What do you think?
Rate this book
Das Tulpenvirus
Holanda, siglo XVII: Wouter Winckel, un comerciante de tulipanes, aparece brutalmente asesinado en la posada de su propiedad. Ademas de ser el propietario de su taberna y comerciante de exito, Winckel poseia la coleccion de tulipanes mas espectacular de la Republica Holandesa de las Provincias Unidas. ¿Pero por que debia morir y quien lo asesino? Poco despues, el boyante negocio que estas flores proporcionan se hunde a nivel general dando paso a la primera crisis economica de dimensiones globales. En Londres, en 2005, la historia se repite: Frank Schoeller, un adinerado coleccionista aparece muerto. Es su sobrino Alec quien lo encuentra y en sus brazos Schoeller sostiene un libro unico sobre tulipanes que data del siglo XVII. Su sobrino, que sospecha de la importancia que ese libro tiene oculta a la policia este dato y se propone averiguar quien esta detras de la violenta muerte de su tio. Alec viajara de Londres a Amsterdam tras la pista que une unas hermosas flores con dos muertes tan separadas en el tiempo.
317 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
23 people are currently reading
496 people want to read
About the author
Daniëlle Hermans
13 books7 followersDaniëlle Hermans (1963) debuteerde in 2008 met Het tulpenvirus, dat inmiddels in elf landen is verschenen waaronder de USA, Australië, Italië en Duitsland. Ook de filmrechten zijn verkocht. Daarna volgden De watermeesters en De man van Manhattan. 2013 is het jubileumjaar van de Vrede van Utrecht die in 1713 werd gesloten. Ter gelegenheid daarvan schreef zij In vredesnaam. Momenteel werkt ze aan een boekenserie die zich afspeelt rond een forensisch instituut.
De grote belangstelling voor de Nederlandse geschiedenis en cultuur en haar grote liefde voor spannende boeken hebben Daniëlle Hermans aangezet tot het schrijven van hedendaagse thrillers met typisch Nederlands cultuurhistorische elementen. Het tulpenvirus stond op de shortlist van de Schaduwprijs 2008 en op de tiplijst van de Diamanten Kogel 2008 en werd ook internationaal een succes. De rechten werden verkocht aan de VS, Spanje, Duitsland, Italië, Brazilië, Noorwegen, Finland, Zweden en Turkije. Haar tweede boek, De watermeesters, werd verkocht aan Duitsland en Italië. Haar derde boek De man van Manhattan volgde in 2011. In een unieke samenwerking met de stichting Vrede van Utrecht verscheen januari 2013 de thriller In vredesnaam ter gelegenheid van 300 jaar Vrede van Utrecht.
De grote belangstelling voor de Nederlandse geschiedenis en cultuur en haar grote liefde voor spannende boeken hebben Daniëlle Hermans aangezet tot het schrijven van hedendaagse thrillers met typisch Nederlands cultuurhistorische elementen. Het tulpenvirus stond op de shortlist van de Schaduwprijs 2008 en op de tiplijst van de Diamanten Kogel 2008 en werd ook internationaal een succes. De rechten werden verkocht aan de VS, Spanje, Duitsland, Italië, Brazilië, Noorwegen, Finland, Zweden en Turkije. Haar tweede boek, De watermeesters, werd verkocht aan Duitsland en Italië. Haar derde boek De man van Manhattan volgde in 2011. In een unieke samenwerking met de stichting Vrede van Utrecht verscheen januari 2013 de thriller In vredesnaam ter gelegenheid van 300 jaar Vrede van Utrecht.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
August 4, 2018
Pues no se porque le pusieron el virus del tulipan, ya que solo menciono en un pequeño parrafo sobre el virus. Pero la historia para mi, le falto un poco mas de desarrollo porque senti que al llegar al final se termina tan rapido la historia.
Es por eso, mi puntuacion de 2 estrellas.
Es por eso, mi puntuacion de 2 estrellas.
February 6, 2016
Ta książka jest czerstwa jak tygodniowy razowiec. Wydawca krzyczy z okładki, że rzekomo jest to „światowy bestseller dla wszystkich fanów Dana Browna”. Ktoś, kto to wymyślił, albo nie przeczytał „Tulipanowego wirusa”, albo ani jednej powieści Browna.
Słów kilka o fabule. Godzina 5:30 nad ranem. Alek dostaje dziwny telefon od wuja. Zaniepokojony udaje się do niego do domu, by zastać tam Franka w stanie agonalnym. Umierający ma przy sobie starą księgę o tulipanach. Czy to klucz do zagadki? Czy księga pozwoli wyjaśnić tajemnicę śmierci wuja?
Historia biegnie dwutorowo, bo wydarzenia z roku 2007 przeplatają się z flashbackami do wieku XVII. Tu również mamy morderstwo, tajemnicę i – oczywiście – tulipany.
Pierwsze i najważniejsze - autorka. Nie. Umie. Konstruować. Postaci. Pisze ich historię, dodaje im przeszłość, wciska je w przeróżne relacje i… to wszystko. Nie uwierzyłam w ani jednego bohatera. Żaden nie był autentyczny. Wpychanie do tekstu szczegółowych opisów gestów, przemyśleń i spostrzeżeń zwykle sprawia, że postacie wydają się być prawdziwe. Tu wyszło to niemal groteskowo. Momentami nagromadzenie detali tak spowalnia akcję, że człowiek ma ochotę zasnąć. Innym znów razem zupełnie takich smaczków brakuje i mamy do czynienia z czymś na kształt suchego sprawozdania.
Historia z warstwy współczesnej w ogóle mnie nie wciągnęła. Do tego stopnia, że wszelkie zwroty akcji były mi całkowicie obojętne. Decyzje i zachowania bohaterów, momentami koszmarnie irracjonalne, powodowały szereg jakichś następstw. No dobra, przyjęłam. Czy mnie to jakoś przejęło? Niestety, wynudziłam się jak mops (a nawet trochę zirytowałam, że marnuję czas). Nieco ciekawsze były rozdziały retrospektywne, ale i te nie stanowią wirtuozerii słowa pisanego.
Wróćmy do szumnego porównania „Tulipanowego wirusa” z książkami Browna. Gdyby Brown pisał tak słabo, w życiu nie sięgnęłabym po kolejną jego książkę. Tymczasem nie zaliczyłam jedynie „Cyfrowej Twierdzy”, a i to wyłącznie dlatego, że nie było ku temu okazji. Czy powieści Browna są wybitne? A skąd. Gość pisze pod publiczkę i to widać. Ale umie przyciągnąć uwagę czytelnika. Umie zaciekawić. Sprawia, że odbiorca chce wiedzieć, co będzie dalej, chociaż i tak przeczuwa, jak się to wszystko skończy. Tu… No cóż. Nudny wątek współczesny, papierowe postacie i ich przerysowane reakcje jedynie męczą.
Zupełny brak chemii między mną a tą powieścią rekompensują tylko ciekawostki historyczne o tulipomanii, o wirusie pstrości i o cebulce Semper Augustus. Na plus można policzyć również wydanie, które wywołuje przyjemne wrażenia estetyczne (chociaż z jednym wyjątkiem: numeracjo stron na bocznych marginesach – giń!). Całość to wg mnie takie 3/10 i choć nie jest to kaszana, to raczej nie pokusiłabym się o lekturę kolejnej książki Daniëlle Hermans.
Słów kilka o fabule. Godzina 5:30 nad ranem. Alek dostaje dziwny telefon od wuja. Zaniepokojony udaje się do niego do domu, by zastać tam Franka w stanie agonalnym. Umierający ma przy sobie starą księgę o tulipanach. Czy to klucz do zagadki? Czy księga pozwoli wyjaśnić tajemnicę śmierci wuja?
Historia biegnie dwutorowo, bo wydarzenia z roku 2007 przeplatają się z flashbackami do wieku XVII. Tu również mamy morderstwo, tajemnicę i – oczywiście – tulipany.
Pierwsze i najważniejsze - autorka. Nie. Umie. Konstruować. Postaci. Pisze ich historię, dodaje im przeszłość, wciska je w przeróżne relacje i… to wszystko. Nie uwierzyłam w ani jednego bohatera. Żaden nie był autentyczny. Wpychanie do tekstu szczegółowych opisów gestów, przemyśleń i spostrzeżeń zwykle sprawia, że postacie wydają się być prawdziwe. Tu wyszło to niemal groteskowo. Momentami nagromadzenie detali tak spowalnia akcję, że człowiek ma ochotę zasnąć. Innym znów razem zupełnie takich smaczków brakuje i mamy do czynienia z czymś na kształt suchego sprawozdania.
Historia z warstwy współczesnej w ogóle mnie nie wciągnęła. Do tego stopnia, że wszelkie zwroty akcji były mi całkowicie obojętne. Decyzje i zachowania bohaterów, momentami koszmarnie irracjonalne, powodowały szereg jakichś następstw. No dobra, przyjęłam. Czy mnie to jakoś przejęło? Niestety, wynudziłam się jak mops (a nawet trochę zirytowałam, że marnuję czas). Nieco ciekawsze były rozdziały retrospektywne, ale i te nie stanowią wirtuozerii słowa pisanego.
