''The Club Dumas'' (original Spanish title ''El Club Dumas'') is a 1993 novel by

Arturo Pérez-Reverte Arturo Pérez-Reverte Gutiérrez (born 25 November 1951 in Cartagena) is a Spanish novelist and journalist. He worked as a war correspondent for RTVE for 21 years (1973–1994). His first novel, ''El húsar'', set in the Napoleonic Wars, was ...

. The book is set in a world of antiquarian booksellers, echoing his previous 1990 work, '' The Flanders Panel''. The story follows the adventures of a book dealer, Lucas Corso, who is hired to authenticate a rare manuscript by

Alexandre Dumas, père Alexandre Dumas (, ; ; born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie (), 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas père (where ''Suffix (name)#Generational titles, '' is French language, French for 'father', to distinguish him from ...

. Corso's investigation leads him to seek out two copies of a (fictional) rare book known as ''De Umbrarum Regni Novem Portis'' ("Of the Nine Doors of the Kingdom of Shadows"). Corso encounters a host of intriguing characters on his journey of investigation, including devil worshippers, obsessed

bibliophiles Bibliophilia or bibliophilism is the love of books. A bibliophile or bookworm is an individual who loves and frequently reads and/or collects books. Profile The classic bibliophile is one who loves to read, admire and collect books, often ama ...

and a hypnotically enticing

femme fatale A ''femme fatale'' ( or ; ), sometimes called a maneater or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious, beautiful, and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. She is an archetype of ...

. Corso's travels take him to

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

(Spain),

Sintra Sintra (, ) is a town and municipality in the Greater Lisbon region of Portugal, located on the Portuguese Riviera. The population of the municipality in 2011 was 377,835, in an area of . Sintra is one of the most urbanized and densely populated ...

(Portugal),

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

(France), and Toledo (Spain). ''The Club Dumas'' is full of details ranging from the working habits of Alexandre Dumas to how one might forge a 17th-century text, as well as insight into

demonology Demonology is the study of demons within religious belief and myth. Depending on context, it can refer to studies within theology, religious doctrine, or pseudoscience. In many faiths, it concerns the study of a hierarchy of demons. Demons may b ...

Plot summary

Lucas Corso is a middle-aged book dealer with a reputation of doing anything—regardless of legality—for his privileged clientele. While in

attempting to authenticate a previously unknown partial draft of ''

The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' (french: Les Trois Mousquetaires, links=no, ) is a French historical adventure novel written in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is in the swashbuckler genre, which has heroic, chivalrous swordsmen who fight f ...

'', he is summoned to Toledo by Varo Borja, a notoriously eccentric and wealthy collector. Borja has obtained a copy of a legendary book, ''Of the Nine Doors of the Kingdom of Shadows'', whose author was burned at the stake by the

Inquisition The Inquisition was a group of institutions within the Catholic Church whose aim was to combat heresy, conducting trials of suspected heretics. Studies of the records have found that the overwhelming majority of sentences consisted of penances, ...

. The book purportedly contains instructions for summoning

the Devil Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an entity in the Abrahamic religions that seduces humans into sin or falsehood. ...

. Only one copy of the book is supposed to have survived, but Borja claims three exist, two of which are elaborate forgeries. He hires Corso to compare the three copies and obtain the legitimate one by any means necessary. He promises to pay handsomely and cover all expenses. Corso agrees, but continues to research the partial Dumas draft. The widow of the draft's previous owner, Liana Taillefer, insists the draft is a fake, but offers to buy it from Corso. After several encounters, she attempts to seduce Corso to obtain the draft; when he succumbs to her charms but refuses to surrender the manuscript, she becomes his enemy. She imagines herself as

Milady de Winter Milady Laurence de Winter, often referred to as simply Milady, is a fictional character in the novel ''The Three Musketeers'' (1844) by Alexandre Dumas, père, set in 1625 France. She is a spy for Cardinal Richelieu and is one of the dominant a ...

, and uses a male associate (whom Corso nicknames "

Rochefort Rochefort () may refer to: Places France * Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, in the Charente-Maritime department ** Arsenal de Rochefort, a former naval base and dockyard * Rochefort, Savoie in the Savoie department * Rochefort-du-Gard, in the Ga ...

") to follow Corso and attempt to retrieve the manuscript by force. Corso confers with the Ceniza Brothers, book restoration experts with extensive knowledge of forgery. They give him basic knowledge to help him compare the copies of ''The Nine Doors''. On his way to

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...

to visit the owner of one of the copies, he encounters a beautiful blonde with striking green eyes. She identifies herself as "

Irene Adler Irene Adler is a fictional character in the Sherlock Holmes stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. A former opera singer and actress, she was featured in the short story " A Scandal in Bohemia", published in July 1891. Adler is one of the ...

", and suggests that she is a

fallen angel In the Abrahamic religions, fallen angels are angels who were expelled from heaven. The literal term "fallen angel" never appears in any Abrahamic religious texts, but is used to describe angels cast out of heaven"Mehdi Azaiez, Gabriel Said R ...

. They part company before he meets with Victor Fargas. Fargas is a renowned collector who has been selling off his extensive library to maintain his ancestral mansion. Corso compares Fargas' copy of ''The Nine Doors'' to Borja's, and finds subtle differences in the illustration plates. Most bear the initials of the book's notorious author, but some of the plates bear the initials "L.F." As Corso returns to his hotel, "Irene" guards Corso against an attack by "Rochefort". Corso leaves her to arrange a robbery of Fargas' mansion to obtain his copy of the book. "Irene" informs him that Fargas has been murdered and his copy has been burned. She and Corso leave for

. Corso confers with Replinger, an antiquarian and Dumas scholar, who authenticates the Dumas manuscript. As they talk, Corso spies Liana. He returns to his hotel and bribes the concierge to locate her hotel. "Irene" visits him, and they discuss theology; she implies that she is a witness to the events of the

War in Heaven In the New Testament of the Christian Bible, the Book of Revelation describes a future war in heaven between angels led by the Archangel Michael against those led by "the dragon", identified as the devil or Satan, who will be defeated and throw ...

. Corso visits Baroness Ungern, whose charitable institution possesses the largest occult collection in Europe, including the third copy of ''The Nine Doors''. They discuss the book's author, before Corso blackmails her with photo evidence of her Nazi sympathies so she will let him examine her copy. "Irene" calls to warn Corso that "Rochefort" is waiting outside. The Baroness translates the illustration captions while Corso compares Ungern's copy to Borja's. Later, Corso realizes that, while none of the three sets match each other, the plates bearing the initials "L.F." form a complete set of nine without duplications, and realizes the nine illustrations form a list of instructions for the famed summoning ritual. "Rochefort" attacks again, and is again repelled by "Irene". Using the concierge's information, Corso confronts Liana and her associate, but "Rochefort" renders him unconscious. When he revives, Borja's copy and the Dumas manuscript are gone. He learns that the Baroness has been killed in a fire at her library. Using Liana's obsession with Milady de Winter, he traces her to Meung, where he is captured by "Rochefort". "Rochefort" is instructed by a man calling himself " Richelieu" to bring Corso to a nearby castle. "Richelieu" introduces him to the Club Dumas, a literary society of wealthy Dumas enthusiasts, who are gathered for their annual banquet. Corso is astonished to find that they only want to see the Dumas manuscript, and know nothing about ''The Nine Doors''. He is invited to stay for the party, but chooses to leave. Corso returns to Spain to confront Borja. "Irene" insists that she is a fallen angel who has wandered the earth for millennia searching for him. Corso does not question this, and finds himself even more strongly attracted to her. He accuses Borja of being responsible for both murders. Borja, intending to use the ritual described by the book's true nine plates to summon

and gain ultimate knowledge, has destroyed his entire library to prevent others from following his lead. Corso demands payment, but Borja ignores him and begins the ritual. Corso leaves in disgust; as he leaves, he hears Borja's screams of anguish as the ritual goes awry, remembering the Ceniza Brothers' discourse on false books and realizing one of the plates is a forgery. He joins "Irene" outside, and surmises that each of them will get the devil they deserve.

