«The Black Tulip» in English with a Parallel Translation

“The Black Tulip” is a historical novel written by Alexandre Dumas at the time of Tulipmania in the Netherlands. The novel begins in 1672, when a politically motivated mob lynched the de Witt brothers and then follows the story of Cornelius, who joined the race by coming up with a way to grow truly black tulips, hoping to win a big cash prize, as well as fame and honour. However, the path to his dream is full of difficulties that he has to cope with.