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Tulip Fever
Seventeenth-century Amsterddam,a city in the grip of Tulip mania and basking in the wealth it has created. Clever,spry and sad in equal measure-a pacy plot whose twists and shifts of viewpoint make for much anxious page turning.
259 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
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About the author
Deborah Moggach
48 books574 followersDeborah Moggach is a British writer, born Deborah Hough on 28 June 1948. She has written fifteen novels to date, including The Ex-Wives, Tulip Fever, and, most recently, These Foolish Things. She has adapted many of her novels as TV dramas and has also written several film scripts, including the BAFTA-nominated screenplay for Pride & Prejudice. She has also written two collections of short stories and a stage play. In February 2005, Moggach was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by her Alma Mater, the University of Bristol . She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, a former Chair of the Society of Authors, and is on the executive committee of PEN.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,323 reviews
March 7, 2020
”Everything he sees speaks tulip to him. Comely women are tulips; their skirts are petals, swinging around the pollen-dusted stigmas of their legs.”
Amsterdam in the 1630s was considered one of the richest cities in the world. Trade had been very good for the Dutch. Citizens were becoming very civilized with a growing interest in music and a need for art hanging in their homes. The painters of the city were kept busy with commissions as wealthy people not only wanted fine paintings on their walls, but also wished to immortalize themselves on canvas as well. Tulipmania is in full blossom as speculators buy and sell bulbs for ridiculous amounts of money. Oxen, houses, special favors are exchanged for a few delicate globes.
It was a mania, verging on hysteria. Men were wagering fortunes on one bulb’s ascendency. People were making so much money that those of a more conservative nature were starting to feel stupid for not being in on the game. Of course, what goes up, as they say, must come down.
Living against this backdrop of wild speculation and feverish conjecture is Cornelis Sandvoort. He is a man of above average means and in some circles would even be considered to be wealthy. He collects art. He invests in ships. His most recent acquisition is the lovely Sophia. She is much too young for him, but her family was impoverished. Cornelis is not only generous to her family, but also kind. He lost his first wife and his two boys. He wants a son so that this modest empire he is building will continue long after he is gone.
Though past his prime, the tender flesh of the beautiful Sophia is all the Viagra he needs.
”For three years we have been married and I have not produced a child. This is not through lack of trying. My husband is still a vigorous man in this respect. At night he mounts me; he spreads my legs and I lie there like an upturned beetle pressed down by a shoe.”
A vivid description to be sure. The passion is all one sided. During this act Sophia tries to keep her nose turned away so that his dreadful breath will not cause her to gag. She is too young yet to know that a moan here and a wiggle there will shorten the duration of Cornelis’s assault.
Cornelis is proud of Sophia and decides that a family portrait is in order. He can afford it after all. As her beauty fades it will still be trapped in the paint laid by the artist’s hands. Did someone mentioned laid?
The painter Jan Van Loos has a mop of unruly hair and symmetrical features. Most importantly he is young, and Sophia felt the biological groin tug of desire. There is no need to speculate about whether she will doink the painter. It is more of a question of when.
Cornelis is a trusting man. It never crosses his mind that his bride might seek pleasure in the arms of a mere painter. After all, he saved her and her whole family from starving to death. Even if she can’t love him, she should at least be grateful.
As the plot spins forward, Deborah Moggach does add some interesting twists. The story certainly carries a moral point. Sophia’s actionS affect more than just herself. Besides the embarrassment for her husband, her decisions fling a wider net than she could even anticipate. Throw a rock in a pond, and watch the ripples slowly undulate from shore to shore. It is hard to anticipate the full extent of our actions, especially when we break promises, start to lie, recruit co-conspirators, and play the tulip lottery in the hopes of scoring big.
What could possibly go wrong?
Tulips are fascinating. In the 1630s, they didn’t know that the most beautiful specimens are actually the result of a viral disease. They are spectacular mutations that fill our eyes with vibrant colors and fanciful ornate markings. Sophia, as beautiful as the most rare tulip, takes the chance that spring will always be in season and winter will never have the chance to make her lose her petals.
Burning Heart Tulip, so apt for our young Sophia.
I watched the 2017 movie starring Alicia Vikander, Christoph Waltz, Holliday Grainger, and Judi Dench along with a host of other talented actors and actresses. The movie was fantastic, but watching my wife putting a hand up to her mouth in alarm, gasping at other points, completely caught up in the plot of the movie made the movie even better for me. I was most struck by the fact that this story makes the reader/watcher care about each of the characters. We want them all to find happiness. Each is a victim of circumstances, and these tribulations look impossible to overcome.
You can see my movie and book reviews on my blog at http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
Amsterdam in the 1630s was considered one of the richest cities in the world. Trade had been very good for the Dutch. Citizens were becoming very civilized with a growing interest in music and a need for art hanging in their homes. The painters of the city were kept busy with commissions as wealthy people not only wanted fine paintings on their walls, but also wished to immortalize themselves on canvas as well. Tulipmania is in full blossom as speculators buy and sell bulbs for ridiculous amounts of money. Oxen, houses, special favors are exchanged for a few delicate globes.
It was a mania, verging on hysteria. Men were wagering fortunes on one bulb’s ascendency. People were making so much money that those of a more conservative nature were starting to feel stupid for not being in on the game. Of course, what goes up, as they say, must come down.
Living against this backdrop of wild speculation and feverish conjecture is Cornelis Sandvoort. He is a man of above average means and in some circles would even be considered to be wealthy. He collects art. He invests in ships. His most recent acquisition is the lovely Sophia. She is much too young for him, but her family was impoverished. Cornelis is not only generous to her family, but also kind. He lost his first wife and his two boys. He wants a son so that this modest empire he is building will continue long after he is gone.
Though past his prime, the tender flesh of the beautiful Sophia is all the Viagra he needs.
”For three years we have been married and I have not produced a child. This is not through lack of trying. My husband is still a vigorous man in this respect. At night he mounts me; he spreads my legs and I lie there like an upturned beetle pressed down by a shoe.”
A vivid description to be sure. The passion is all one sided. During this act Sophia tries to keep her nose turned away so that his dreadful breath will not cause her to gag. She is too young yet to know that a moan here and a wiggle there will shorten the duration of Cornelis’s assault.
Cornelis is proud of Sophia and decides that a family portrait is in order. He can afford it after all. As her beauty fades it will still be trapped in the paint laid by the artist’s hands. Did someone mentioned laid?
The painter Jan Van Loos has a mop of unruly hair and symmetrical features. Most importantly he is young, and Sophia felt the biological groin tug of desire. There is no need to speculate about whether she will doink the painter. It is more of a question of when.
