Customer Reviews

Tulip Fever

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

The reviews are mixed about this book, and for good reason. It is probably one that you will either love or hate.

The story is told through the voices of the characters in turn, which can be a bit disjointed to start with when you are trying to get all the personalities sorted out in your mind. But the dizzying effect also adds to the sense of climax that is reached when all the threads of the story come together.

The historical detail is interesting and adds to the flavour of the story, but it is the characters that keep you reading.

Although the ending was never going to be happy and was not entirely unpredictable, there are unexpected twists and resolutions which keep your interest to the last page.

If you like historical fiction, if you like a love story, and can tolerate an ending you would not have chosen for the characters, then you will enjoy Tulip Fever.

I absolutely loved this book. Tulip Fever was a vivid and engrossing read that had me turning pages into the wee hours of the morning. And while some feel this novel is only a Harlequin Romance in disguise, I truly believe it is much, much more than that. The 1630s Amsterdam background lends rich definition to the characters and story line and makes Tulip Fever a highly readable, thrilling book.

Wealthy merchant, Cornelis Sandvoort, and his young wife, Sophia, have a good marriage. Sophia is ever grateful to Cornelis for saving her family from destitution, while Cornelis feels Sophia has given him another chance at life after the death of his first wife and two sons. But with there being 40 years of age between them, Sophia feels, no matter how grateful she is, that she has traded one life of imprisonment for another. The couple is childless despite Sophia's dutifulness, and in the hopes of achieving some sort of immortality, Cornelis has commissioned young, passionate artist Jan van Loos to paint their portrait.

During their sittings, something transpires between Jan and Sophia. Their love for each other becomes frantic, like another form of life support. Desperate to be together, Jan and Sophia concoct a devious plan. Lies, lust, greed and the dizzying passion of the tulip craze create an intoxicating and dangerous mix. What ensues after is the devastating windfall of their deception and selfishness.

Very intense and fast once the love affair begins. Each chapter is narrated by a different character so readers are treated to the minds of all involved. I believe Deborah Moggach has written a solid, deftly written piece of fiction. Although there are bits of Harlequin-ness, the historical references; allusions to actual Dutch paintings; sharply defined characters; and lush, vivid backdrop surely make up for it. An exceptional and sensuous feast for the mind.

I find Kirkus reviews to be the most reliable, but they certainly have missed here. Far from being "pallid," the book is full of passion and suspense (the NY Times said it "reads like a thriller"); and the plot that is called "outlandish" is based on an idea that has historical precedent. I was totally engrossed in this book, as were my wife and a friend. We all agreed that the clichés "page turner" and "couldn't put it down" were true in this case. The scene with the "onion" is unforgettable and the depiction of tulip speculation is revelatory. Don't allow the Kirkus sourpuss to keep you away from a novel that is both entertaining and educational.

There are a couple of things about Tulip Fever that seem jarring at first: the present tense narration for one, and the short, choppy chapters, each one from a different perspective. It's not too hard to get used to those devices however, and the story is generally a solid, well-told one, perhaps because of those devices. The characters, however minor, all seem important, and the reader gets to know each one precisely because they all narrate at some point. The present tense action draws the reader in, although it does at times feel forced. Moggach also does a superb job blending the tulipomania and the story of Sophia and Jan--the social, political, and economic background of the novel never dominates the story, which often happens with historical and period pieces. We learn enough to flesh out the plot and the characters, enough to make their actions seem real and plausible, but we're not overburdened with extra info. And while I could never really like Sophia, or Maria, or Jan, I could understand them and their actions, their motivations, whether I agreed with them or not. All in all, this novel is very readable.

In this lovely little book Amsterdam's Golden Age comes alive with its fools, drunks, painters, moralists, Calvinists, and capitalists.

The period and place are very well and engagingly described as backdrop to the story of an impetuous and impecunious painter and an unawakened, beautiful burgher's wife. Several Tulipomania legends are interwoven, including the famous one of a man who inadvertently consumed a fortune (though in the legend it's a sailor who hasn't been in Holland for several years).

