The Black Tulip (Penguin Classics Series)

Book Description
Cornelius von Baerle lives only to cultivate the elusive black tulip and win a magnificent prize for its creation. But when his powerful godfather is assassinated, the unwitting Cornelius becomes caught up in a deadly political intrigue. Falsely accused of high treason by a bitter rival, Cornelius is condemned to life in prison. His only comfort is Rosa, the jailer's beautiful daughter, who helps him concoct a plan to grow the black tulip in secret. As Robin Buss explains in his informative introduction, Dumas infuses his story with elements from the history of the Dutch Republic (including two brutal murders) and Holland's seventeenth-century "tulipmania" phenomenon.


Language Notes
Text: English, French (translation)


Download Description
I tell you, Rosa, that I shall demolish this prison, stone for stone! and the unfortunate man, whose strength was increased tenfold by his rage, began to shake the door with a great noise, little heeding that the thunder of his voice was re-echoing through the spiral staircase.


About the Author
Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870) began to focus on historical novels after twenty successful years as a playwright. During his most productive period, from 1841 to 1850, he wrote forty-one novels, twenty-three plays, seven historical novels, and a dozen travel books. Robin Buss is a writer and translator who writes for the Independent on Sunday and The Times Educational Supplement (London). For Penguin Classics, he has translated some of the novels of Émile Zola.


Buy from Amazon     Compare Prices

This new translation follows the unabridged edition of 1865 and includes a chronology and list of further reading. In his introduction, Robin Buss discusses Dumas's use of elements from the history of the Dutch Republic, tulipomania and the paintings of the period, and places the novel in the context of Dumas's life and career.


Buy from Barnes & Noble     Compare Prices