The Black Tulip (Penguin Classics) [Paperback]

Alexandre Dumas père (Author), Robin Buss (Introduction)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0140448926 | ISBN-13: 978-0140448924 | Publication Date: August 26, 2003

Cornelius von Baerle lives only to cultivate the elusive black tulip and win a magnificent prize for its creation. But when his powerful godfather is assassinated, the unwitting Cornelius becomes caught up in a deadly political intrigue. Falsely accused of high treason by a bitter rival, Cornelius is condemned to life in prison. His only comfort is Rosa, the jailer's beautiful daughter, who helps him concoct a plan to grow the black tulip in secret. As Robin Buss explains in his informative introduction, Dumas infuses his story with elements from the history of the Dutch Republic (including two brutal murders) and Holland's seventeenth-century "tulipmania" phenomenon.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870) began to focus on historical novels after twenty successful years as a playwright. During his most productive period, from 1841 to 1850, he wrote forty-one novels, twenty-three plays, seven historical novels, and a dozen travel books. Robin Buss is a writer and translator who writes for the Independent on Sunday and The Times Educational Supplement (London). For Penguin Classics, he has translated some of the novels of Émile Zola.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (August 26, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140448926
• ISBN-13: 978-0140448924
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,415,709 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Song of the Flowers, March 26, 2005

By 

B. Morse (Boston, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Black Tulip (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback)

While The Black Tulip lacks the swashbuckling, derring-do adventures of the other Dumas novels I have read, it is every bit as enjoyable to read.

Beginning with the arrest of two brothers, deemed traitors to the throne, Dumas Holland-based story at least begins with as strong a conflict as his other more action-laced novels. But the story, while shifting focus to the Godson of one of the men arrested, concerns his passion and pursuit of the highly coveted black tulip, a strain of Holland's most popular horticultural export. Cornelius van Baerle, a man of comfortable means, is little concerned with his wealth, or with position; or at all suspicious of the papers left in his care by his Godfather prior to his arrest. M. van Baerle has but one pursuit, one goal, and one dream...to produce a flawless, rare black tulip.

Thus his downfall, as an avaricious neighbor,Isaac Boxtel, shares this dream, but for entirely different reasons. While Cornelius van Baerle cares not for the riches and fame associated with growing such a flower, Boxtel covets both and plots to eliminate his competition and abscond with the delicate blossom which will net him one hundred thousand florins, more than enough to live like the King himself.

M. van Baerle is, therefore, convicted of treason when Boxtel reveals the existence of the papers of va Baerle's godfather to the authorities, and M. van Baerle finds himself on the wrong side of prison bars.

However, the appearance of an unexpected love awakens passions in Cornelius to rival those he feels for the black tulip, and ignites a desire in him to share the possible wealth associated with the flower, simply to assure it's development and care.

Thus, the race is on to plant, grow, and deliver the black tulip to the Horticultural Society.

Dumas' writing skills are in fine form with this shorter novel, sparing none of the humor, grace, and elegance of other works of his I have indulged in. And while foils are left in scabbards, no plots to overthrow a corrupt Cardinal materialize, and revenge is not sought against the bad-guys...this novel is every bit as exciting.

A fine way to experience one of France's most prolific historical authors for the first time, or to further explore his catalogue of works.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Flower power, November 5, 2003

By 

Harry Hughes (Aberystwyth, Wales) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Black Tulip (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

This book is not to be recomended by those who want an exciting swashbuckling tale on a par with Dumas' incomparable musketeer stories. It is to this end that many reviewers and readers of this book leave with an unfriendly opinion of this book. Although it is Dumas' last book, it is in my opinion one of his best. It tells the heartwarming tale of Cornelius van Baerle who lives purely to try and cultivate the rare and wonderous black tulip. However when Cornelius' godfather is asassinated he, without knowing it, enters a dangerous game of cat and mouse with his jealous neighbour (and tulip fancier) Issac Boxtel who has seen Cornelius being given a letter by his godfather. To this end Cornelius is jailed whereupon he falls in love with Rosa, the beautiful daughter of his jailer. Rosa aids Cornelius to cultivate his tulip inside the jail and they eventually succeed only to have it cruely stolen by Boxtel. I wont ruin the ending by telling you what happens, suffice to say I feel that for the first time in his writing career Dumas wrote a "Happy ever after" ending which irritated me to some extent. I do love this book and it earns its place alongside Dumas' great novels, my main reason for loving it so much is its final lines, it is one of the greatest pieces of philosophy I have ever heard, but it is important to read the book to fully understand its meaning, I know it so well that I can reel it off the top of my head thus, " ... he wrote above his door these lines that Grotius had carved on the wall of his prison on the day of his escape: "Sometimes one has suffered enough to have the right never to say: I am too happy"
To me these words have a beautiful resonance that is not only lovely to think of but accurate as well, I feel that anyone who reads this book and fails to be moved, if by nothing else by the bathos of the denoument, then they have ultimately failed to appreciate the true beauty and skill of one of the finest novelists to ever pick up a writing implement. This book is a thing of beauty, perhaps the tulip itself is a simple microcosm of the book, to start off it appears to be nothing special, but in the hands of someone who is aware of its true worth it is as priceless as the world itself.

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Exciting and Romantic Tale, July 12, 1999

By 

Matthew Teng - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Black Tulip (World's Classics) (Paperback)

In "The Black Tulip", Alexandre Dumas proves again his ability to mix adventure and romance to create an exciting and romantic tale. Although Dumas may have distorted history significantly in this story, the image of late 17th century Holland which he presents is accurate and vivid enough to give the reader a lasting impression of society and culture in this period.

The execution of Jann and Cornelius De Witte and the romance between Van Baerle and Rosa are portrayed with such detail that readers are not likely to forget this book. I strongly recommend this tale to any who love adventure, history and romance.