Wróćmy do szumnego porównania „Tulipanowego wirusa” z książkami Browna. Gdyby Brown pisał tak słabo, w życiu nie sięgnęłabym po kolejną jego książkę. Tymczasem nie zaliczyłam jedynie „Cyfrowej Twierdzy”, a i to wyłącznie dlatego, że nie było ku temu okazji. Czy powieści Browna są wybitne? A skąd. Gość pisze pod publiczkę i to widać. Ale umie przyciągnąć uwagę czytelnika. Umie zaciekawić. Sprawia, że odbiorca chce wiedzieć, co będzie dalej, chociaż i tak przeczuwa, jak się to wszystko skończy. Tu… No cóż. Nudny wątek współczesny, papierowe postacie i ich przerysowane reakcje jedynie męczą.
Zupełny brak chemii między mną a tą powieścią rekompensują tylko ciekawostki historyczne o tulipomanii, o wirusie pstrości i o cebulce Semper Augustus. Na plus można policzyć również wydanie, które wywołuje przyjemne wrażenia estetyczne (chociaż z jednym wyjątkiem: numeracjo stron na bocznych marginesach – giń!). Całość to wg mnie takie 3/10 i choć nie jest to kaszana, to raczej nie pokusiłabym się o lekturę kolejnej książki Daniëlle Hermans.
January 25, 2019
Książka słaba jak rosół z torebki. Pomysł może ciekawy, ale wykonanie słabe. Żaden bohater nie jest autentyczny. Dialogi na poziomie wypracowania dziecka z podstawówki. Wątki osobiste postaci bez sensu i nic nie wnoszą do fabuły. Ciąg przyczynowo skutkowy wali się tak często, że ma się ochotę odłożyć książkę i do niej nie wracać. Irracjonalne zachowania bohaterów. Nie wiem co jeszcze wymienić... no i totalna nieznajomość specyfiki Holandii. Wizyta bez zapowiedzi i otrzymanie wszystkich dokumentów? Serio? W Holandii na kawę się nie umówisz bez uzgodnienia terminu a co dopiero zorganizowanie pogadanki z pracownikiem muzeum...
Dwie gwiazdki za to, że został przybliżony wątek spekulacji na cebulkach tulipanów w XVII wieku.
Dwie gwiazdki za to, że został przybliżony wątek spekulacji na cebulkach tulipanów w XVII wieku.
April 14, 2010
Absolutely fantastic! I hate to sound clichéd but I did not want to put this book down and whenever I had to I was always thinking about how to wangle my next reading opportunity. I was hooked right from the first page. The Tulip Virus begins with the murder of Wouter Winckel in Alkmaar, Holland in the year of 1636. Next we are confronted with the murder of Dutchman Frank Schoeller in London in the year 2007. With so much time between these murders you might think they couldn’t possibly be related but by goodness they are and their connection is what gives rise to the title of this fast-paced, exciting and completely captivating novel – tulips.
The Tulip Virus is well set out, there are two stories going on at the same time, the one in 1636 and the one in 2007, but I was never confused between the storylines. Each change in time is done so effortlessly which makes the book highly readable and enjoyable, not disjointed at all. Time progresses in each story and there is a time where they are both joined seamlessly together. In 1636 the focus is on the tulip trade and Winckel’s death. Danielle Hermans has done a marvellous job combining non-fiction with fiction. I learnt quite a lot about the tulip trade, some very interesting facts and Danielle presented this information in a non-technical way and definitely in an entertaining way. In 2007 the focus is on Alec, Frank’s nephew, and Frank’s murder. Alec arrives just before Frank dies and Frank manages to give a major clue to Alec about how this unfortunate occurrence has come about. Alec seeks his friend Damien’s help in working through this mystery in hopes of discovering Frank’s killer but along the way they meet with much opposition and due to their prying their lives are put in danger.
I would definitely recommend this book to readers who enjoy a bit of a murder mystery, with a little bit of a history lesson thrown in and are looking for that book which holds their interests, enforces its power over the reader and begs to be read as quickly as possible. This is one of the best books I have read and absolutely 100% goes in my most favourite books list. Seriously, there is much to say about this riveting piece of work, other parts of the storyline that are important, but the best bit of advice I will give you – go out and buy this book, read it and let me know what you think of it if you do. Don’t delay. It really is that good!
The Tulip Virus is well set out, there are two stories going on at the same time, the one in 1636 and the one in 2007, but I was never confused between the storylines. Each change in time is done so effortlessly which makes the book highly readable and enjoyable, not disjointed at all. Time progresses in each story and there is a time where they are both joined seamlessly together. In 1636 the focus is on the tulip trade and Winckel’s death. Danielle Hermans has done a marvellous job combining non-fiction with fiction. I learnt quite a lot about the tulip trade, some very interesting facts and Danielle presented this information in a non-technical way and definitely in an entertaining way. In 2007 the focus is on Alec, Frank’s nephew, and Frank’s murder. Alec arrives just before Frank dies and Frank manages to give a major clue to Alec about how this unfortunate occurrence has come about. Alec seeks his friend Damien’s help in working through this mystery in hopes of discovering Frank’s killer but along the way they meet with much opposition and due to their prying their lives are put in danger.
