relation to the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. Altogether, it was a pleasure to read this novel while on holiday in the Netherlands.
Strangely readable after the first couple of chapters... I'm really glad I stuck with it! Dumas has no idea how to write female characters, though.
Come si farebbe senza Dumas? Una storia così rosa da far impallidire un Harmony, un piccolo trattato di storia e geografia, senza contare la floricoltura, una magistrale descrizione dei personaggi, e molto altro ancora, condito col piacere dell'avventura e un linguaggio impareggiabile. Un grande classico, davvero.
Estoy muy orgullosa por haberlo leído completo en francés ¡bravo por mí!
Aún así está claro que la semana que viene voy a suspender como una campeona.
El libro bien pero sin más. La trama política es un rato absurda.
Aún así está claro que la semana que viene voy a suspender como una campeona.
El libro bien pero sin más. La trama política es un rato absurda.
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
this is like the horticulturalist version of the godfather. it’s kind of funny to me that literal jail doesn’t stop this guy from gardening. the whole concept of choosing the tulip or rosa as cornelius’s greatest love gets so bizarre, honestly. like, the fact that she thinks he loves the tulip more than her, is convinced by him that it isn’t true, and then requires him not to speak of the tulip for like 36 hours (i can’t remember if this was the part or the whole of the time she required) to prove that he loves her is weird enough. what’s even WEIRDER is how hung up he gets on that and how he ponders that and comes to the conclusion that it just means no woman is perfect, that he would compare her to a goddess and like fall at her feet if she had let him talk about the tulip within those hours. like?? if you can’t go that long without talking about a tulip to your insecure girlfriend then she deserves way better than you, dude. someone save this woman from these flower freaks.
all that being said, why do i kinda love it??? rosa is a girlboss, and this entire book is so bizarre but kinda in a good way.
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes