A review by alyssa_tauber
The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas
3.0
2.5
"The Black Tulip," is a historical novel by Dumas which mixes fiction into real events. It focus around fictional events set up by the real mod murder of the political de Witte borthers in 1672, and Holland's real tulip mania in which prized tulip bulbs sold for outrageous amounts.
"The Black Tulip" is not Dumas' strongest work -- the plot isn't as engaging as his others (in fact, it is quite predictable), nor are the characters terribly developed. The only character who seems fully rounded is William of Orange, who is both sinister and sympathetic. Everyone else is quite one-note. There is a also a hint of antisemitism in the book; the antagonist is a jealous man names Isaac who, while in disguise, calls himself Jacob. It doesn't go further than giving the antagonist a Jewish name, and the sentiment may have been common for the time, but it is still enough that it feels off-putting.
Overall, "The Black Tulip" certainly has some flaws, but may interest those who like historical fiction, or for fans of Dumas who want to see what he did beyond the Musketeers and Monte Cristo.
Edit: I ended up giving this book away not too long after reading it. It was okay, but didn't merit keeping in comparison with other books.
"The Black Tulip," is a historical novel by Dumas which mixes fiction into real events. It focus around fictional events set up by the real mod murder of the political de Witte borthers in 1672, and Holland's real tulip mania in which prized tulip bulbs sold for outrageous amounts.
"The Black Tulip" is not Dumas' strongest work -- the plot isn't as engaging as his others (in fact, it is quite predictable), nor are the characters terribly developed. The only character who seems fully rounded is William of Orange, who is both sinister and sympathetic. Everyone else is quite one-note. There is a also a hint of antisemitism in the book; the antagonist is a jealous man names Isaac who, while in disguise, calls himself Jacob. It doesn't go further than giving the antagonist a Jewish name, and the sentiment may have been common for the time, but it is still enough that it feels off-putting.
Overall, "The Black Tulip" certainly has some flaws, but may interest those who like historical fiction, or for fans of Dumas who want to see what he did beyond the Musketeers and Monte Cristo.
Edit: I ended up giving this book away not too long after reading it. It was okay, but didn't merit keeping in comparison with other books.