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A review by msand3
The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas
3.0
This short Dumas novel is a whimsical curiosity that reads more like an historical fairy tale. The background is the political imprisonment and brutal murder two Dutch brothers during the rise of William of Orange, as well as the 17th century “Tulip Mania” -- two events that couldn’t be further apart in temperament! Set against this background is the fictional godson of one of the political figures -- a mild-mannered tulip-grower who becomes caught up in the deadly political intrigue, mostly due to the machinations of a rival tulip grower who desires to steal his bulb of a black tulip. Who knew the cultivation of flowers could be so vicious!
This is not on the level of [b:The Three Musketeers|7190|The Three Musketeers (The D'Artagnan Romances, #1)|Alexandre Dumas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320436982l/7190._SY75_.jpg|1263212] novels or [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/1309203605l/7126._SY75_.jpg|391568], but makes for an enjoyable read for a couple afternoons. Dumas makes a half-hearted attempt to link the story to a political message, which the author of the introduction is at pains to emphasize in order to raise the story above the level of light entertainment, but one could just as easily see a more humorous metaphor of the tulip representing sexual union (which was probably more in line with Dumas’ thinking, knowing his proclivity for the ladies). Worth a look only if you’ve read some of Dumas’ other works and are looking for an offbeat, shorter read.
This is not on the level of [b:The Three Musketeers|7190|The Three Musketeers (The D'Artagnan Romances, #1)|Alexandre Dumas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320436982l/7190._SY75_.jpg|1263212] novels or [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/1309203605l/7126._SY75_.jpg|391568], but makes for an enjoyable read for a couple afternoons. Dumas makes a half-hearted attempt to link the story to a political message, which the author of the introduction is at pains to emphasize in order to raise the story above the level of light entertainment, but one could just as easily see a more humorous metaphor of the tulip representing sexual union (which was probably more in line with Dumas’ thinking, knowing his proclivity for the ladies). Worth a look only if you’ve read some of Dumas’ other works and are looking for an offbeat, shorter read.