Review and reactions to Alexandre Dumas's 'The Black Tulip'

pc: Cait Malilay / Type Away Cait

Talk about tulip fever! 

Obsession, 
                                   love, 
                                                   courage,

                                                                                                                       dedication...

Alexandre Dumas's last major historical novel is set in 17th-century Holland, a time when the Dutch were absolutely crazy for tulips. 

Cornelius Van Baerle stays away from politics. It's what got his godfather, Cornelius de Witt, and his brother Johan de Witt, killed and partially eaten —yes, you read that correctly, EATEN— by a mob. Below is a YouTube video that pretty much sums up the current political setting of the novel that would cause such a brutal tragedy. The book is not so much concerned with cannibalism, however, but rather Cornelius's wrongful conviction for treason, his dedication to growing the black tulip, and the supposed love that blossoms between him and Rosa, the jailer's daughter. Well, that would make an interesting in-law relationship...

What I love about Dumas is that he covers real life historical events, educating readers of the time period and setting, but also incorporates fictional characters that are bursting with life. In this case, the main fictional characters are Cornelius Van Baerle; Rosa; her father, Gryphus and Isaac Boxtel. Whether they'd be good, bad, or complex, they help push the narrative forward and make readers not want to put the book down. My favorite part of the experience of reading a Dumas book is not so much the romance aspect, but rather when the narrator narrows in on the villains' actions (his stories are told in the third-person omniscient).

Oh, for the love of tulips!

Isaac Boxtel is by far one of my favorite villains in literature. A tulip fancier himself and Cornelius's neighbor, he is upset when Cornelius, who was originally a painter, develops a love for the flowers and builds a structure in his courtyard, which deprives Isaac's garden of "about half a degree of heat," (Dumas, 44), and upsets all of his calculations. This was not Cornelius's intention of course. Dumas uses diction of accuracy and precision when describing the characters' labor that goes into tulip-growing, capturing the flower mania of that time. 

Instead of just doing what the normal person should do, knock on their neighbor's door and politely tell them that their structure is affecting their garden —I am pretty certain that, reading how kind and pure-hearted he is, Cornelius would have no problem with making adjustments for Isaac —, he becomes so obsessed with how successful Cornelius's garden becomes that he begins spying on him with a telescope! Yup, the tulip craze was REAL, and that's just the least of his actions.

PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

If one thought that was extreme, imagine it being the last thought before heading to one's death. All that Cornelius can think about, seconds before his execution for treason, are tulips. He is saved, obviously, or else there would be no story. When he finds out that William of Orange spares his life and, in substitution, receives life imprisonment, he is a bit saddened. In The Black Tulip, the narrator says, "Cornelius, who had hoped for God and the tulip expanses of the universe, was slightly disappointed..."(94). Yup, he just couldn't wait to go to Heaven to admire all the tulips he can.

pc: Taken from Pixabay

Echoes from The Count of Monte Cristo

pc: Cait Malilay / Type Away Cait

There were definitely some similarities to his other, more famous, novel, "The Count of Monte Cristo." For instance, chapter 16 of the book, "Master and Pupil," describes how Cornelius teaches Rosa how to read and write. This relationship is similar to that of Abbé Faria and Edmond Dantés in which Faria taught Dantés everything he knew about mathematics, physics, history, and more. Not to mention, Cornelius teaches Rosa everything he knows about the art of tulip-growing. 

Check out my book review of "The Count of Monte Cristo" here!

An unanswered question...

One question that I still ponder on is, does Cornelius truly love Rosa? I say this, or more precisely, I write this, because I wonder if it's only her actions, that is, her assistance in pursuing his goal of growing the black tulip, that make Cornelius think that he loves her. He is confusing appreciation for love. 

It is also important to note that Rosa had also considered this. The narrator writes, "Poor Rosa, shut up in her room, could not know what or about whom Cornelius was dreaming...she was far more inclined to believe that he was dreaming about his tulip than about her; and yet, Rosa was mistaken," (134). Yes, he may have been thinking about Rosa, but it must be noted to the reader, that it is never mentioned that Cornelius had ever had any romantic relations with women previously because he was always shut up in his home growing tulips, and, prior to that, painting. Although readers may think, Oh, it was love at first sight when he met the jailer's daughter, one must also put into account that this may likely be the first time he's ever glanced at an attractive young woman. The only reason he had the opportunity is because his circumstances interrupted his passion for growing tulips.

Now, people who read this review may think to themself, how stupid. All that an imprisoned man can think about is tulips, he falls in love with the jailer's daughter, the end. No, no, no. It is, as I've mention before, the characters, which burst with life, that make this novel a great success. Not to mention, the obsession for tulips is quite humorous! 

Here's the version I read...

Dumas, Alexandre. The Black Tulip. Penguin UK, 2003.

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