Deborah Moggach

In Amsterdam in the 1630s, Sophia, the young wife of merchant Cornelis Sandvoort, escapes her stifling marriage to a wealthy older man into the arms of the artist who is hired to paint their portrait. Reprint. 22,500 first printing.

Tulip Fever

Grace O'Callaghan

The whole time I was reading this book I thought ‘why do I care?’ and I think this question was ultimately this books downfall to me.

I hadn’t read any historical fiction in a while and so on a whim I checked the audiobook out from my library. The premise was what really intrigued me. I was fascinated by the ‘tulip fever’ era in Holland and whilst this is clearly not history book, I thought I’d get the opportunity to learn a bit more about it. I don’t know how it started or how it stopped but perhaps I just wasn’t paying enough attention. Maybe I just put too many expectations on the book but for something called ‘Tulip Fever’ I’d expect tulips.

The biggest let down of the book was the characters. It was a multiple POV story, which isn’t something I’m against, but didn’t work in this instance. As there were so many characters it was hard to know who was who and no one character got enough page time for me to get to know them and root for them.
Because of all this, I couldn’t root for the romance at all. It was also very insta-lovey and were saying ‘I love you’s at their third meeting. It was very unbelievable.

The plot was probably the stronger part of this book, but only just. Whilst I wouldn’t call it action packed it was still intriguing enough, but alas I didn’t care what was happening because they were happening to the characters. I also didn’t like the ending as it was rushed and left something to be desired.

Overall a book about tulips (but not really about tulips) with too many characters for you to care about the plot. Wouldn’t recommend reading if you want to read about the time period or want to feel connected to your characters. Perhaps you should pick it up if you adore historical fiction and don’t need to care about characters.

Antonella Romani

It was a very fun, interesting story! It has a fast-paced plot that keeps the general flow of the book engaging, and pretty great simple writing. This read like a novel full of real people in the flesh, choosing some really awful and foolish paths to travel. It's a great option for a leisure read on vacation.

Soon to be a major film starring Dame Judi Dench, Cara Delevingne and adapted for the screen by Sir Tom Stoppard. From the bestselling author of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel comes a thrilling story of power, lust and deception set in seventeenth-century Amsterdam Seventeenth-century Amsterdam - a city in the grip of tulip fever. Sophia's husband Cornelis is one of the lucky ones grown rich from this exotic new flower. To celebrate, he commissions a talented young artist to paint him with his beautiful young bride. But as the portrait grows, so does the passion between Sophia and the painter; and ambitions, desires and dreams breed an intricate deception and a reckless gamble. Deborah Moggachis the author of many successful novels including the bestseller The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Her screenplays include The Diary of Anne Frankand the film of Pride and Prejudice, which was nominated for a BAFTA. She lives in North London.

Tulip Fever

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