Book notes | The Black Tulip
Although not as well-known as the author’s earlier novels The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas père (1802–70) is a beautifully crafted novel, rich in its telling with themes of love, courage, honesty, politics, and the destructive capacity of jealousy.
Published in 1850, it is a work of historical fiction that mixes 17th century events in The Netherlands with fictional characters. There is an interesting interweaving of Dutch politics and culture, and the phenomenon of the so-called tulip mania that gripped 17th century Holland, a financial bubble that eventually led to heavy economic damage.
The story unfolds with an actual historical event: the 1672 mob lynching by the Orangists of the de Witt brothers, accused of treason. Dumas spares nothing in the gruesome details.
A very worthy read
The main fictional character, Dr. Cornelius Van Baerle, is a man of faith, science, and devotion to the cultivation of the black tulip. Central to the story is a widely regarded competition to cultivate the flower, which may appear mundane. At stake, however, was not only money but also considerable fame and honor.
When members of UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club met on Friday (when else?) May 28 to discuss the book, we agreed that it is a very worthy read; the author is an acclaimed storyteller, and The Black Tulip does not disappoint.
Upcoming Fourth Friday Book Club selections are:
June 25. The Last Tycoon by F. Scott Fitzgerald
July 23. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John Le Carré
August 27. Pale Horse, Pale Rider by Katherine Anne Porter
September 24. The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
October 22. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
November 26. Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie
New members are welcome!
Please contact Dorothy Marden or Margaret Catambay to learn more.
—Dorothy Marden, Fourth Friday Book Club member
Book Club II to meet May 28
Fri, May 28 2021, 2pm
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club will meet at 2 p.m. Central Time on Friday, May 28, via Zoom to discuss The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas père.
The book is a work of historical fiction that mixes actual 17th century events in The Netherlands with fictional characters. There is an interesting interweaving of politics and culture, and the phenomenon of the so-called “tulip mania” during the Dutch Golden Age—an economic bubble that eventually led to heavy economic damage.
Our selections for the coming months are:
June 25. The Last Tycoon by F. Scott Fitzgerald
July 23. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John Le Carré
August 27. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman
September 24. Burnt Shadows by Kamala Shamsie
New members are welcome to the Fourth Friday Book Club! Contact Dorothy Marden at [email protected] to learn more.
Upcoming Events
Our July 15 "hike" is going to be a kayaking adventure on Bde Maka Ska (formerly Lake Calhoun) and Lake of the Isles! If you don't have a kayak (or paddleboard), Wheel Fun Rentals, located next to the new concession stand rents single kayaks at $15 an hour and double kayaks at $25. The second hour is free if we rent before noon. Life jackets are provided with the rental.
Laura Ericksen will lead the discussion of How Stella Learned to Talk by Christina Hunger, a true story by a speech-language pathologist who taught her dog, Stella, to communicate using buttons associated with different words.
Our August 5 hike will be a reprise of our hike last summer at William O'Brien State Park. This is a beautiful park with a winding trail and a great view of the countryside. The hike is about 5.5 to 6 miles and we'll go at a moderate pace with frequent water breaks. After the hike, we will eat lunch at Rustic Roots Winery, a half mile north of the park.
Kathy Cramer will lead the discussion of The Bookbinder by Pip Williams, a book set in 1914 Oxford chronicling the life of Peggy who works in the University bindery, but craves a life beyond binding books but to being a scholar herself.
Enjoy a two-hour cruise on the Jonathan Padelford, leaving from the Harriet Island dock in St. Paul, boarding time at 5:30 p.m. We will have a brief program on board by Patrick Nunnally from the River Life Program of the Institute on the Environment.
August 31 is the due date for annual reports and updates. Annual Reports, Toolkits, web page updates, operating document updates and archives collections are all due each year on this date.
Autumn is a wonderful season in Minnesota so plan to join UMRA at the Andersen Horticultural Library at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Kristen Mastel, head librarian and curator, will reveal its treasure trove of publications and artifacts relating to plant history, horticulture, and natural history. After the tour, those who are interested may stay to eat lunch together, sitting outside if the weather is nice. Later, you are invited to a one-hour tram tour of the entire Arboretum that includes natural areas of flowering shrubs, bogs, and forests, family garden and landscaping showpieces, and the red barn farm
After a summer break the UMRA Photo Club will next meet September 10, 2024 in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library. For those interested in lunch, meet at the Great Dragon at 11:30 am. For September the THEME will be Curves
We will continue to discuss the pros and cons of Medicare Advantage. You will also hear about notable non-health plan and non-broker resources.