Cornelis is a trusting man. It never crosses his mind that his bride might seek pleasure in the arms of a mere painter. After all, he saved her and her whole family from starving to death. Even if she can’t love him, she should at least be grateful.
As the plot spins forward, Deborah Moggach does add some interesting twists. The story certainly carries a moral point. Sophia’s actionS affect more than just herself. Besides the embarrassment for her husband, her decisions fling a wider net than she could even anticipate. Throw a rock in a pond, and watch the ripples slowly undulate from shore to shore. It is hard to anticipate the full extent of our actions, especially when we break promises, start to lie, recruit co-conspirators, and play the tulip lottery in the hopes of scoring big.
What could possibly go wrong?
Tulips are fascinating. In the 1630s, they didn’t know that the most beautiful specimens are actually the result of a viral disease. They are spectacular mutations that fill our eyes with vibrant colors and fanciful ornate markings. Sophia, as beautiful as the most rare tulip, takes the chance that spring will always be in season and winter will never have the chance to make her lose her petals.
Burning Heart Tulip, so apt for our young Sophia.
I watched the 2017 movie starring Alicia Vikander, Christoph Waltz, Holliday Grainger, and Judi Dench along with a host of other talented actors and actresses. The movie was fantastic, but watching my wife putting a hand up to her mouth in alarm, gasping at other points, completely caught up in the plot of the movie made the movie even better for me. I was most struck by the fact that this story makes the reader/watcher care about each of the characters. We want them all to find happiness. Each is a victim of circumstances, and these tribulations look impossible to overcome.
You can see my movie and book reviews on my blog at http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
June 16, 2008
This book is not very good at all. I plan on leaving it in Singapore to increase my distance from it.
February 18, 2017
Sophia's painting hangs in the Rijksmuseum. Others of her, with different titles and different painters, hang in the Dresden museum. Scholars quarrel about her identity. Is she Venus, is she Delilah?
Like the scales of a precious tulip bulb, Sophia's life story is peeled away by the people who knew her the most intimate. Her husband, Cornelius Sandvoort, her maid Maria, the fish seller, Willem and the painter Jan van Loos.
During the tulipmania of the 1600 in Holland, when greedy mongers gambled and lost fortunes, a beautiful girl falls victim to ambition, desire, and dreams, leading to grand deception, heartbreak and tragedy.
This is the story of tulips and art and human failures. Through the eyes of history, religion and international commerce, a colorful collage of emotions and actions fill up the broad canvas. Deftly concealed to the naked eye, disguised below the rich textures and the bold actions of the painter, hides a somber undertone of mystery. And long after the girl is gone, her painting still mesmerizes scholars and public alike.
And somewhere in the future, an author will come along and, through imaginative prose, as rich in color as the paintings, will try and explain Sophia to the world who lived through the boom-and-bust of tulipmania.
A great read!
RECOMMENDED
PS. The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert, will be a great complimentary read to this one.
Like the scales of a precious tulip bulb, Sophia's life story is peeled away by the people who knew her the most intimate. Her husband, Cornelius Sandvoort, her maid Maria, the fish seller, Willem and the painter Jan van Loos.
During the tulipmania of the 1600 in Holland, when greedy mongers gambled and lost fortunes, a beautiful girl falls victim to ambition, desire, and dreams, leading to grand deception, heartbreak and tragedy.
This is the story of tulips and art and human failures. Through the eyes of history, religion and international commerce, a colorful collage of emotions and actions fill up the broad canvas. Deftly concealed to the naked eye, disguised below the rich textures and the bold actions of the painter, hides a somber undertone of mystery. And long after the girl is gone, her painting still mesmerizes scholars and public alike.
And somewhere in the future, an author will come along and, through imaginative prose, as rich in color as the paintings, will try and explain Sophia to the world who lived through the boom-and-bust of tulipmania.
A great read!
RECOMMENDED
PS. The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert, will be a great complimentary read to this one.
September 2, 2018
Real Rating: 2.5* of five
Oh forevermore. Tedious. Always an older man whose beautiful young wife is misunderstood, uninterested, bored by him...and it's *his* fault. Then she meets a *handsome*young*artist* who unleashes her primal passions the way her old man can't, or won't, or doesn't want to.
Oh poor poor little lady. ::eyeroll::
Then we get the filmed version with that human blancmange Dane DeHaan as the Struggling Artist. Why anyone would think that blah little boy was hot beggars my imagination.
So the book got exactly the film it deserved. A halfway decent story halfway to good in book or film, so be warned that you're using your eyeblinks for a pretty surface without a shred of substance. (As a side note, why is an English accent shorthand for "foreigner" in all films regardless of nation where they're set?)
Oh forevermore. Tedious. Always an older man whose beautiful young wife is misunderstood, uninterested, bored by him...and it's *his* fault. Then she meets a *handsome*young*artist* who unleashes her primal passions the way her old man can't, or won't, or doesn't want to.
Oh poor poor little lady. ::eyeroll::
Then we get the filmed version with that human blancmange Dane DeHaan as the Struggling Artist. Why anyone would think that blah little boy was hot beggars my imagination.
So the book got exactly the film it deserved. A halfway decent story halfway to good in book or film, so be warned that you're using your eyeblinks for a pretty surface without a shred of substance. (As a side note, why is an English accent shorthand for "foreigner" in all films regardless of nation where they're set?)
November 8, 2016
I read this for a Library book club. I must be getting old and cranky. I found the prose almost physically painful to read. The characters unsympathetic, the plot unbelievable. I kept thinking about how much time I had left before I die and why was I devoting my energies to finishing this.
October 6, 2018
1. Pick a fascinating time-period
2. Pick an interesting subject (flemish painters and the famous dutch tulip bulb speculation)
3. Only write what sounds like a bare-bones first draft.
4. Don't develop any character
5. Stereotypes by the bucket
6. Instalove-for-the-ages : married and conservative woman accepts to commit adultery after literally one sentence of dialogue
7.???
8. PROFIT
2. Pick an interesting subject (flemish painters and the famous dutch tulip bulb speculation)
3. Only write what sounds like a bare-bones first draft.
4. Don't develop any character
5. Stereotypes by the bucket
6. Instalove-for-the-ages : married and conservative woman accepts to commit adultery after literally one sentence of dialogue
7.???
8. PROFIT
February 15, 2017
Update Feb, 2017
I first read this 5 years ago for book club and enjoyed it at that time. I reread this month to dip back in before the movie based on it is released Feb 24. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0491203/?...) I enjoyed it the second time around as well, keying in on some different things perhaps than on the initial outing. I had completely forgotten the ending! I especially like Moggach's use of the brief moral maxims, quotes and bible verses at the beginning of each short chapter. Each does the job of connecting the reader to the moral dilemmas of the characters as well as the culture of the times. It will be interesting to see how this plays out on film.
***********************************
I really enjoyed this book once it got going. It takes place in the early 1600's Holland during Tulip Mania, something I hadn't heard of before. In the early 1600's tulips were discovered by the Dutch in Turkey. The Dutch went crazy for them and started trading and speculating on the most highly prized bulbs.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulip_mania)
This is a morality tale that includes infidelity, true love, art, tulip speculation, children out of wedlock, etc! Plus, I felt it was educational as to the culture in Holland in the early 1600's. I liked how the book was written, each short chapter starting with a "moral maxim" or a quote about art relevant to the chapter. At times I felt where it was headed was predictable, but there were enough surprises to keep it interesting right to the end.
This is an interesting review (http://mises.org/daily/3259) and it appears that a movie based on the book has been an on-again-off-again project since the early 2000's. At one point Jude Law and Keira Knightly were slated to star. Still has not been made, however. I think it would make a good movie.
This book was a selection from the Literature in Art program at our local art museum, MIA, in Minneapolis. I would not have read this book otherwise, I think, and the tour of selected works of art from that period enhanced my enjoyment of both the book and the art.
I first read this 5 years ago for book club and enjoyed it at that time. I reread this month to dip back in before the movie based on it is released Feb 24. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0491203/?...) I enjoyed it the second time around as well, keying in on some different things perhaps than on the initial outing. I had completely forgotten the ending! I especially like Moggach's use of the brief moral maxims, quotes and bible verses at the beginning of each short chapter. Each does the job of connecting the reader to the moral dilemmas of the characters as well as the culture of the times. It will be interesting to see how this plays out on film.
***********************************
I really enjoyed this book once it got going. It takes place in the early 1600's Holland during Tulip Mania, something I hadn't heard of before. In the early 1600's tulips were discovered by the Dutch in Turkey. The Dutch went crazy for them and started trading and speculating on the most highly prized bulbs.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulip_mania)
This is a morality tale that includes infidelity, true love, art, tulip speculation, children out of wedlock, etc! Plus, I felt it was educational as to the culture in Holland in the early 1600's. I liked how the book was written, each short chapter starting with a "moral maxim" or a quote about art relevant to the chapter. At times I felt where it was headed was predictable, but there were enough surprises to keep it interesting right to the end.
This is an interesting review (http://mises.org/daily/3259) and it appears that a movie based on the book has been an on-again-off-again project since the early 2000's. At one point Jude Law and Keira Knightly were slated to star. Still has not been made, however. I think it would make a good movie.
This book was a selection from the Literature in Art program at our local art museum, MIA, in Minneapolis. I would not have read this book otherwise, I think, and the tour of selected works of art from that period enhanced my enjoyment of both the book and the art.
June 22, 2012
My husband is Dutch, I've heard of the tulip-mania that hit Holland, I like historical fiction - all the arrows were pointing to a book with possibility. Hah. Not to be. Think instead of Boy meets Girl, Girl happens to be married to kindly older man, Boy and Girl fall into instant lust, Girl horribly betrays kindly husband, Boy behaves foolishly in every manner possible and on and on until we have a 17th century soap opera in full bloom (haha). Tulips do figure in, but just enough to set the stage for lunacy, deceit and,finally, ruin. Surprisingly, the kindly old man benefits in the end and not from tulips, but from unexpected liberation of heart and spirit. Anyway, this is a frivolous and silly read. Not even good beach material.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 10, 2011
The tulip speculation bubble is only an aside in what is basically a 17th century soap opera. The time period offered so much potential, not just the tulip bulbs, but also an age of great Dutch artists, unfortunately none of it is explored in any substantive way. In retrospect, save 2 chapters (one about a bulb grower and one about Jan's bulb trading, this novel could be transposed to almost any place/time.
Perhaps the best thing I can say is that it reads quickly with its short chapters. The worst thing I can say is that all the characters are so incredibly obtuse it is a wonder the even survived to adulthood. From a servant who cannot complete a task - to anyone in 1600s Amsterdam who cannot recognize a bulb - to anyone who would mistake a bulb for an onion - to numerous folks who make major life decisions based on assumption without verification - this novel stretches the limits of credulity at every turn.
Not a waste of time, but a big dsappointment. Perhaps a good airplane or beach read - quick, light, easily disposable when done.
Perhaps the best thing I can say is that it reads quickly with its short chapters. The worst thing I can say is that all the characters are so incredibly obtuse it is a wonder the even survived to adulthood. From a servant who cannot complete a task - to anyone in 1600s Amsterdam who cannot recognize a bulb - to anyone who would mistake a bulb for an onion - to numerous folks who make major life decisions based on assumption without verification - this novel stretches the limits of credulity at every turn.
Not a waste of time, but a big dsappointment. Perhaps a good airplane or beach read - quick, light, easily disposable when done.
July 16, 2023
Oh dear, what a disappointing read!
Tulip Fever tells the tale of Sophia, a young woman in 17th century Amsterdam, married to a much older man. Sophia’s wealthy husband, Cornelis, commissions a young painter, Jan, to paint a portrait of him and his wife. Sophia and Jan develop an intense attraction, which leads to a torrid affair.
Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy Tulip Fever. The plot synopsis promised excitement but I found it rather dull. It is a book of less than 300 pages, yet it took me two weeks to read! I didn't connect with Sophia and Jan’s relationship, as the author does not explore the attraction between them in any detail. Within a few pages, they are embroiled in a passionate affair, which appears to develop out of very little. The lack of substance behind their relationship left me unsympathetic to their affair and worse, I began to dislike them as characters.
The deceptive plan Sophia and Jan concoct in order to be together was so ludicrous, I almost laughed. It was quite clearly doomed to fail because it was so completely implausible. I found my sympathy directed toward Sophia’s oblivious husband, who genuinely loves his wife, and her beleaguered maid, Maria who has been caught in Sophia and Jan’s web of deceit.
I think the author should have taken more time to expand on the early stages of Sophia and Jan’s relationship. This would have helped to make the reader more sympathetic to their affair and like them better as characters. This novel had great potential but lack of detail and unlikeable protagonists made it a forgettable read.
Tulip Fever tells the tale of Sophia, a young woman in 17th century Amsterdam, married to a much older man. Sophia’s wealthy husband, Cornelis, commissions a young painter, Jan, to paint a portrait of him and his wife. Sophia and Jan develop an intense attraction, which leads to a torrid affair.
Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy Tulip Fever. The plot synopsis promised excitement but I found it rather dull. It is a book of less than 300 pages, yet it took me two weeks to read! I didn't connect with Sophia and Jan’s relationship, as the author does not explore the attraction between them in any detail. Within a few pages, they are embroiled in a passionate affair, which appears to develop out of very little. The lack of substance behind their relationship left me unsympathetic to their affair and worse, I began to dislike them as characters.
The deceptive plan Sophia and Jan concoct in order to be together was so ludicrous, I almost laughed. It was quite clearly doomed to fail because it was so completely implausible. I found my sympathy directed toward Sophia’s oblivious husband, who genuinely loves his wife, and her beleaguered maid, Maria who has been caught in Sophia and Jan’s web of deceit.
I think the author should have taken more time to expand on the early stages of Sophia and Jan’s relationship. This would have helped to make the reader more sympathetic to their affair and like them better as characters. This novel had great potential but lack of detail and unlikeable protagonists made it a forgettable read.
April 22, 2021
(Nearly 3.5) If you liked Girl with a Pearl Earring and The Miniaturist, you may also enjoy this atmospheric, art-inspired novel set in the 1630s. (Originally from 1999, it’s recently been adapted into a film.) Sophia, married off to an old merchant, falls in love with Jan van Loos, the painter who comes to do their portrait. If Sophia and Jan are ever to be together, they’ll have to scrape together enough money to plot an elaborate escape. I thought this was rather soap opera-ish most of the way through, though I was satisfied with how things turned out in the end. The short chapters split between different perspectives (with Sophia’s the only first-person voice) make this a quick read.
Favorite lines:
Favorite lines:
“I see us as a painting. Cornelis, his white lace collar against black, his beard moving as he eats. The herring lying on my plate, its glistening, scored skin split open to reveal the flesh within; the parted lips of my roll. Grapes, plump and opaque in the candle-light; the pewter goblet glowing dully.”
“There is a purity about our love of flowers; it is an act of homage, untempered by greed. Tulips are the exception to this; when I think of them lust rises within me, a shameful wave of heat.”
February 13, 2017
Divna historijska drama, priča po kojoj je snimljen i istoimeni film. Radnja priče smeštena je u Holandiju u vrijeme kad su se ljudi bogatili ili bankrotirali investirajući u lukovice, tada izuzetno egzotičnog cvijeta, lale. I dok je većina zahvaćena ludilom i stavljanjem svega na kocku, stariji bogati trgovac Kornelisu živi za svoju prelijepu mladu suprugu Sofiju. Njihov brak je ugovoren i kao takav je miran i jednoličan sve dok Kornelis ne odluči da obraduje Sofiju njihovim zajedničkim portretom, a naručuje ga od mladog slikara Jana Van Losa.
Tu dolazi do pitanja, ali i do odgovora, koliko hrabra i luda može biti žena kad voli?
Davno sam pročitala od Deborah knjigu Hotel Marigold i uživala sam čitajući je, ali Doba lala me oduševila, vrlo brzo me uvukla u mračnu priču izdaje, ljubavi, umjetnosti, mržnje i ludila.
Od mene preporuka.
Tu dolazi do pitanja, ali i do odgovora, koliko hrabra i luda može biti žena kad voli?
Davno sam pročitala od Deborah knjigu Hotel Marigold i uživala sam čitajući je, ali Doba lala me oduševila, vrlo brzo me uvukla u mračnu priču izdaje, ljubavi, umjetnosti, mržnje i ludila.
Od mene preporuka.
June 24, 2016
Having just finished The Last Painting of Sara de Vos, I figured I'd stay in 17th century Holland just a little longer with this book. And really, I have to say that was a great decision.
Many of the reviewers have said that they feel as this is just a soap opera from the 17th century set down on paper, and they're not wrong. But what makes this book isn't so much the plot, though that is fast-paced enough to keep it interesting, it's the writing. While I suppose I would characterize this as a great beach read or an airplane novel, a book you can leave behind at your destination without guilt, what sets it apart is its writing. Most of the other fluff novels I have read have suffered in the writing, with characters that are more caricatures than real people. This read like a novel full of real people in the flesh, choosing some really awful and foolish paths to travel, but then sometimes we all make really foolish decisions.
About my only real criticism of this book is that I don't really understand how Sophia and Jan van Loos fall so quickly in love -- or was it merely lust on her part? Having so little experience with men, since she married rich old Cornelis at such a young age, I'm not sure she did love Jan so very truly.
While it's true that the tulipomania that seized Holland during these years is but a mere plot point (though it's mind-boggling that one bulb could truly be worth so very much money), it serves as a poignant metaphor for the torrid passion that takes hold of both Jan and Sophia, one that can only result in ruin, as it did for many of Holland's businessmen.
Many of the reviewers have said that they feel as this is just a soap opera from the 17th century set down on paper, and they're not wrong. But what makes this book isn't so much the plot, though that is fast-paced enough to keep it interesting, it's the writing. While I suppose I would characterize this as a great beach read or an airplane novel, a book you can leave behind at your destination without guilt, what sets it apart is its writing. Most of the other fluff novels I have read have suffered in the writing, with characters that are more caricatures than real people. This read like a novel full of real people in the flesh, choosing some really awful and foolish paths to travel, but then sometimes we all make really foolish decisions.
About my only real criticism of this book is that I don't really understand how Sophia and Jan van Loos fall so quickly in love -- or was it merely lust on her part? Having so little experience with men, since she married rich old Cornelis at such a young age, I'm not sure she did love Jan so very truly.
While it's true that the tulipomania that seized Holland during these years is but a mere plot point (though it's mind-boggling that one bulb could truly be worth so very much money), it serves as a poignant metaphor for the torrid passion that takes hold of both Jan and Sophia, one that can only result in ruin, as it did for many of Holland's businessmen.
September 10, 2017
Няма по-лоша литература на този свят от история за изневяра, в която липсват 1) герои, които не са едноизмерни точки в черно пространство с имена окачени отгоре им, за да се различава еднородността им, 2) химия между "любовниците" и 3) какъвто и да е интерес в случващото се.
Шейсет и осем глави за книга, която е едвам 280 страници, си е лошо от само себе си, но добавете към това (за някаква незнайна причина) смесване между разказване от първо лице и трето лице (въпреки, че стилът на разказване не се променя, и от трето лице пак вникваме в интимните мисли на героите), смесване между глави носещи имената на герои и такива, носещи имената на теми, и епиграфите присъстващи в началото на всяка глава, то се вижда защо "Треска за лалета" на Дебора Могак бързо се превръща в помия оприличаваща "Кутия за птици" на Джош Малерман с малоумното си оформление и спастично развитие на жалкото си подобие за сюжет. Съжалявам, но няма абсолютно никакъв смисъл да чета епиграф, който е около 1/3 от дължината на проклетата глава, особено когато този епиграф няма достатъчно общо с текста, за да се обоснови присъствието му. Кой продължава да казва на тези автори, че един цитат в началото на главите някак си ги подобрява? Дебора Могак първо да беше измислила добра история и да беше развила поне минимално героите си, преди да ги вкара в еквивалента на турско-индийска сапунка, и чак тогава да беше издирила библейски цитат за всяка случка.