Literary references

''The Club Dumas'' references many books. Several of the references are not to a work itself, but to a singular instance of the physical book, such as a rare edition or type of binding. Several of these books are inventions of Perez-Reverte.

Real books

The works of

, the source of the eponymous title, influence nearly every element of the plot. The books mentioned are as follows: *''

''. Edition by Miguel Guijarro in four volumes, with engravings by Ortega. *''The Countess de Charny''. Edition by Vicente Blasco Ibanez, in eight volumes, part of the "Illustrated Novel" collection.Appearing in the library of the recently deceased Enrique Taillefer *''

The Two Dianas ''The Two Dianas'' (french: Les Deux Diane) is a historical novel published in 1846-47 under the name of Alexandre Dumas but mostly or entirely written by his friend and collaborator Paul Meurice. The "two Dianas" of the title are Diane de Poitiers ...

''. Edition in three volumes. *''

The Count of Monte Cristo ''The Count of Monte Cristo'' (french: Le Comte de Monte-Cristo) is an adventure novel written by French author Alexandre Dumas (''père'') completed in 1844. It is one of the author's more popular works, along with ''The Three Musketeers''. Li ...

''. Edition by Juan Ros in four volumes, with engravings by A. Gil. *''The Forty-Five''. *''The Queen's Necklace''. *''The Companions of Jehu''. *''From Madrid to Cadiz''. *'' Queen Margot''. *''

Le Chevalier de Maison-Rouge ''Le Chevalier de Maison-Rouge'' (translated as ''The Knight of Maison-Rouge: A Novel of Marie Antoinette'' or ''The Knight of the Red House'') was written in 1845 by Alexandre Dumas, père. It is related to a series referred to as the , though t ...

''. Apparent original title: ''The Knight of Rougeville''. Also mentioned are works by Dumas' ghostwriter

Auguste Maquet Auguste Maquet (; 13 September 1813 – 8 January 1888) was a French author, best known as the chief collaborator of French novelist Alexandre Dumas, père, co-writing such works as ''The Count of Monte Cristo'' and ''The Three Musketeers''. ...

, including in particular, ''Le Bonhomme Buvat or the Conspiracy of Cellamare'', published in ''

Le Siècle ''Le Siècle'' ("''The Age''") is a daily newspaper that was published from 1836 to 1932 in France. History In 1836, ''Le Siècle'' was founded as a paper that supported constitutional monarchism. However, when the July Monarchy came to an end ...

'', the magazine in which ''

'' originally appeared between March and July 1844. Other works mentioned are: *

Richard Adams Richard George Adams (9 May 1920 – 24 December 2016) was an English novelist and writer of the books ''Watership Down'', ''Maia'', ''Shardik'' and ''The Plague Dogs''. He studied modern history at university before serving in the British Army ...

, ''

Watership Down ''Watership Down'' is an adventure novel by English author Richard Adams, published by Rex Collings Ltd of London in 1972. Set in Berkshire in southern England, the story features a small group of rabbits. Although they live in their natural ...

''.Recommended by Corso to barkeep Makarova *

Georg Agricola Georgius Agricola (; born Georg Pawer or Georg Bauer; 24 March 1494 – 21 November 1555) was a German Humanist scholar, mineralogist and metallurgist. Born in the small town of Glauchau, in the Electorate of Saxony of the Holy Roman Empire ...

, '' De re metallica'' Latin edition by Froben and Episcopius, Basle, 1556.Appearing in Victor Fargas' collection. *

Cornelius Agrippa Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim (; ; 14 September 1486 – 18 February 1535) was a German polymath, physician, legal scholar, soldier, theologian, and occult writer. Agrippa's ''Three Books of Occult Philosophy'' published in 1533 drew ...

, '' De Occulta Philosophia'' Latin edition, Cologne, 1533. *

Dante Alighieri Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: '' ...

