The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas

The Black Tulip is a historical novel written by Alexandre Dumas, first published in 1850. The story takes place during the Dutch Golden Age and follows the journey of a young man named Cornelius van der Gouwen, who becomes embroiled in a plot to overthrow the ruling class in Holland. Along the way, he falls in love with a woman named Marguerite de Wilde, who is also involved in the conspiracy. The novel explores themes of political intrigue, romance, and betrayal, set against the backdrop of 17th-century Dutch society.

By Alexandre Dumas · First published 1850 · Genre: Adventure, Historical Fiction, Romance · 33 chapters · 89,746 words

First lines

On the 20th of August, 1672, the city of the Hague, always so lively, so neat, and so trim that one might believe every day to be Sunday, with its shady park, with its tall trees, spreading over its Gothic houses, with its canals like large mirrors, in which its steeples and its almost

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The Black Tulip is listed on Textopian as a novel by Alexandre Dumas, dated 1850 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

• Work type: Novel
• Author: Alexandre Dumas
• Date: 1850 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Adventure, Historical Fiction, Romance, Suspense, Political Thriller
• Length: 89,746 words
• Structure: 33 chapters, 2,793 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)

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• Work identity for The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas
• Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
• Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
• Readability and classroom-planning context
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Genres

• Adventure — The protagonist embarks on several journeys, including a quest to grow a black tulip, set amidst political and relationship turmoil that present significant obstacles he must overcome.
• Historical Fiction — Set in 17th century Holland, the plot is intertwined with historical events like the tulip mania and the political situation of the time.
• Romance — The love story between Cornelius van Baerle, the protagonist, and Rosa, the jailer's daughter, is significant to the storyline.
• Suspense — Different elements of suspense exist in the book as Cornelius must dodge rivals and unsympathetic authorities to achieve his botanical and personal goals.

Tags

historical fiction · mystery · thriller · romance · adventure · 17th century · Netherlands · political intrigue · family drama · betrayal · revolution · war

Contents

• A Grateful People
• The Two Brothers
• The Pupil of John de Witt
• The Murderers
• The Tulip-fancier and his Neighbour
• The Hatred of a Tulip-fancier
• The Happy Man makes Acquaintance with Misfortune
• An Invasion
• The Family Cell
• The Jailer's Daughter
• Cornelius van Baerle's Will
• The Execution
• What was going on all this Time in the Mind of one of the Spectators
• The Pigeons of Dort
• The Little Grated Window
• Master and Pupil
• The First Bulb
• Rosa's Lover
• The Maid and the Flower
• The Events which took place during those Eight Days
• The Second Bulb
• The Opening of the Flower
• The Rival
• The Black Tulip changes Masters
• The President van Systens
• A Member of the Horticultural Society
• The Third Bulb
• The Hymn of the Flowers
• In which Van Baerle, before leaving Loewestein, settles Accounts with Gryphus
• Wherein the Reader begins to guess the Kind of Execution that was awaiting Van Baerle
• Haarlem
• A Last Request
• Conclusion

More by Alexandre Dumas

• The Borgias (1910)
• Derues (1839)
• The Countess de Saint-Geran (1839)
• The Marquise de Brinvilliers (1839)
• Karl-Ludwig Sand (1839)
• Martin Guerre (1839)
• Nisida (1839)
• Vaninka (1839)
• All works by Alexandre Dumas