"Треска за лалета" е съвременен буламач поставен в Нидерландия, за да хваща окото и нищо друго. Да се нарече този роман "историческа белетристика" е обида към литературата, към историята и главно към читателя. Нищо чудно, че филмовата адаптация се провали, все пак нямаше как да стъпи върху книга, която е толкова повърхностна, бездарна и безинтересна. Няма рационална причина, поради която някой може да хареса тази "история", но това няма да попречи на издателствата да направят бързи пари като я публикуват с постера на филма за корица.
Шейсет и осем глави за книга, която е едвам 280 страници, си е лошо от само себе си, но добавете към това (за някаква незнайна причина) смесване между разказване от първо лице и трето лице (въпреки, че стилът на разказване не се променя, и от трето лице пак вникваме в интимните мисли на героите), смесване между глави носещи имената на герои и такива, носещи имената на теми, и епиграфите присъстващи в началото на всяка глава, то се вижда защо "Треска за лалета" на Дебора Могак бързо се превръща в помия оприличаваща "Кутия за птици" на Джош Малерман с малоумното си оформление и спастично развитие на жалкото си подобие за сюжет. Съжалявам, но няма абсолютно никакъв смисъл да чета епиграф, който е около 1/3 от дължината на проклетата глава, особено когато този епиграф няма достатъчно общо с текста, за да се обоснови присъствието му. Кой продължава да казва на тези автори, че един цитат в началото на главите някак си ги подобрява? Дебора Могак първо да беше измислила добра история и да беше развила поне минимално героите си, преди да ги вкара в еквивалента на турско-индийска сапунка, и чак тогава да беше издирила библейски цитат за всяка случка.
"Треска за лалета" е съвременен буламач поставен в Нидерландия, за да хваща окото и нищо друго. Да се нарече този роман "историческа белетристика" е обида към литературата, към историята и главно към читателя. Нищо чудно, че филмовата адаптация се провали, все пак нямаше как да стъпи върху книга, която е толкова повърхностна, бездарна и безинтересна. Няма рационална причина, поради която някой може да хареса тази "история", но това няма да попречи на издателствата да направят бързи пари като я публикуват с постера на филма за корица.
November 26, 2011
This is one of my favorite reads, I read it a few times now. Set in the 1600's this story revolves around the Tulip mania that went on(something I never knew about) during that time. An added bonus for me was that Deborah Moggach wrote the screenplay for Pride and Prejudice(the Keira Knightley version which is another favorite).
July 18, 2010
This book was voluptuous historical fiction without anyone's bodice actually getting ripped off. (There's sex and love in the book -- just no actual bodice-ripping or silly over-the-top romance.)
Moggach paints a convincing and resonant portrait of a world poised between religion and secularism, tradition and trade, city and globe. Her appreciation for Rembrandt, Vermeer, and other painters of their ilk infuses her physical descriptions as well as her verbal renderings of visual art. Like the Dutch still lives and portraits from the 17th century (the time period of this book), Moggach's novel delves into the relationship between body, sex, mortality, spirit, and art. The voluptuousness (that word again!) of the flesh only draws attention to the transitory nature of love and life--which makes its pleasures even more keen. And this book is a catalog of those pleasures and intensities of the body; Moggach delves into eating, drinking, screwing, childbearing, nursing. Her diction and imagery are sensual and aestheticized even as her style is spare and lyrical--a combination of fecundity and grace that corresponds with the painting style she is trying to evoke.
The plot is engrossing and perfectly paced. You constantly have a sense of impending doom. The snippets from various characters' points of view convey not only the psychology and perspectives of these players but also glimpses of the larger plot to which their actions contribute, even as the authors of these actions have limited control over their consequences. I also really appreciate Moggach's attention to female characters' desire for control over their lives, their circumscribed agency and mobility, and finally the way that patriarchal and religious ideologies shape their view of themselves.
An absolutely pleasurable read.
Moggach paints a convincing and resonant portrait of a world poised between religion and secularism, tradition and trade, city and globe. Her appreciation for Rembrandt, Vermeer, and other painters of their ilk infuses her physical descriptions as well as her verbal renderings of visual art. Like the Dutch still lives and portraits from the 17th century (the time period of this book), Moggach's novel delves into the relationship between body, sex, mortality, spirit, and art. The voluptuousness (that word again!) of the flesh only draws attention to the transitory nature of love and life--which makes its pleasures even more keen. And this book is a catalog of those pleasures and intensities of the body; Moggach delves into eating, drinking, screwing, childbearing, nursing. Her diction and imagery are sensual and aestheticized even as her style is spare and lyrical--a combination of fecundity and grace that corresponds with the painting style she is trying to evoke.
The plot is engrossing and perfectly paced. You constantly have a sense of impending doom. The snippets from various characters' points of view convey not only the psychology and perspectives of these players but also glimpses of the larger plot to which their actions contribute, even as the authors of these actions have limited control over their consequences. I also really appreciate Moggach's attention to female characters' desire for control over their lives, their circumscribed agency and mobility, and finally the way that patriarchal and religious ideologies shape their view of themselves.
An absolutely pleasurable read.
August 31, 2018
Surprisingly enjoyable book with quite a few twists. I especially liked the Amsterdam setting in the 1600’s. Looking forward to the movie.
October 20, 2017
Книгата не е тъпа. Книгата е елементарна и наивна, но това може да се очаква от книга, силно препоръчвана от Христо Блажев.
Плоски образи, объркан сюжет, нелогични обрати. На два пъти е използван един и същ подход - второстепенен герой, който досега само се е споменавал, се натрясква и обърква работата на основните герои.
Тотално неясен край - не е хепиенд, няма поуки, добрите не печелят.
Ако сте невинна девица и четете това на фенерче под одеалото - може би ще ви хареса .
В противен случай не започвайте изобщо.
Ако искате да разберете нещо за епохата прочетете "Момичето в с перли в косите".
А най-лошото е, че другата седмица излиза филм по тая смотана книга.
Плоски образи, объркан сюжет, нелогични обрати. На два пъти е използван един и същ подход - второстепенен герой, който досега само се е споменавал, се натрясква и обърква работата на основните герои.