This novel is a charming, fast read, consisting of short chapters that are written from different characters' perspectives. Through this device, their personalities are quickly but deftly drawn (the priggish painter's apprentice, the slightly smug neighbour's wife, the callow but sharp-eyed maid). The only problem is that the main protagonists also remain perhaps a bit too faintly and impressionistically sketched, rather than being portrayed with more verisimilitude, in a more highly detailed way -- which would be more stylistically and chronologically consistent with the style of portraiture prevalent at the time in Holland.

The final denouement should not have come as a surprise to anyone familiar with Amsterdam's history and geography, but the writer drew me into the story so well that the earlier hints were superseded by the red herrings and other fish that Moggach merrily layed out along her paths and canals of misdirection.

The "illustrations" to the book -- major period works, many of mistress and maid scenes -- are a wonderful addition, as are the almost throwaway lines about the later life of and scholarship about the works of the fictitious painter Jan van Loos. Altogether, a very enjoyable, entertaining book, even if the protagonists are not the most compelling thing about it.

You have to read Tulip Fever in the right spirit. It's a clever, literate, witty, fast-paced tale of intrigue, love, lust, and greed, and the tragedy that results from trying to outwit the gods or fate. Yet the rhythm is such that one can't be too sad or take it too seriously. Just sit back for the roller coaster ride and let the sights and sounds of 17th century Amersterdam, and the characters in their silly and reckless behavior that will be their undoing wash over you.

"Tulip Fever" is a book that begs to be reviewed about using phrases like "torrid affair" and "grand deception." Told from the different viewpoints of the characters, the reader quickly realizes everyone is doomed. This is a wholly predictable read -- even the epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter are telling. Also, it has a "Wings Of A Dove" feel to it -- you cannot believe at what lengths these characters will go to in order to get what they want.

Ultimately, this is a story that is in the same vein as Tracy Chevalier's "Girl With A Pearl Earring" and Susan Vreeland's "Girl In Hyacinth Blue," the difference being "Tulip Fever" is a much lighter read (I hesitate to label it a "Romance," but...). The descriptions about life in Amsterdam during this time period are interesting and the "tulip fever" that infected so many of its citizens is a clever backdrop -- it mirrors the frenzy of Sophia and Jan's actions brilliantly.

This is a great book for those who enjoy historical fiction or are looking for a quick, easy read about a doomed love affair.

Tulip Fever is a fun book--but it lacks substance. I got wrapped up in the twisty romance, and found the tulip market side plot intriguing, but instantly forgettable. Don't get me wrong, it's a really enjoyable read (hence my strong rating), but there's not much to think about when it's done. I chose this book for my book club based on its great reviews, and now I'm wondering what we'll have to say about it.

After reading such good books as "The Girl With the Pearl Earring" and "Hyacinth Blue", I'm afraid I found this book rather disappointing. I felt like I was reading a cheesy bodice ripper dressed up as an arty historical novel. Such a lovely cover too. What a pity!

Amsterdam in the mid-1600's in all of her damp; misty; chilling glory. Days of mystery and forbidden love. Nights of sharing secrets of "tulip fever". Speculation in a commodity with money changing hands which, will ultimately, change many lives.

I enjoyed this story, from the mysterious beginning to the surprising end. Lies; cheating; deception; instantaneous and heart-stopping love - what's not to like?? Secrets unfold chapter by quick chapter, I had a hard time putting it down.

An extra plus I felt, were the snippets that were written by some of the world's masters - Confucius; Rembrandt; Da Vinci; Aristotle, as well as passages from The Bible. These tidbits give an inkling of what's upcoming in each chapter.

The circumstances that Ms. Moggach puts before us certainly were feasible, and may very well have happened during the time of the tulip explosion. I felt the book was much more about the characters and their lives, and what they brought to (or took away) from each other, than the "tulip" phenomenon.

I highly recommend this book as it is an interesting and quick read. I for one will spend time with this author again.