I would definitely recommend this book to readers who enjoy a bit of a murder mystery, with a little bit of a history lesson thrown in and are looking for that book which holds their interests, enforces its power over the reader and begs to be read as quickly as possible. This is one of the best books I have read and absolutely 100% goes in my most favourite books list. Seriously, there is much to say about this riveting piece of work, other parts of the storyline that are important, but the best bit of advice I will give you – go out and buy this book, read it and let me know what you think of it if you do. Don’t delay. It really is that good!
September 29, 2010
Nifty little book (short) with a parallel story - one set in Holland in the 17th century, the other in contemporary times. It's the story of what happened in Holland in 1636 when a greedy orphanage director, who had taken in the children of a dead man, manipulates a tulip bulb auction to bring in astronomical and unheard of prices so that his split of the proceeds is greatly enhanced. It also started the myth of the Semper Augustus tulip (you've seen pictures of this one before and if you've been to my house, I have a large yellow one on my living room wall) which was for centuries considered to be only a myth. After the auction, tulips became the darlings of speculators who risked their entire livelyhoods to buy offsets (this is how tulips reproduce). The bubble burst leaving thousands in the poorhouse. Nowadays, they can clone these beautiful flowers so that you get something that matches exactly the original.
Fast forward to modern times where a man is found dead clutching a rare book of tulip illustrations (this is how you knew what you were buying)indicating that this has something to do with his death. Danger and intrigue ensue.
You will learn a lot about tulips, but not so much as to make it boring. For instance, those really beautiful tulips, sometimes called Parrot Tulips (Semper Augustus), with the color flaming up the sides are actually the result of a virus. Hence the name of the book. The problem in the 17th century was that if you bought an offset of one of these tulips, you were not guaranteed to get something that looked like the original. Because the unusual coloring was caused by the virus, the offsets could be all one color or have no color at all.
Really fun and interesting read.
Fast forward to modern times where a man is found dead clutching a rare book of tulip illustrations (this is how you knew what you were buying)indicating that this has something to do with his death. Danger and intrigue ensue.
You will learn a lot about tulips, but not so much as to make it boring. For instance, those really beautiful tulips, sometimes called Parrot Tulips (Semper Augustus), with the color flaming up the sides are actually the result of a virus. Hence the name of the book. The problem in the 17th century was that if you bought an offset of one of these tulips, you were not guaranteed to get something that looked like the original. Because the unusual coloring was caused by the virus, the offsets could be all one color or have no color at all.
Really fun and interesting read.
August 26, 2010
The historical basis of this book, the tulip bubble in 17th century Holland, was very interesting to learn about. The modern story line that's built around it is barely palpable. The themes of free will and science and religion ring true but the mystery the reader is presented with just doesn't hold the weight of these ideals. There are deaths which end up being resolved too quickly at the end and in an unbelievable manner. I do hope to find an interesting book that can shed more light on the history of the tulip bulb and the bulb market because that was fascinating! I'll give the book a generous 3 but really it's a 2.5.
March 22, 2021
"Tulipomanía"
Alec descubre que su querido tío ha sido atacado en su casa y torturado. Antes de morir le da un libro antiguo y le pide no ir con la policía.
Alec esconde el libro e inicia su propia investigación sobre el hombre que atacó a su tío, todas las pistas lo llevan hacia la historia de la tulipomania que se desarrolló en el siglo XVII y que consistió en la venta de variedad de tulipanes a precios exorbitantes.
Entremezcla la historia y el thriller, donde al parecer todos quieren descubrir que sucedió con una clase de tulipán muy raro y codiciado en su época y que de alguna forma ese misterio y codicia continúan hasta el presente causando muertes.
Más reseñas en www.mentesliterales.com
Alec descubre que su querido tío ha sido atacado en su casa y torturado. Antes de morir le da un libro antiguo y le pide no ir con la policía.
Alec esconde el libro e inicia su propia investigación sobre el hombre que atacó a su tío, todas las pistas lo llevan hacia la historia de la tulipomania que se desarrolló en el siglo XVII y que consistió en la venta de variedad de tulipanes a precios exorbitantes.
Entremezcla la historia y el thriller, donde al parecer todos quieren descubrir que sucedió con una clase de tulipán muy raro y codiciado en su época y que de alguna forma ese misterio y codicia continúan hasta el presente causando muertes.