Тотално неясен край - не е хепиенд, няма поуки, добрите не печелят.
Ако сте невинна девица и четете това на фенерче под одеалото - може би ще ви хареса .
В противен случай не започвайте изобщо.
Ако искате да разберете нещо за епохата прочетете "Момичето в с перли в косите".
А най-лошото е, че другата седмица излиза филм по тая смотана книга.
September 6, 2017
В треската за лалета любовта търси своя шанс: http://knigolandia.info/book-review/t...
В началото не бях впечатлен особено от книгата – Могак развива обичайната за този тип романи скрита и страстна любовна история, като по аналогия с тон други книги очаквах да я смрачи със заговор за убийството на съпруга, все пак той е застанал като канара пред щастието на двамата млади, които в споделения си грях откриват щастието. Но за моя изненада авторката заплете действието по различен начин, включвайки както прословутата спекулативна лудост около цената на лалетата (и една полулегендарна история за най-скъпата луковица и нейната съдба), така и една бременност, която става център на живота на София и нейната прислужница. Съпругът става жертва на собствената си доверчивост и родителския си порив, а под покрива на дома му лъжите се трупат една след друга.
CIELA Books
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/t...
В началото не бях впечатлен особено от книгата – Могак развива обичайната за този тип романи скрита и страстна любовна история, като по аналогия с тон други книги очаквах да я смрачи със заговор за убийството на съпруга, все пак той е застанал като канара пред щастието на двамата млади, които в споделения си грях откриват щастието. Но за моя изненада авторката заплете действието по различен начин, включвайки както прословутата спекулативна лудост около цената на лалетата (и една полулегендарна история за най-скъпата луковица и нейната съдба), така и една бременност, която става център на живота на София и нейната прислужница. Съпругът става жертва на собствената си доверчивост и родителския си порив, а под покрива на дома му лъжите се трупат една след друга.
CIELA Books
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/t...
May 21, 2017
Um romance engraçado e levezinho, com capítulos pequeninos que se lêem num instante.
Passado na Amesterdão do século XVII, conseguimos ficar a conhecer como era a vida e o dia a dia de uma família de comerciantes na Idade de Ouro da mais rica cidade europeia à data e tudo por causa de ... tulipas.
A história de um amor proibido que foi já adaptado a filme e chegará às salas de cinema até ao final do ano.
Gostei muito e recomendo!
Passado na Amesterdão do século XVII, conseguimos ficar a conhecer como era a vida e o dia a dia de uma família de comerciantes na Idade de Ouro da mais rica cidade europeia à data e tudo por causa de ... tulipas.
A história de um amor proibido que foi já adaptado a filme e chegará às salas de cinema até ao final do ano.
Gostei muito e recomendo!
October 23, 2012
I liked this much better than I thought I would. A fast, entertaining read, with writing that is pared down, but really very good.
Amsterdam in 1632 is a prosperous city of merchants who rule the known world, at least in terms of commerce. Cornelius, a well-to-do merchant in late middle-age, has married the young and beautiful Sophia. He is a good, kind man and Sophia appreciates having been rescued from poverty when her family’s fortunes declined. The Netherlands is in the midst of a financial bubble as people from every walk of life speculate crazily on tulip bulbs, a mania that blossomed wildly for a while before the inevitable crash that ruined many.
Sophia is content, but then she meets Jan van Loos when he comes to paint their portraits and . . it’s an old story: love triangle between an old husband, young wife, and a young man without means. But there are some twists to the plot that I did not see coming. There’s a ruse involving a pregnant servant about to be homeless and disgraced, and a scheme dependent on a tulip bulb worth a workingman’s annual wage. What happens with the bulb is not what you'd think.
Short chapters alternate between the viewpoints of the several main characters.
Maria
Maria the maid, dozy with love, polishes the copper warming pan. She is heavy with desire; she feels sluggish, as if she is moving around underwater. Her face, distorted by the curved metal, smiles back at herself. She is a big, ruddy country girl with a healthy appetite. Her conscience, too, is a healthily adaptable organ. When she takes Willem into her bed, deep in the wall behind the kitchen fire, she pulls the curtain to shut out God’s disapproval. Out of sight, out of mind.
Sophia
Behind his easel the painter is watching me. His blue eyes bore into my soul. He is a small, wiry man with wild black hair. His head is cocked to one side. I stare back at him coolly. Then I realize—he is not looking at me. He is looking at an arrangement to be painted. He wipes his brush on a rag and frowns. I am just an object—brown hair, white lace collar and blue, shot-silk dress.
Jan
Back in his studio, Jan sits down heavily on a chair. He gazes at a chicken bone, lying on the floor among a scattering of walnut shells. He cannot remember when he dropped them; the bone, with its tattered flesh, is gray with dust. Jan sits there, thinking about love. He has had many women—foolish virgins, foolish wives. For a man who devotes his life to beauty he hasn’t been fussy. There’s no such thing as an ugly woman, just not enough brandy.
A simple writing style, but vivid, putting me right there in 17th century Amsterdam. I could feel the dampness of the fog off the canals, smell the fish in the marketplace. And I understood the passion of the young lovers as they become more and more reckless in their pursuit of happiness together.
This story gave me a craving to go to the museum to see some Dutch still lifes and portraits, which I did when I finished this book. http://www.google.com/search?q=dutch+...
Amsterdam in 1632 is a prosperous city of merchants who rule the known world, at least in terms of commerce. Cornelius, a well-to-do merchant in late middle-age, has married the young and beautiful Sophia. He is a good, kind man and Sophia appreciates having been rescued from poverty when her family’s fortunes declined. The Netherlands is in the midst of a financial bubble as people from every walk of life speculate crazily on tulip bulbs, a mania that blossomed wildly for a while before the inevitable crash that ruined many.
Sophia is content, but then she meets Jan van Loos when he comes to paint their portraits and . . it’s an old story: love triangle between an old husband, young wife, and a young man without means. But there are some twists to the plot that I did not see coming. There’s a ruse involving a pregnant servant about to be homeless and disgraced, and a scheme dependent on a tulip bulb worth a workingman’s annual wage. What happens with the bulb is not what you'd think.
Short chapters alternate between the viewpoints of the several main characters.
Maria
Maria the maid, dozy with love, polishes the copper warming pan. She is heavy with desire; she feels sluggish, as if she is moving around underwater. Her face, distorted by the curved metal, smiles back at herself. She is a big, ruddy country girl with a healthy appetite. Her conscience, too, is a healthily adaptable organ. When she takes Willem into her bed, deep in the wall behind the kitchen fire, she pulls the curtain to shut out God’s disapproval. Out of sight, out of mind.
