The Black Tulip
The Black Tulip is a historical novel written by Alexandre Dumas senior and originally published in 1850. This edition uses the translation from French into English by P. F. Collier.
Cornelius von Baerle is a tulip grower who tries to cultivate the coveted black tulip to try to win a contest with a juicy prize. It all takes place in the midst of the Dutch tulip fever.
However, Cornelius is wrongly accused by jealous competitors of murdering two brothers during a political revolt against William of Orange. He is sentenced to life imprisonment for treason.
This makes it impossible for him to continue cultivating his precious black tulip. However, in prison he meets the jailer's beautiful daughter and together they try to cultivate the black tulip in secret...
Your download has started
PDF · The Black Tulip — didn't start? Download again
Also available: PDF · EPUB · MOBI · Read online
Read it on a Kindle
Download the EPUB and send it with Amazon's Send to Kindle (web, app, or your kindle.com email). Modern Kindles accept EPUB directly — no conversion needed.
On iPhone or iPad
Tap the downloaded file, then "Open in Books". It opens in Apple Books, with your reading progress synced across your devices.
On Android
Open the file with Google Play Books or any EPUB reader (ReadEra, Moon+ Reader). PDFs open in any viewer.
On your computer
PDFs open anywhere. For EPUB, try Calibre or Thorium Reader — both free and excellent.
Public domain (US)·No sign-up·DRM-free·Real text, not scans
Copyright note. The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas (père) is believed to be in the public domain in the United States only. It may still be copyrighted in other countries. If you are not in the United States, please check your local laws to ensure this eBook is in the public domain in your country before downloading The Black Tulip in PDF or EPUB.
- Pages
- 237
- Reading time
- 6 hours 13 minutes
- Pace
- Intermediate
- First published
- 1850
- Language
- French
- Downloads
- 2,898
176 years later, still timely
Why Read The Black Tulip in 2026?
A flower becomes fortune and danger. Dumas turns horticulture into high suspense—plots, prisons, and patience in pursuit of a single impossible bloom worth waiting for.
Today's connection
Innovation, envy, and intellectual property—older than startups. This tale celebrates craft while warning how fragile merit is when politics and pride mix.
Beauty as quest
Care, skill, and nerve.
Fairness on trial
Merit vs. maneuver.
Craft at work
Technique earns miracles.
Share this book
About the author
Alexandre Dumas (père)
Swashbuckling pace honor and intrigue; friendship tested by justice and wit.