Más reseñas en www.mentesliterales.com
May 8, 2020
Dit is een thriller en voor een thriller goed geschreven denk ik. Maar ik houd niet zo van thrillers. De historische context van de zeventiende eeuwse tulpenmanie is een sterk thema en dat was mijn reden om dit te lezen. Maar ik had het leuker gevonden als de schrijver het verhaal in de zeventiende eeuw had gelaten en daar een echte historische roman van had gemaakt in plaats van een moderne thriller met een klein stukje zeventiende eeuw dat in het verhaal nauwelijks een rol speelt.
May 13, 2010
Alex is awaken to the sound of his phone ringing. It is his Uncle Frank. Alex rushes over to his home. There he finds Frank bleeding to death. Before Frank dies, he whispers something about a tulip and a book. Frank tells Alex not to let the police find the book. So what does a famous tulip known was the Semper Augustus have to do with Frank’s murder? That is the million dollar question.
The Tulip Virus is the debut novel by author, Danielle Hermans. I liked this book. The mixture of the past with the present was pretty well done. Though, I must admit that I found the past a little more interesting. This is only because there was so much detail and you could tell that Ms. Hermans did her research on the events surrounding the tulips in Holland in the seventieth century. I just found myself fascinated by the history of the tulip war. This was one time where the story line was the star over the characters in the story. Overall, I really found myself really getting into this book. Watch out as The Tulip Virus is contagious and you will want to get your hands on this book. I will be keeping an eye on Ms. Hermans.
The Tulip Virus is the debut novel by author, Danielle Hermans. I liked this book. The mixture of the past with the present was pretty well done. Though, I must admit that I found the past a little more interesting. This is only because there was so much detail and you could tell that Ms. Hermans did her research on the events surrounding the tulips in Holland in the seventieth century. I just found myself fascinated by the history of the tulip war. This was one time where the story line was the star over the characters in the story. Overall, I really found myself really getting into this book. Watch out as The Tulip Virus is contagious and you will want to get your hands on this book. I will be keeping an eye on Ms. Hermans.
May 30, 2014
I want to meet this writer's agent as the agent must be brilliant to get this one published and translated in a few languages. Definitely worth the 15% agent fee and probably more! If I ever write anything that I want published, I need to get this agent to do it.
I suspect this book grew out of a creative writing assignment to pick a complicated, historical, financial event then create a mystery story around it. At times I thought some things were lost in the Dutch to English translation, but about 3/4 of the way through I figured the writer stayed up all night to pull this assignment together.
This assignment probably got a B-. Good thing tulips were picked as it suckered in readers who also have interests in gardening and pretty tulips to read in the spring time, which helped get this disappointing story published.
My suggestion, just get in the garden and skip this... although the book version would make good compost.
I suspect this book grew out of a creative writing assignment to pick a complicated, historical, financial event then create a mystery story around it. At times I thought some things were lost in the Dutch to English translation, but about 3/4 of the way through I figured the writer stayed up all night to pull this assignment together.
This assignment probably got a B-. Good thing tulips were picked as it suckered in readers who also have interests in gardening and pretty tulips to read in the spring time, which helped get this disappointing story published.
My suggestion, just get in the garden and skip this... although the book version would make good compost.
August 10, 2018
Książka zawodzi na tylu polach, że aż nie wiem, od czego zacząć. Złole i spisek - chyba czternastolatkowie potrafią stworzyć ciekawszą i bardziej trzymającą się kupy intrygę. Bohaterowie są ludźmi bez właściwości, ich przyjaźń i wzajemna sympatia, a także pojawiające się napięcie są czysto deklaratywne. Autorka próbowała scharakteryzować każdą postać - w rezultacie ciekawy i "jakiś" nie jest nikt. A rozwiązanie - deus ex machina i nagle pojawiający się policjanci z odsieczą...
Szkoda czasu.
No dobrze, powinno być dodatkowe 0,5 gwiazdki za historię tulipanowej gorączki. To było interesujące.
Szkoda czasu.
No dobrze, powinno być dodatkowe 0,5 gwiazdki za historię tulipanowej gorączki. To było interesujące.
September 11, 2010
Backwards and forwards in time from the 1700's to the present, the mystery kept me involved. Who could have guessed that speculation in the tulip industry was at one time responsible for a complete downturn in the Dutch economy and lead to the making and breaking of great fortunes....shades of today!
July 5, 2015
Mielenkiintoinen dekkari, joka ei mielestäni "mässännyt" liikaa murhilla, vaan keskittyi enemmän siihen muuhun puoleen.