Sophia
Behind his easel the painter is watching me. His blue eyes bore into my soul. He is a small, wiry man with wild black hair. His head is cocked to one side. I stare back at him coolly. Then I realize—he is not looking at me. He is looking at an arrangement to be painted. He wipes his brush on a rag and frowns. I am just an object—brown hair, white lace collar and blue, shot-silk dress.
Jan
Back in his studio, Jan sits down heavily on a chair. He gazes at a chicken bone, lying on the floor among a scattering of walnut shells. He cannot remember when he dropped them; the bone, with its tattered flesh, is gray with dust. Jan sits there, thinking about love. He has had many women—foolish virgins, foolish wives. For a man who devotes his life to beauty he hasn’t been fussy. There’s no such thing as an ugly woman, just not enough brandy.
A simple writing style, but vivid, putting me right there in 17th century Amsterdam. I could feel the dampness of the fog off the canals, smell the fish in the marketplace. And I understood the passion of the young lovers as they become more and more reckless in their pursuit of happiness together.
This story gave me a craving to go to the museum to see some Dutch still lifes and portraits, which I did when I finished this book. http://www.google.com/search?q=dutch+...
September 8, 2023
Let's be honest, we all love a bit of drama in our romance novels, but this one is such a wild ride that there are moments where it felt downright silly. Can't complain about not having been entertained, though!
Tulip Fever is set in 17th-century Amsterdam, where the young Sofia was married to the wealthy and much older Cornelis. They've been married for three years now, but since Sofia has failed to produce an heir yet, Cornelis hires a painter named Jan in order to paint a couple's portrait. Of course Sofia and Jan begin an affair, one that kicks off a sequence of tumultuous events to say the least.
I loved this sensual depiction of the Netherlands at its prime. The mid-17th century was an extremely good time for the country: trade was blossoming, as were the tulips. The novel is set against the backdrop of tulip mania, a famous and fascinating bubble crash that occurred when speculations drove the value of tulip bulbs to extremes. I hadn't seen this explored much in novels yet and I thought Moggach integrated that into her story quite smoothly, just like she did that whole portrait painting business that was clearly the thing to engage in for all wealthy folks judged by any visit to European art museums nowadays.
There are parts of the writing that felt silly. We jump from perspective to perspective and get to regularly look into the heads of Sophia, Cornelis and Jan, but also a couple other characters like their maiden Maria or her lover Willem, who get their own entertaining love story. One major problem I had with this novel is that everyone sounded the same. It does create one coherent vibe, but that specific mood is over the top sometimes and when we get to passages like these I couldn't help but to roll my eyes:
"Someone might betray her; she knows this I sonly too possible. She might even betray herself. God waits in judgement. He is the one she has most profoundly betrayed. But she locks that muscle in her heart. Not now, she thinks. Not yet.
The characters in general all felt quite stereotypical. I mean, it works for the story, because you know the archetypes Moggach makes use of well and the plot is intricate and eventful enough to keep you entertained, but Maria is the typical maid (good natured and a bit simple), Sophia the typical young woman marrying a rich dude (unsatisfied, selfish, passionate), Jan the typical artist (unreliable, impulsive, dreamy) and so on. I never developed any feelings towards any of these characters and didn't much care for the outcome of their drama.
Overall, while this might not be great, it's an easy and fast-paced read that keeps you on your toes, even if you won't be sad to have reached the end when you do.
Tulip Fever is set in 17th-century Amsterdam, where the young Sofia was married to the wealthy and much older Cornelis. They've been married for three years now, but since Sofia has failed to produce an heir yet, Cornelis hires a painter named Jan in order to paint a couple's portrait. Of course Sofia and Jan begin an affair, one that kicks off a sequence of tumultuous events to say the least.
I loved this sensual depiction of the Netherlands at its prime. The mid-17th century was an extremely good time for the country: trade was blossoming, as were the tulips. The novel is set against the backdrop of tulip mania, a famous and fascinating bubble crash that occurred when speculations drove the value of tulip bulbs to extremes. I hadn't seen this explored much in novels yet and I thought Moggach integrated that into her story quite smoothly, just like she did that whole portrait painting business that was clearly the thing to engage in for all wealthy folks judged by any visit to European art museums nowadays.
There are parts of the writing that felt silly. We jump from perspective to perspective and get to regularly look into the heads of Sophia, Cornelis and Jan, but also a couple other characters like their maiden Maria or her lover Willem, who get their own entertaining love story. One major problem I had with this novel is that everyone sounded the same. It does create one coherent vibe, but that specific mood is over the top sometimes and when we get to passages like these I couldn't help but to roll my eyes:
"Someone might betray her; she knows this I sonly too possible. She might even betray herself. God waits in judgement. He is the one she has most profoundly betrayed. But she locks that muscle in her heart. Not now, she thinks. Not yet.
The characters in general all felt quite stereotypical. I mean, it works for the story, because you know the archetypes Moggach makes use of well and the plot is intricate and eventful enough to keep you entertained, but Maria is the typical maid (good natured and a bit simple), Sophia the typical young woman marrying a rich dude (unsatisfied, selfish, passionate), Jan the typical artist (unreliable, impulsive, dreamy) and so on. I never developed any feelings towards any of these characters and didn't much care for the outcome of their drama.
Overall, while this might not be great, it's an easy and fast-paced read that keeps you on your toes, even if you won't be sad to have reached the end when you do.
December 31, 2013
I read Tulip Fever in almost one sitting on the flight to Dubai from Amsterdam, where I now live. It was recommended to me by my favourite fellow reader - my mother - because of the setting of Amsterdam in the first half of the seventeenth century, its focus on the fast-growing trend of portrait painting and the rise and fall of Tulipmania on the stock market, something I knew little about.
I found the historical references, descriptions, facts and details fascinating and I wildly appreciate all the author's hard work to research, collate and squeeze as much data in her flowing text without interrupting the natural progression of the story. This book is the ultimate companion for anyone who visits Amsterdam and plans on spending all their time in the Rijksmuseum (which is easily done - it's a huge museum).
I also enjoyed how quickly the story began and how promptly the reader is thrown into a web of lies, scandal and lust all told in very beautiful prose. Plot twists kept me turning the pages and there was a wonderful crescendo of tension was almost as comical as it was angst-ridden - kudos to Moggach!
Historical fiction is not my cup of tea at all, but the history lessons I learned about a place I loved and a Dutch institution - tulips - left me feeling satisfied as much with my new knowledge as I was with the charmingly told story of full-of-life characters in old Amsterdam.
