Black tulip

Author: (French) Alexandre Dumas
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-23
Features: Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870) was a renowned French popular historical novelist. The Black Tulip is one of his major works. The story is set against the backdrop of the intense political struggles and turbulent life during the Dutch bourgeoisie revolution in the 17th century. The protagonist, Cornelius van Baerle, is a young doctor who is completely uninterested in politics. He enjoys cultivating tulips and attempts to breed a pure black tulip, as someone who successfully cultivates a black tulip can win a substantial reward. Van Baerle's neighbor, Boekel, also wants to breed a black tulip to obtain this reward. He is jealous of Van Baerle and fears that he might succeed first. Boekel resorts to all means to monitor Van Baerle's actions and secretly sabotages the tulips he is cultivating. Later, he falsely accuses Van Baerle of hiding letters detrimental to the Dutch governorship, leading to his wrongful imprisonment and nearly execution. The entire story unfolds a series of thrilling and heart-wrenching scenes centered around the black tulip.