Hetkittäin ehkä aavistuksen pitkäveteinen luettava, mutta toisaalta kiinnostava, koska kertoi minulle ihan vieraasta asiasta, eli tulppaaneista. Lisäksi oli hauska, että kirja sijoittui enimmäkseen Hollantiin.
Hetkittäin ehkä aavistuksen pitkäveteinen luettava, mutta toisaalta kiinnostava, koska kertoi minulle ihan vieraasta asiasta, eli tulppaaneista. Lisäksi oli hauska, että kirja sijoittui enimmäkseen Hollantiin.
April 13, 2011
I picked this because I thought it was non-fiction and wanted to learn more about Dutch tulip. That being said, I was happy that the author created an original plot rather than succumb to the DaVinci Code model. But I can't say that I ultimately liked the plot.
June 19, 2011
After book club tonight I went by TitleWave books and they did not have any copies of it. He also said it came out last year but he has never gotten a copy in the store.
March 6, 2022
In the seventeenth century, at the height of the tulip trade in the Netherlands, a single tulip bulb causes the trade to collapse. Wouter Winckel, a trader is murdered. Almost 400 years later, another Dutch man is killed for the same reason; the bulb of the Semper Augustus.
Alternating between the story lines of both individuals, a story is woven about the trade in tulips and the wealth that came with it. Greed is at the center of the book and runs like a thread through the story. Finally, the bulb is recovered in the twenty-first century, the murders of both men are elucidated and the bulb is kept for research sake's. All of the trouble only to find out that the bulb instead was infected, causing the beautiful pattern in the leaves. When all seems to have come to a happy ending and the danger has passed, the bulb is stolen again.
As with most Dutch writers, I have the feeling that the storyline does not develop enough. Not enough background, not enough depth in both characters and locations. It seems as if this was just the first try at writing a good book. Despite the book not being the best written book ever, the story in itself is pleasantly interesting and makes this book a page-turner. Going back and forth between the past and current really adds to the story in my opinion.
Alternating between the story lines of both individuals, a story is woven about the trade in tulips and the wealth that came with it. Greed is at the center of the book and runs like a thread through the story. Finally, the bulb is recovered in the twenty-first century, the murders of both men are elucidated and the bulb is kept for research sake's. All of the trouble only to find out that the bulb instead was infected, causing the beautiful pattern in the leaves. When all seems to have come to a happy ending and the danger has passed, the bulb is stolen again.
As with most Dutch writers, I have the feeling that the storyline does not develop enough. Not enough background, not enough depth in both characters and locations. It seems as if this was just the first try at writing a good book. Despite the book not being the best written book ever, the story in itself is pleasantly interesting and makes this book a page-turner. Going back and forth between the past and current really adds to the story in my opinion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2018
This has been on my shelf for 7 years, having picked it up with a lot of others at a book fair because I liked the cover, but knowing nothing more about it.
Wanting to read a real book, after a lot of ebooks recently, I chose this partly at random, but possibly also because I've read another book about the 17th c tulip craze recently, so was interested to learn more about the Dutch aspects.
A literary thriller, well translated from the Dutch original, this is set between London and the Netherlands. It has two parallel stories, each beginning with a brutal murder, one in 1636, of a successful tulip trader, the other in modern times (2008) of an elderly Dutch man, whose nephew Alec joins the hunt for the killer and teams up with his best friends to find the reasons behind it.
In both cases, we know the identity of the killers, but not the nature of the conspiracy, but every clue points to tulips being at the centre of it all.
This was pretty good, not too long, I read it in a day, nothing particularly special and there were some loose ends that could've been tied up, but overall well worth the read, particularly for all the background about the tulip hysteria of the past, with an interesting theory of how it all came to end.
Wanting to read a real book, after a lot of ebooks recently, I chose this partly at random, but possibly also because I've read another book about the 17th c tulip craze recently, so was interested to learn more about the Dutch aspects.
A literary thriller, well translated from the Dutch original, this is set between London and the Netherlands. It has two parallel stories, each beginning with a brutal murder, one in 1636, of a successful tulip trader, the other in modern times (2008) of an elderly Dutch man, whose nephew Alec joins the hunt for the killer and teams up with his best friends to find the reasons behind it.
In both cases, we know the identity of the killers, but not the nature of the conspiracy, but every clue points to tulips being at the centre of it all.
This was pretty good, not too long, I read it in a day, nothing particularly special and there were some loose ends that could've been tied up, but overall well worth the read, particularly for all the background about the tulip hysteria of the past, with an interesting theory of how it all came to end.
October 28, 2017
Trigger warnings: murder, vomit, infidelity, violence.
2.5 stars.
Translated from Dutch and jumping between England and the Netherlands, this murder mystery takes place in two time periods - the present day, and seventeenth century Holland. It covers the Tulip Mania and the hunt for a Semper Augustus bulb.
