Tulip Fever
Moggach, DeborahThe rich texture of 17th-century Amsterdam - the golden age of painting, religious toleration, and feverish tulip speculation - offers a backdrop to the drama of a doomed love triangle. Colour plates of Dutch paintings are an added feature. [Larger font]
Comments from Groups
A fun book. Enjoyed by all. Queenstown 005 Pitfalls of greed very well portrayed. Atmosphere of era evoked well, which the paintings reinforced. Milton 002 Loved it! An entertaining and thought provoking read. Mangwhai 002 It was interesting learning about the life of painters and the people of that time but we felt it was lightweight and predictable with some contrived twists. Hokitika 001 Loads of discussion. Almost everyone enjoyed this book. Gore 004 Majority of the group enjoyed the book - an easy read. Interesting historical context such as tulip bulbs, and the metaphors in the paintings. Ashburton 013 Interesting discussion. Most found the historical aspect of Holland and tulips good. Not everyone sympathetic to the main characters and most felt the ending too contrived. Palmerston 004 Some liked the book, others didn't. Disappointment that there wasn't more about actual tulip selling. Nelson 028 A light read but enjoyable. Similar to books such as 'Girl With a Pearl Earring'. Good to have twist at the end. Nelson 012 Good insights into 'tulip fever' and symbolism in Dutch interior painting. Auckland 122 Comments ranged from great to bizarre - a good discussion though! Sutherland 001 Nice, quick, easy to read. Good characters. Winton 002
Pages
259
259
Year
1999
1999
Reviews
23-01-2024
Mixed reviews - overall a bit average. Most felt it was a bit fanciful, but for some this didn't detract from their enjoyment - others not so convinced. Not our best choice!
23-09-2022
Most enjoyed this book and found it a light and enjoyable read. A good discussion book, we discussed the paintings in the book as much as the story.
06-05-2022
Most of us quite enjoyed this and found it an interesting insight into that period of history. Easy and gripping to read.
04-10-2021
Most found it an easy read, but the sense of foreboding was strong.
04-10-2021
Only 1 of twelve really enthusiastic and would seek out more by this author. Several found it difficult to really believe in the characters and story. All enjoyed the background information, the atmosphere of Amsterdam, and the pictures.
04-10-2021
Enjoyed by the majority of our readers. Easy read. Keen to keep reading to the end of the book to find out what happened.
04-10-2021
A delightful glimpse into the life and interiors of the 17th century people and Dutch Masters of Amsterdam. Read like a rollicking situation comedy!
04-10-2021
Well-written, well researched. Enjoyed by all.
04-10-2021
An easy book to read. Some members thought the story unbelievable. We loved the pictures in the book and insight into Dutch life. Maria came off best in the end. Interesting insight into the tulip craze.
04-10-2021
An extremely varied response to this book - some liked the lightness of the story, others found it reminiscent of farce, even a 'Carry On' film. The art element was illuminating and the discussion very lively however.
04-10-2021
Most really enjoyed the book. Two thought it too trite.
04-10-2021
Mixed response to this book. Some enjoyed immensely, others found it irritating in the way it was written, and the story-line implausible. The picture plates were appreciated by most. Many found the ending unsatisfactory - like a quick tidy-up by an author who'd got a bit bored/ or didn't quite know how to finish.
04-10-2021
Delightful quick read helped by the paintings. Cleverly written and drew us into the characters, with changing emotions for them as they developed and the storyline progressed.
04-10-2021
This book gave us the best discussion time for ages. 3 of us found it a "real page turner", some thought the book "just o.k, or a nice yarn", and others didn't like it at all. The reasonings flew thick and fast. Altogether a most stimulating evening was had by all.
17-05-2021
Most of our group quite enjoyed the book - a very satisfying ending and a real page turner if you can get past the initial set up. It felt like an opera or a Shakespearean comedy of errors. The addition of the Flemish art really helped to explain the insights for the story.