The Black Tulip by Alexander Dumas (June 1-14, 2004)
"The Black Tulip" was a fun read because I started it on the way to Amsterdam, and read a lot of it while I was in the city. Set in 1672, it is the story of Cornelius van Baerle, a doctor and tulip grower. Cornelius is an innocent man, jailed for life. He has been working to grow a flawless black tulip to win a prize, but a jealous neighbor and rival tulip-grower accuses him of treason. While jailed, Cornelius holds three offsets which he believes hold the black tulip. He has three chances to grow this masterpiece, and with the help of the Frisen Rosa Gryphus, he has a chance of success. He and Rosa fall in love, and she struggles as the rival of Cornelius’s affection against his dream of his tulip. Meanwhile, Cornelius’s rival grows more and more evil and vindictive and plans to not only Cornelius’s freedom but also his tulip to win the prize. It was fun to read about tulipomania in Holland. One of the best aspects of the book was Cornelius’s artistic and scientific obsession, and Rosa’s jealousy of the idea of the flower.