, ''

The Divine Comedy The ''Divine Comedy'' ( it, Divina Commedia ) is an Italian narrative poem by Dante Alighieri, begun 1308 and completed in around 1321, shortly before the author's death. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work in Italian literature and ...

''. *the works of

John James Audubon John James Audubon (born Jean-Jacques Rabin; April 26, 1785 – January 27, 1851) was an American self-trained artist, naturalist, and ornithologist. His combined interests in art and ornithology turned into a plan to make a complete pictoria ...

. A hypothetical find that would make Corso and La Ponte very wealthy. *the works of Azorín. * Berengario de Carpi, ''Tractatus''. *

Luís de Camões Luís Vaz de Camões (; sometimes rendered in English as Camoens or Camoëns, ; c. 1524 or 1525 – 10 June 1580) is considered Portugal's and the Portuguese language's greatest poet. His mastery of verse has been compared to that of Shakespear ...

, ''

Os Lusíadas ''Os Lusíadas'' (), usually translated as ''The Lusiads'', is a Portuguese epic poem written by Luís Vaz de Camões ( – 1580) and first published in 1572. It is widely regarded as the most important work of Portuguese-language literature an ...

.'' First edition in four volumes, Ibarra 1789. *

Jacques Cazotte Jacques Cazotte (; 17 October 1719 – 25 September 1792) was a French author. Life Born in Dijon, he was educated by the Jesuits. Cazotte then worked for the French Ministry of the Marine and at the age of 27 he obtained a public office at Mar ...

, '' The Devil in Love''. *

Miguel de Cervantes Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (; 29 September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616 Old Style and New Style dates, NS) was an Early Modern Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-emin ...

, ''Los trabajos de Persiles y Sigismunda'', an edition "signed by Trautz-Bauzonnet" or "Hardy". *

Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros, OFM (1436 – 8 November 1517), spelled Ximenes in his own lifetime, and commonly referred to today as simply Cisneros, was a Spanish cardinal, religious figure, and statesman. Starting from humble beginnings ...

, ''

Complutensian Polyglot Bible The Complutensian Polyglot Bible is the name given to the first printed polyglot of the entire Bible. The edition was initiated and financed by Cardinal Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros (1436–1517) and published by Complutense University in Alca ...

''. Six-volume edition. * Simone de Colines, ''Praxis criminis persequendi'', 1541. *

Jacques Collin de Plancy Jacques Albin Simon Collin de Plancy (28 January 1793 in Plancy-l'Abbaye – 1881 in Paris) was a French occultist, demonologist and writer. He published several works on occultism and demonology. Biography He was born Jacques Albin Simon Colli ...

, ''

Dictionnaire Infernal The ''Dictionnaire infernal'' ( en, "Infernal Dictionary") is a book on demonology, describing demons organised in hierarchies. It was written by Jacques Collin de Plancy and first published in 1818. There were several editions of the book; per ...

'', 1842. *

Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Ho ...

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

stories including ''

A Study in Scarlet ''A Study in Scarlet'' is an 1887 detective novel by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle. The story marks the first appearance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, who would become the most famous detective duo in literature. The book's title deri ...

'' and '' A Scandal in Bohemia''. *

Nicolaus Copernicus Nicolaus Copernicus (; pl, Mikołaj Kopernik; gml, Niklas Koppernigk, german: Nikolaus Kopernikus; 19 February 1473 – 24 May 1543) was a Renaissance polymath, active as a mathematician, astronomer, and Catholic Church, Catholic cano ...

, ''De revolutionis celestium''. Second edition, Basle 1566. *''

Corpus Hermeticum The is a collection of 17 Greek writings whose authorship is traditionally attributed to the legendary Hellenistic figure Hermes Trismegistus, a syncretic combination of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth. The treatises were orig ...

''. Cited as mentioning the ''Delomelanicon''. *

Gatien de Courtilz de Sandras Gatien de Courtilz de Sandras (1644, Montargis – 8 May 1712, Paris) was a French novelist, journalist, pamphleteer and memorialist. His abundant output includes short stories, gallant letters, tales of historical love affairs (''Les Intrigue ...

