When a passionate young man is falsely accused of a crime and thrown into prison, you have the makings of an Alexandre Dumas novel.
Now, this was only the second Dumas novel I have ever read, so the before mentioned statement was a most likely an exaggeration. That being said I was slightly surprised to find fundamentally the same formula that made up The Count of Monte Cristo in The Black Tulip. However, one takes over eleven hundred pages to conclude and the other only a hair under three hundred.
Synopsis
Cornelius van Baerle, a respectable tulip-grower, lives only to cultivate the elusive black tulip and win a magnificent prize for its creation. But after his powerful godfather is assassinated, the unwilling Cornelius becomes caught up in deadly political intrigue and is false accused of high treason by a bitter rival. Condemned to life imprisonment, his only comfort is Rosa, the jailer’s beautiful daughter, and together they concoct a plan to grow the black tulip in secret.
The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas
This is a Spoiler Free Review!! ✌
What I Loved
Lyrical Writing
This isn’t exclusive to just The Black Tulip, and I know some people say that if you enjoy old/classic literature like Pride and Prejudice you’re full of it. Older terms and ways of writing can make reading said novels a little more taxing than modern works. That being said, I guess I am one of those people who are full of it, because I did enjoy reading this book. The writing is poetic and romantic, and as this is a romance of sorts, I think some of the over the top descriptions are very fitting.
Interwoven Threads
I’ve said it in other book reviews, but I truly love a story that has multiple threads and storylines that interweave and weave so well. Dumas is amazing at story tapestry work. This novel contained three main storylines and their pacing keeps you informed but teases enough that you’re eager to get to the next chapter and see how what you just read is going to effect these other characters. The end ties the knot of these threads to a satisfactory conclusion in my opinion.
A Mini Count
My friends know my favorite classic, arguably my all-time favorite book, is Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo. Reading The Black Tulip was like reading a super condensed version of that. No, it didn’t have near the depth or intricacy, but the bare bones of that story was present. We have a guy wrongfully accused of some crime by a jealous rival, thrown into prison, and despite unfortunate circumstances, The big difference here is how the latter half of that sentence is developed in this novel. It’s a classic formula, but one I enjoy no matter how it is delivered.
What I Didn’t Love
Slow Start
Remember those threads I mentioned? Well, one of them is a bit wordy at the start of this novel, going into a bit of history. Which, on one hand is very intriguing, because it is based off actual events, but on the other hand, I really just wanted to get to the main characters. And despite it being an eventful beginning, it takes until Chapter 5 to get introduced to our main guy Cornelius.
Instant Love
Perhaps this is just part of the era in which this novel was written, because I do think that a lot of older novels had characters just confess undying love at first sight. Y’all can complain about fated mates in modern fantasy for sure, but older pieces had their own annoying tropes, and this is one for me. There really isn’t any courtship per say, it’s just instant “I love this person” even though I know nothing about them, I somehow know all I need to at least know that much.
Obsession
This one I can’t really go into too much detail if I want to remain true to being spoiler-free. In the Synopsis it is stated though, how much Cornelius, “lives only to cultivate the elusive black tulip.” So, with that being said, go read the novel and I’m pretty sure you will understand why this is listed under my, What I Didn’t Love section.
In Conclusion
If you’re looking for a shorter classic novel to devour, that has a bit of political drama, a dash of romance, and a sprinkle of suspense, this is a good choice for you. At just around 200 pages, it’s not a lengthy book, it won’t take anyone too long to get through. And if you do happen to enjoy this ride, there is definitely a bigger and (I’m sorry, I got to say it) better version if you want a more ambitious and lengthy read in The Count of Monte Cristo.
I gave The Black Tulip
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Until Next Time,