And, look, it was a fast paced story with compelling moments. But the chapters were so short that it felt disjointed throughout. It's not only cutting back and forth between the seventeenth century and the present day. It's cutting back and forth between like three different groups of characters IN the present day. And the parts in the seventeenth century start out in the 1630s, then cut to the 1660s and then I think end up in the 1690s??
Anyway, there were a lot of characters, and I had a difficult time keeping track of them all, mostly because I felt like I never got a chance to know any of them because the chapters were only a couple of pages long.
Still, it was a pretty fast read. So...there's that?
2.5 stars.
Translated from Dutch and jumping between England and the Netherlands, this murder mystery takes place in two time periods - the present day, and seventeenth century Holland. It covers the Tulip Mania and the hunt for a Semper Augustus bulb.
And, look, it was a fast paced story with compelling moments. But the chapters were so short that it felt disjointed throughout. It's not only cutting back and forth between the seventeenth century and the present day. It's cutting back and forth between like three different groups of characters IN the present day. And the parts in the seventeenth century start out in the 1630s, then cut to the 1660s and then I think end up in the 1690s??
Anyway, there were a lot of characters, and I had a difficult time keeping track of them all, mostly because I felt like I never got a chance to know any of them because the chapters were only a couple of pages long.
Still, it was a pretty fast read. So...there's that?
March 12, 2025
Que livro fraco. A história é muito enrolada e confusa. Você vê o ponto de vista de diversos personagens, os principais, a polícia, um povo aleatório e você se perde muito, demora para saber de quem é aquele ponto de vista.
Vemos acontecimentos de 1630 e do presente, o que se torna totalmente desnecessário, pois acompanhamos os protagonistas descobrindo o que aconteceu e vemos a informação duas vezes.
150 páginas para os protagonistas ainda estarem se perguntando o que aconteceu e por que as tulipas são tão importantes, não precisava de tanta enrolação.
O final é tão maçante e sem graça, tudo isso pra achar uma porcaria de bulbo murcho.
A motivação de tudo isso é tão besta também, os caras eram contra a igreja e a favor da ciência, e por causa disso eles morreram.
Um livro longo pra um final tão chuchu. Não vale a pena.
Vemos acontecimentos de 1630 e do presente, o que se torna totalmente desnecessário, pois acompanhamos os protagonistas descobrindo o que aconteceu e vemos a informação duas vezes.
150 páginas para os protagonistas ainda estarem se perguntando o que aconteceu e por que as tulipas são tão importantes, não precisava de tanta enrolação.
O final é tão maçante e sem graça, tudo isso pra achar uma porcaria de bulbo murcho.
A motivação de tudo isso é tão besta também, os caras eram contra a igreja e a favor da ciência, e por causa disso eles morreram.
Um livro longo pra um final tão chuchu. Não vale a pena.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2025
So annoying to read. Starts in 1637 then to the present minus an undetermined number of years., then to 1636, then the present. I understand creating two timelines in the story but each timeline shouldn't jump around. Chapters are very short, usually about 3 pages, so there is a lot of jumping around.
Where there is actual dialogue, it is juvenile or stilted The characters have no depth. There is an amazing amount of cooperation between Scotland Yard and Amsterdam police. Evidently Amsterdam has pamphlets (newspapers) from the 17th century not only readily available but you can thumb through them without any archivist cares.
Instead of being a story that would inform the reader of the tulip mania in 1637 the extra stuff happening and the multitude of characters being introduced make it all feel like fiction. The hired killer is efficient until he is thwarted by a small distraction.
Where there is actual dialogue, it is juvenile or stilted The characters have no depth. There is an amazing amount of cooperation between Scotland Yard and Amsterdam police. Evidently Amsterdam has pamphlets (newspapers) from the 17th century not only readily available but you can thumb through them without any archivist cares.
Instead of being a story that would inform the reader of the tulip mania in 1637 the extra stuff happening and the multitude of characters being introduced make it all feel like fiction. The hired killer is efficient until he is thwarted by a small distraction.
November 22, 2016
Het tulpenvirus is een semi-spannende, ietwat vergezochte thriller. Vermakelijk, dat wel. Maar thrillers zijn altijd lastig. Je wilt niet dat het te spannend is en dat je (ik in ieder geval) pagina's om gaat slaan. Maar rustig door kabbelen, past ook zeker niet in dit genre. Deze thriller heeft zeker spannende momenten, moorden bieden altijd een zekere spanning, maar dit wordt wel minder als je ze als lezer ziet aankomen. De neiging van dit boek deed me denken aan een mysterie als de Da Vinci Code, met verstopte codes en een 'Holy Grail'. Omdat de oplossingen soms snel gevonden worden en het einde snel escaleert maar toch met een sisser lijkt af te lopen valt het verhaal me wat tegen. Vooral het einde is niet een stijl waar ik van hou.