I found the historical references, descriptions, facts and details fascinating and I wildly appreciate all the author's hard work to research, collate and squeeze as much data in her flowing text without interrupting the natural progression of the story. This book is the ultimate companion for anyone who visits Amsterdam and plans on spending all their time in the Rijksmuseum (which is easily done - it's a huge museum).
I also enjoyed how quickly the story began and how promptly the reader is thrown into a web of lies, scandal and lust all told in very beautiful prose. Plot twists kept me turning the pages and there was a wonderful crescendo of tension was almost as comical as it was angst-ridden - kudos to Moggach!
Historical fiction is not my cup of tea at all, but the history lessons I learned about a place I loved and a Dutch institution - tulips - left me feeling satisfied as much with my new knowledge as I was with the charmingly told story of full-of-life characters in old Amsterdam.
March 28, 2021
Despite liking the paintings and enjoying every other book of Moggach's that I've read (and so coming to this optimistically) this left me cold. I liked Cornelis, Maria and Willem, but Sophia and Jan left me at first bemused and then rather repelled. Their love story came out of nowhere; there was no insight into their motivations and their love affair felt sleazy - which is odd because the love between Willem and Maria felt real indeed. A few plots twists in the end made it feel like a morality play of sorts. No recommended even if you like Dutch painters.
May 8, 2008
If you liked "Girl with a Pearl Earing" You will like this tale. Set in 17th Century Amsterdam, a city in the grip of tulip mania - it's a story of love, romance, money & deception and the art of painterly intrigue & reckless gambles. A pacy plat with twists and turns written well Moggach keeps the tension building till the sad, funny and tragic end.
Illustrated with paintings from Vermeer, Maes, de Hooch, Steen, Terborch, van Rijin, and others in the dutch style.
Illustrated with paintings from Vermeer, Maes, de Hooch, Steen, Terborch, van Rijin, and others in the dutch style.
July 20, 2017
This was a very interesting book with lots of historical information about Amsterdam, tulips and the painters of the time period. I learned a lot from reading the book but the story was very strange. I think it was the writing style which was very different. Or maybe the fact that the author was trying to tell the story in the writing style of that time period, the 17th century. It was enjoyable and very interesting. Part of history that I knew nothing about and was very glad to learn.
May 7, 2015
I found this book quite unsatisfactory. It is a gripping tale of complicated affairs and webs of deceit but it lacked character development and I found the fact that the chapters switched between first and third person quite unsettling. It is one of those novels where you're not quite sure who you should be rooting for. Easy to read but difficult to love.
March 7, 2009
A quick, easy read about a doomed love affair that begs to be reviewed using phrases like "torrid affair" or "grand deception." Also, it has a "Wings Of A Dove" vibe- it is unbelievable what lengths these characters will go to in order to get what they want!
January 31, 2018
You probably won’t find a person who doesn’t know Kochenhof and the endless tulip fields in Holland. Today this is the country with biggest tulip production in the world. Every spring we can enjoy The Tulip Fest in Amsterdam where we can see different tulip cultivars selected there. This period in their history, to which the author take us, is extremely interesting for me in a professional way and also as a flowers lover.
I began reading this book with an intention to learn something new about the story of this beautiful flowers. No matter how much I’ve read about them and the Tulip Fever, nothing can compare with author’s research, especially when this is part from your own history. But actually tulips have been introduced in Holland from Turkey in late XVI century and the viral disease, that caused this versicoloured flowers, is one of the first plant viruses that had been described.
The author takes us to the home of Sophia and Cornelis. He is a rich merchant. Her father is used to be very rich, but he went bankrupt and this forced Sophia to marry a rich so he can pay for her father debts. After the death of Cornelis wife and two sons, Sophia is the answer to his prayers for family. Sophia is resigned to her fate and to life with way too older man then her, until the day Jan crossed the threshold of their house. Jan van Loos is young, talented artist who is supposed to immortalise the image of the couple for their inheritors. But from the very first moment Jan fell in love with the young girl and she (of course) shares his feelings.
In the second story line we meet Maria - Sophia’s handmade and Willem - a street vendor, selling fishes. Although their strong feelings they can’t get married because they don’t have enough money. A big misunderstanding, caused by Sophia, separated them for a while. Despite the fact that they are not the main characters, their story is more touching and true than Sophia and Jan’s.
We don’t learn much about the tulips. Nothing interesting at all. Some statistics and cultivars’ true names- nothing new. I really wanted to learn something more about Tulip Fever. What made people to stake their own houses for just one bulb. What made the price of a single bulb that high. The story, itself, has a lot of potential, but it is undeveloped. Everything happens so quickly, ridiculously quick. How fast Sophia jumps into Jan’s bed without doubts. How Jan became one of the biggest bulb retailers - it does happen amazingly fast and without much of explanation. The storyline is senseless. The book sounds like something written in a rush, with deadlines coming faster than expected.
I can’t feel it like a proper tragedy that this book is supposed to be. Far from touching and heartbreaking.
I began reading this book with an intention to learn something new about the story of this beautiful flowers. No matter how much I’ve read about them and the Tulip Fever, nothing can compare with author’s research, especially when this is part from your own history. But actually tulips have been introduced in Holland from Turkey in late XVI century and the viral disease, that caused this versicoloured flowers, is one of the first plant viruses that had been described.
The author takes us to the home of Sophia and Cornelis. He is a rich merchant. Her father is used to be very rich, but he went bankrupt and this forced Sophia to marry a rich so he can pay for her father debts. After the death of Cornelis wife and two sons, Sophia is the answer to his prayers for family. Sophia is resigned to her fate and to life with way too older man then her, until the day Jan crossed the threshold of their house. Jan van Loos is young, talented artist who is supposed to immortalise the image of the couple for their inheritors. But from the very first moment Jan fell in love with the young girl and she (of course) shares his feelings.
In the second story line we meet Maria - Sophia’s handmade and Willem - a street vendor, selling fishes. Although their strong feelings they can’t get married because they don’t have enough money. A big misunderstanding, caused by Sophia, separated them for a while. Despite the fact that they are not the main characters, their story is more touching and true than Sophia and Jan’s.
We don’t learn much about the tulips. Nothing interesting at all. Some statistics and cultivars’ true names- nothing new. I really wanted to learn something more about Tulip Fever. What made people to stake their own houses for just one bulb. What made the price of a single bulb that high. The story, itself, has a lot of potential, but it is undeveloped. Everything happens so quickly, ridiculously quick. How fast Sophia jumps into Jan’s bed without doubts. How Jan became one of the biggest bulb retailers - it does happen amazingly fast and without much of explanation. The storyline is senseless. The book sounds like something written in a rush, with deadlines coming faster than expected.
I can’t feel it like a proper tragedy that this book is supposed to be. Far from touching and heartbreaking.
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