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A review by gautamgopalk
The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Alexandre Dumas was a French novelist in the 19th century known for adventure novels like The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers. A lesser known work of his, published in 1850 is The Black Tulip (La Tulipe Noir) which is a shorter novel and generally classified as a historical fiction. The story is set in Holland circa 1672, with Tulip mania (Dutch: tulpenmaine) serving as the backdrop for a wonderful, adventurous and romantic tale. The writing is initially dense and difficult to navigate but it quickly blossoms into a captivating, fast paced narrative that leaves the reader on edge while being gentle and easy to follow along.
There are a handful of prominent characters around whom the story revolves. The race to grow a black tulip amidst an intense political plot line of a setting with the black tulip itself serving as a MacGuffin is brilliantly presented. The characters start to seem one dimensional towards the end and the romantic angle, while engaging, is sappy at places. There are historical inaccuracies but it doesn't get in the way of enjoyment. The truly remarkable aspect of this work is that it changes genre every 50 pages or so and it is simply fantastic to experience.
For readers who have always wanted to read a classic, which is well paced, short and easy to get into with all the required elements of drama, adventure, romance, elegance and beauty to make a compelling read, this is definitely the book to pick up!
There are a handful of prominent characters around whom the story revolves. The race to grow a black tulip amidst an intense political plot line of a setting with the black tulip itself serving as a MacGuffin is brilliantly presented. The characters start to seem one dimensional towards the end and the romantic angle, while engaging, is sappy at places. There are historical inaccuracies but it doesn't get in the way of enjoyment. The truly remarkable aspect of this work is that it changes genre every 50 pages or so and it is simply fantastic to experience.
For readers who have always wanted to read a classic, which is well paced, short and easy to get into with all the required elements of drama, adventure, romance, elegance and beauty to make a compelling read, this is definitely the book to pick up!