September 7, 2018
The Tulip Virus begins with two murders in two different eras. Wouter Winckel is murdered in Alkmaar, Holland in 1636. Dutchman Frank Schoeller is murdered in London in 2007. The novel is told in this way, two threads linked by tulips. For the most part the novel is a fast paced thriller, the threads do not confuse and the tulip details are fascinating.
My problem was with the character of Alec, Frank's nephew. I found him a irritating character which spoiled my personal enjoyment of the story, and the ending annoyed me.
But this is well written thriller and the tulips and their mysterious virus add a great deal of originality to the plot.
If you like modern thrillers this is one to try.
January 18, 2026
I read a few reviews of this and thought it would be interesting from a historical/time shifting and geographically varied perspective. It is not. I felt much like an earlier reviewer who gave kudos to whoever the agent was to be able to get this published in so many languages - except that I am left wondering how it ever got published at all. It is an unworkable mix of Hardy Boys meets young adult fiction presented as an assignment in a creative writing course and, I guess, intended for an adult audience. Hackneyed and tiresome expressions, lumbering plot and paper thin characters all conspired to make this one of less than a half dozen books I have not finished (masochistic as that sometimes feels...it is true). Don't bother.
March 11, 2021
Gelezen samen met mijn 14-jarige dochter als boek voor Nederlands op school, nu ze geen jeugdboeken meer mogen kiezen daarvoor. Door haar zelf gekozen, maar voor haar nog best lastig taalgebruik en lastig te begrijpen soms.
Ik vond het boek lekker weg lezen. Leuk zo'n link met historische feiten en dan ook nog over Nederland. Verder gewoon een spannend detective verhaal dat vanuit verschillende perspectieven verteld wordt.
Boek deels in paperback gelezen en deels als luisterboek omdat het even duurde voor de bieb de paperback-versie kon leveren.
Ik vond het boek lekker weg lezen. Leuk zo'n link met historische feiten en dan ook nog over Nederland. Verder gewoon een spannend detective verhaal dat vanuit verschillende perspectieven verteld wordt.
Boek deels in paperback gelezen en deels als luisterboek omdat het even duurde voor de bieb de paperback-versie kon leveren.
December 1, 2017
This was an intriguing read. I originally selected it to fulfill the PopSugar Reading Challenge prompt "A book that takes place in two time periods," and also because it was sitting on my sister's shelf! It didn't take me long, and it was easy to read. The plot itself was nicely laid out, and unlike many mystery novels while you can get the general idea of where the book is going, it still manages to surprise you.
December 4, 2025
Kiinnostavista aineksista ei valitettavasti ole syntynyt hyvää lopputulosta. Murhissa oli liikaa sadismia ja juoni lainaa aivan liikaa Dan Brownilta. Kolmiodraama oli turha juonikuvio, ja henkilöhahmojen kuvaus pintapuolista ja kaikkien käytös lähinnä kiukuttelevaa karjuntaa. Loppupuolen toimintakohtaukseen ei saatu minkäänlaista jännitystä ja toiminnan kuvauskin oli laimeaa, ja kaiken huipuksi kirja loppuu turhan kikkailevasti.
January 16, 2026
Dit boek krijgt net zoals de Watermeesters, haar andere boek, 3,5 ster. Ik vond de geschiedkundige elementen goed gekozen en de spanning zat er best goed in. De karakters lijken echter voor mijn gevoel te veel op elkaar door hun gedrag en spraak, en de parate kennis en 'uitlegmodus' die ze hebben maakt dat het boek niet altijd vloeiend loopt. Toch vond ik het interessant om over de instorting van de tulpenhandel te lezen vanuit een geheel ander perspectief.
January 5, 2023
Een mooi verhaal, wat mij persoonlijk extra aansprak omdat Alkmaar mijn geboortestad is. Plot zit sterk in elkaar, en de weetjes over de Semper Augustus waren verrassend. Van mij had er nog wel wat meer historie in gemogen, aan de andere kant is dat het genre niet.
De spanning in het boek komt wat langzaam op gang, maar al met al zeker de moeite waard.
De spanning in het boek komt wat langzaam op gang, maar al met al zeker de moeite waard.
July 3, 2019
Kesän dekkariputkessa elämäni ensimmäinen hollantilaisen kirjailijan teos. Dekkariksi ok.
September 26, 2019
interessant om wat meer te weten te komen over het tulpenvirus dat kennelijk sommige lieden zelfs heden ten dage nog in de ban houdt, op een ietwat geforceerde James-Bond-achtige manier
Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews