Rating: 
Summary: Love, lust and art....
Review: This is a delightful historical romance with a dark edge and a wonderful meditation on love, lust, deception, art and redemption. The prose reads like blank verse, the characters are strongly drawn, the setting evocative and realistic and the plot strong, convincing and sustaining to the end.
Rating: 
Summary: It grabbed my attention!
Review: This is a must-read for any serious reader. I couldn't put it down at all ~~ and I was in the midst of the move as well! A friend recommended this book to me since I loved A Girl With A Pearl Earring and this book is just as well-written. If you like historical fiction ~~ this book will grab your attention!Sophia, a bored housewife, meets and falls in love with portrait painter, Jan van Loos who also falls in love for the first time with one of his clients. And this story is about their affair and how they plotted to run away from Amsterdam so they can be together. At the heart of this dream is a Semper Augustus bulb ~~ a tulip bulb that would bring in thousands of dollars at the right time ~~ and this book is full of tales of the lovers, her husband, her maid and errant lover. From the first page to the last ~~ it is entertaining with a wicked sense of charm as well. I wouldn't hesitate to read this book ~~ it does sound kind of dull but don't judge the book by it's book cover ~~ it is really one of the best reads I've read this year. It's perfect for summer reading as well ~~ so grab a copy and take it on vacation! 7-7-03
Rating: 
Summary: Way too predictible and underdeveloped
Review: This is a quick read, and although phrases like 'torrid affair' have been thrown around in these reviews, I didn't actually see all that much great passion between the adulterous couple, because so little time is given to developing their characters, especially Jan's. The tragic results of the affair are telegraphed very early in the book. When I finished with it, I realized that I hadn't cared a bit about any of the characters, with the slight possibility of the cuckolded husband. A disappointment, because I had looked forward to reading it, and now that I'm done I have no desire to ever reread it.
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Read
Review: This is a wonderful book. The author takes you to 17th century Holland and builds a story around some interesting characters, including drunks, artists, merchants and prostitutes, before finally peeling off the layers, one-by-one, like an onion to the final conclusion.
Rating: 
Summary: Fun, and quick...
Review: Tulip Fever caught my eye with its beautiful cover art. The blurb on the back cover sold it for me. I wanted to read something fun, light and fast, and Tulip Fever was it for a great summer read. At the beginning, it opens with some interesting sexual exploits, but it quickly picks up and is difficult to put down. If you enjoy period novels, this is a great one. Based in Holland [the Low Countries] during the 17th Century, it is an interesting glimpse into the tulip craze that rocked that country. It does not have a heavy plot, but it will keep you guessing and engrossed until the end. It's no masterpiece, but it is enjoyable, interesting, and mysterious. You will definitely fly through this one, and enjoy it along the way.
Rating:
Summary: Like Chinese food--yummy, but not very filling.
Review: Tulip Fever is a fun book--but it lacks substance. I got wrapped up in the twisty romance, and found the tulip market side plot intriguing, but instantly forgettable. Don't get me wrong, it's a really enjoyable read (hence my strong rating), but there's not much to think about when it's done. I chose this book for my book club based on its great reviews, and now I'm wondering what we'll have to say about it.
Rating:
Summary: Good but gross
Review: Tulip Fever is a really good book. It would be a great book if there weren't discriptions of what they did in bed together. I read historical fiction to get an idea about what life was like back then, and the parts in bed back then are the same as now.
Rating: 
Summary: A predictable read...
Review: Tulipomania was described as the fever that attacked all persons involved in the selling and buying of tulip bulbs during a time when a single bulb was sold for "six fine horses, three oxheads of wine, a dozen sheep, two dozen silver goblets and a seascape by Esaias van de Velde". One could call the buying and selling of these bulbs the seventeenth century version of a frenzied stock market where the risks are often more devastating. This is the story of Sophia, the young, pretty wife of Cornelis, an older man who, by marrying Sophia, manages to pull her and her family out of debt. This is from where Sophia's affection for her husband stem: her gratitude. The dynamics behind the affair are simple: her husband is old and portrayed quite early on as pompous; the lover is a young painter, an occupation often considered "romantic" and hence painters seen as "romantic propositions". Sophia chooses youth over the aged and romanticism over pomposity. It is easy (though frustratingly unimaginative) to see why Sophia may choose her lover. But frankly, I can not see the attraction either man has for Sophia. Or rather, the extent. Of course she is beautiful, and for that reason, there is certainly some attraction. Her youth as well is appealing to Cornelis, who likens her youth and beauty to the timeless aspect and captured loveliness of paintings. But really, this is all much too superficial. We are never really told why Jan (the lover) decides that she is different from all the other wives he has seduced, and we never really come to understand why Cornelis is willing to sacrifice all for this creature. In fact, I loathed her! But maybe that's just a female talking. I was mostly disappointed by this novel simply because the main plot was entirely predictable and frankly, unimaginative. Of course, some events in it's conclusion were a surprise, but unfortunately, by that time, I didn't really care. By the end of the novel, the only character I still cared for was Cornelis. He was the only character who really grew in this novel - in terms of his perceptions, beliefs, etc. I really can't say more about this novel, for fear of spoiling it for those brave enough to read it. Warning: I was skimming the words by the end. The only saving aspect of the entire novel, were the pictures embedded within of famous paintings which were obviously the inspiration for this story. The paintings are wonderfully detailed and vibrant and we can see why the character, Cornelis was so proud of his own collection. It's such a shame that the inspired storyline was so flat and boring compared to these visually stunning pieces.
Rating:
Summary: A book that gets better as it goes
Review: Was lored into the the book by the cover and the subject matter. Slow start -- too many stange sexual references. Loved the way each chapter came from a different character's perspective -- clever. Story unfolded in a compelling fashion -- couldn't put it down for the last quarter of the book.
Rating:
Summary: An engaging morality tale
Review: You have to read Tulip Fever in the right spirit. It's a clever, literate, witty, fast-paced tale of intrigue, love, lust, and greed, and the tragedy that results from trying to outwit the gods or fate. Yet the rhythm is such that one can't be too sad or take it too seriously. Just sit back for the roller coaster ride and let the sights and sounds of 17th century Amersterdam, and the characters in their silly and reckless behavior that will be their undoing wash over you.
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