, ''Mémoires de M. d'Artagnan''. *

Martin Delrio Martin Anton Delrio SJ ( la, Martinus Antonius Delrio; es, Martín Antonio del Río; french: Martin-Antoine del Rio; 17 May 1551 – 19 October 1608) was a Dutch Jesuit theologian He studied at numerous institutions, receiving a master's ...

, ''Disquisitionum Magicarum'', 1599/1600. A three-volume work on demonic magic.Appearing at the Ungern Foundation library *

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

, ''

The Pickwick Papers ''The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club'' (also known as ''The Pickwick Papers'') was Charles Dickens's first novel. Because of his success with ''Sketches by Boz'' published in 1836, Dickens was asked by the publisher Chapman & Hall to s ...

''. Spanish edition translated by

Benito Pérez Galdós Benito Pérez Galdós (May 10, 1843 – January 4, 1920) was a Spanish Spanish Realist literature, realist novelist. He was the leading literary figure in 19th-century Spain, and some scholars consider him second only to Miguel de Cervantes ...

. *

Fyodor Dostoevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (, ; rus, Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский, Fyódor Mikháylovich Dostoyévskiy, p=ˈfʲɵdər mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪdʑ dəstɐˈjefskʲɪj, a=ru-Dostoevsky.ogg, links=yes; 11 November 18219 ...

, ''

The Brothers Karamazov ''The Brothers Karamazov'' (russian: Братья Карамазовы, ''Brat'ya Karamazovy'', ), also translated as ''The Karamazov Brothers'', is the last novel by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. Dostoevsky spent nearly two years writing '' ...

''. *

Albrecht Dürer Albrecht Dürer (; ; hu, Ajtósi Adalbert; 21 May 1471 – 6 April 1528),Müller, Peter O. (1993) ''Substantiv-Derivation in Den Schriften Albrecht Dürers'', Walter de Gruyter. . sometimes spelled in English as Durer (without an umlaut) or Due ...

, ''De Symmetria'', Paris/Nuremberg 1557, in Latin. *any version of ''

Faust Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust ( 1480–1540). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a pact with the Devil at a crossroads ...

'' * Paul Feval, "nine books including Le Bossu and a quotation from Le Bossu heading Chapter 3" * Leonardo Fioravanti, ''Compendio dei secreti'', 1571. *

Francesco Maria Guazzo Francesco Maria Guazzo, ''aka'' Guaccio, ''aka'' Guaccius (1570–16??) was an Italian priest. He is most well known for authoring the '' Compendium Maleficarum''. Life and work He was a member of one of the oldest of the Catholic Ambrosian or ...

, ''Compendium Maleficarum''. *

Patricia Highsmith Patricia Highsmith (January 19, 1921 – February 4, 1995) was an American novelist and short story writer widely known for her psychological thrillers, including her series of five novels featuring the character Tom Ripley. She wrote 22 novel ...

, ''Carol''. *

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...

, ''

The Hunchback of Notre Dame ''The Hunchback of Notre-Dame'' (french: Notre-Dame de Paris, translation=''Our Lady of Paris'', originally titled ''Notre-Dame de Paris. 1482'') is a French Gothic novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1831. It focuses on the unfortunate story o ...

''. *

Pope Innocent VIII Pope Innocent VIII ( la, Innocentius VIII; it, Innocenzo VIII; 1432 – 25 July 1492), born Giovanni Battista Cybo (or Cibo), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 August 1484 to his death in July 1492. Son of th ...

, ''

Summis desiderantes affectibus (Latin for "desiring with supreme ardor"), sometimes abbreviated to was a papal bull regarding witchcraft issued by Pope Innocent VIII on 5 December 1484. Witches and the Church Belief in witchcraft is ancient. in the Hebrew Bible states: ...

''. *

Athanasius Kircher Athanasius Kircher (2 May 1602 – 27 November 1680) was a German Jesuit scholar and polymath A polymath ( el, πολυμαθής, , "having learned much"; la, homo universalis, "universal human") is an individual whose knowledge spans ...

Oedipus Aegyptiacus ''Oedipus Aegyptiacus'' is Athanasius Kircher's supreme work of Egyptology. The three full folio tomes of ornate illustrations and diagrams were published in Rome over the period 1652–54. Kircher cited as his sources Chaldean astrology, He ...

. Rome, 1652. *

Heinrich Kramer Heinrich Kramer ( 1430 – 1505, aged 74-75), also known under the Latinized name Henricus Institor, was a German churchman and inquisitor. With his widely distributed book ''Malleus Maleficarum'' (1487), which describes witchcraft and endorses ...

, ''

Malleus Maleficarum The ''Malleus Maleficarum'', usually translated as the ''Hammer of Witches'', is the best known treatise on witchcraft. It was written by the German Catholic clergyman Heinrich Kramer (under his Latinized name ''Henricus Institor'') and first ...

''. 1519 Lyon edition. *Pierre de La Porte, ''Memoirs''. Written by "a man in the confidence of Anne of Austria". *

Charles Maturin Charles Robert Maturin, also known as C. R. Maturin (25 September 1780 – 30 October 1824), was an Irish Protestant clergyman (ordained in the Church of Ireland) and a writer of Gothic plays and novels.Chris Morgan, "Maturin, Charles R(obert). ...

, ''

Melmoth the Wanderer ''Melmoth the Wanderer'' is an 1820 Gothic novel by Irish playwright, novelist and clergyman Charles Maturin. The novel's titular character is a scholar who sold his soul to the devil in exchange for 150 extra years of life, and searches the wo ...

''. Being read by "Irene Adler" in the hotel after Corso has been to visit Fargas. *

Herman Melville Herman Melville (Name change, born Melvill; August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American people, American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance (literature), American Renaissance period. Among his bes ...

, ''

Moby-Dick ''Moby-Dick; or, The Whale'' is an 1851 novel by American writer Herman Melville. The book is the sailor Ishmael (Moby-Dick), Ishmael's narrative of the obsessive quest of Captain Ahab, Ahab, captain of the whaler, whaling ship ''Pequod (Moby- ...

''. The book forms the initial basis of the friendship between Lucas Corso and Flavio La Ponte. *

Prosper Mérimée Prosper Mérimée (; 28 September 1803 – 23 September 1870) was a French writer in the movement of Romanticism, and one of the pioneers of the novella, a short novel or long short story. He was also a noted archaeologist and historian, and a ...

, ''Corsican Revenge''. *

John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet and intellectual. His 1667 epic poem '' Paradise Lost'', written in blank verse and including over ten chapters, was written in a time of immense religious flux and political ...

, ''

Paradise Lost ''Paradise Lost'' is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton (1608–1674). The first version, published in 1667, consists of ten books with over ten thousand lines of verse (poetry), verse. A second edition fo ...

''. *

Margaret Mitchell Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell (November 8, 1900 – August 16, 1949) was an American novelist and journalist. Mitchell wrote only one novel, published during her lifetime, the American Civil War-era novel '' Gone with the Wind'', for which she wo ...

, ''

Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * Gone with the Wind (novel), ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * Gone with the Wind (film), ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Win ...

''. *

Marco Polo Marco Polo (, , ; 8 January 1324) was a Venetian merchant, explorer and writer who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. His travels are recorded in ''The Travels of Marco Polo'' (also known as ''Book of the Marv ...

, ''The Book of Wonders''. *

Pierre Alexis Ponson du Terrail Pierre Alexis, Viscount of Ponson du Terrail (8 July 1829 – 20 January 1871) was a French writer. He was a prolific novelist, producing in the space of twenty years some seventy-three volumes, and is best remembered today for his creation of ...

, '' Rocambole''. In forty volumes. *

Marcel Proust Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust (; ; 10 July 1871 – 18 November 1922) was a French novelist, critic, and essayist who wrote the monumental novel ''In Search of Lost Time'' (''À la recherche du temps perdu''; with the previous Eng ...

, ''Swann's Way'', Volume One: ''

In Search of Lost Time ''In Search of Lost Time'' (french: À la recherche du temps perdu), first translated into English as ''Remembrance of Things Past'', and sometimes referred to in French as ''La Recherche'' (''The Search''), is a novel in seven volumes by French ...

''. *

Nicholas Remy Nicholas is a male given name and a surname. The Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Anglican Churches celebrate Saint Nicholas every year on December 6, which is the name day for "Nicholas". In Greece, the name and its d ...

, ''

Daemonolatreiae libri tres ''Daemonolatreiae libri tres'' is a 1595 work by Nicholas Rémy. It was edited by Montague Summers and translated as ''Demonolatry'' in 1929. Along with the ''Malleus Maleficarum'', it is generally considered one of the most important early works ...

''. *Lucas de Rene, ''The Knight with the Yellow Doublet'' *Roederer, ''Political and Romantic Intrigue from the Court of France''. *

Fernando de Rojas Fernando de Rojas (c. 1465/73, in La Puebla de Montalbán, Toledo, Spain – April 1541, in Talavera de la Reina, Toledo, Spain) was a Spanish author and dramatist, known for his only surviving work, '' La Celestina'' (originally titled ''Trag ...

, ''

La Celestina ''The Tragicomedy of Calisto and Melibea'' ( es, Tragicomedia de Calisto y Melibea), known in Spain as ''La Celestina'' is a work entirely in dialogue published in 1499. It is attributed to Fernando de Rojas, a descendant of converted Jews, w ...

''. *

Rafael Sabatini Rafael Sabatini (29 April 1875 – 13 February 1950) was an Italian-born British writer of romance and adventure novels. He is best known for his worldwide bestsellers: ''The Sea Hawk'' (1915), ''Scaramouche'' (1921), ''Captain Blood'' (a.k.a ...

, '' Captain Blood''. *

, ''

Scaramouche Scaramouche () or Scaramouch (; from Italian Scaramuccia , literally "little skirmisher") is a stock clown character of the 16th-century commedia dell'arte (comic theatrical arts of Italian literature). The role combined characteristics of the ...

''. *

Hartmann Schedel Hartmann Schedel (13 February 1440 – 28 November 1514) was a German historian, physician, humanist, and one of the first cartographers to use the printing press. He was born and died in Nuremberg. Matheolus Perusinus served as his tutor. ...

, ''

Nuremberg Chronicle The ''Nuremberg Chronicle'' is an illustrated encyclopedia consisting of world historical accounts, as well as accounts told through biblical paraphrase. Subjects include human history in relation to the Bible, illustrated mythological creatures, ...

''. *

Ludovico Maria Sinistrari Ludovico Maria Sinistrari (26 February 1622 – 1701) was an Italian Franciscan priest and author. Biography Born in Ameno, Italy, he studied in Pavia and entered the Franciscan Order in 1647. He taught philosophy and theology to students in ...

, ''De Daemonialitate et Incubis et Succubis''. 1680 manuscript, London 1875 printed edition. *

Stendhal Marie-Henri Beyle (; 23 January 1783 – 23 March 1842), better known by his pen name Stendhal (, ; ), was a 19th-century French writer. Best known for the novels ''Le Rouge et le Noir'' (''The Red and the Black'', 1830) and ''La Chartreuse de P ...

, ''

The Charterhouse of Parma ''The Charterhouse of Parma'' (french: La Chartreuse de Parme, links=no) is a novel by Stendhal published in 1839. Telling the story of an Italian nobleman in the Napoleonic era and later, it was admired by Honoré de Balzac, Balzac, Leo Tolstoy, ...

''. Supposedly translated by the narrator. *

Eugène Sue Marie-Joseph "Eugène" Sue (; 26 January 18043 August 1857) was a French novelist. He was one of several authors who popularized the genre of the serial novel in France with his very popular and widely imitated ''The Mysteries of Paris'', which ...

, ''The Mysteries of Paris''. *

Leo Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...

, ''

War and Peace ''War and Peace'' (russian: Война и мир, translit=Voyna i mir; pre-reform Russian: ; ) is a literary work by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy that mixes fictional narrative with chapters on history and philosophy. It was first published ...

''. *

Jacobus de Voragine Jacobus de Voragine (c. 123013/16 July 1298) was an Italian chronicler and archbishop of Genoa. He was the author, or more accurately the compiler, of the ''Golden Legend'', a collection of the legendary lives of the greater saints of the medie ...

, ''

Golden Legend The ''Golden Legend'' (Latin: ''Legenda aurea'' or ''Legenda sanctorum'') is a collection of hagiographies by Jacobus de Voragine that was widely read in late medieval Europe. More than a thousand manuscripts of the text have survived.Hilary ...

'' Edition by Nicolas Kesler, Basle 1493. *''

Vulgata The Vulgate (; also called (Bible in common tongue), ) is a late-4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. The Vulgate is largely the work of Jerome who, in 382, had been commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Gospels u ...

Clementina''. *

Michel Zevaco Michel Zevaco (also written as Zévaco) (1 February 1860, Ajaccio - 8 August 1918, Eaubonne) was a French journalist, novelist, publisher, film director, and anti-clerical as well as anarchist activist. Michel Zevaco founded the anarchist weekl ...

, ''The Pardellanes''.

Fictional books

Occultist works published by the fictional historical author Aristide Torchia in Venice: *''De Umbrarum Regni Novem Portis'', Venice, 1666. translated as ''The Nine Doors r Gatesto the Kingdom of Shadows''. While itself fictional, many aspects of ''The Nine Doors'' appear to be heavily inspired by the ''

Hypnerotomachia Poliphili ''Hypnerotomachia Poliphili'' (; ), called in English ''Poliphilo's Strife of Love in a Dream'' or ''The Dream of Poliphilus'', is a book said to be by Francesco Colonna. It is a famous example of an incunable (a work of early printing). The wor ...

'' of Colonna (1499). *''Key to Captive Thoughts'', 1653. *''A Curious Explanation of Mysteries and Hieroglyphs''. *''The Three Books of the Art'', 1658. *Nicholas Tamisso, ''The Secrets of Wisdom'', 1650. *

Bernard Trevisan Bernard Trevisan (''Bernard of Treviso'', ''Bernardus Trevisanus'') was a fictional Italian alchemist who lived from 1406-1490. His biography has been composed by editors and commentators of alchemical texts from the 16th century. It is said th ...

, ''The Lost Word'', 1661. A fictional edition of an actual 14th century alchemy treatise. Other occultist writings in novel ''The Club Dumas'': *''Asclemandres''. A book mentioning the existence of the ''Delomalanicon'' *''Delomelanicon, or Invocation of Darkness''. A long-destroyed book containing a formula for summoning

, supposedly written by Lucifer himself. *''De origine, moribus et rebus gestis Satanae''. *''Dissertazioni sopra le apparizioni de' spiriti e diavoli''. *''Destructor omnium rerum''. *''Theatrum Diabolicum''.Appearing in Varo Borja's collection. *''De Magna Imperfectaque''. Books written by the character Baroness Ungern (inspired by

Helena Blavatsky Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, uk, Олена Петрівна Блаватська, Olena Petrivna Blavatska (; – 8 May 1891), often known as Madame Blavatsky, was a Russian mystic and author who co-founded the Theosophical Society in 187 ...

): *''Isis, the Naked Virgin''. (refer to ''Isis unveiled'' by Helena Blavatsky) *''The Devil, History and Legend''. Books by Boris Balkan: *''Lupin, Raffles, Rocambole, and Holmes''. *''Dumas: the Shadow of a Giant''. *Crozet, ''Encyclopedia of Printers and Rare and Curious Books'' *Mateu, ''Universal Bibliography''. A 1929 rare book guide used by Corso and his rivals. *Julio Ollero, ''Dictionary of Rare and Improbable Books''. Books by Enrique Taillefer: *''The Thousand Best Desserts of La Mancha''. A cooking book. *''The Secrets of Barbecue''. A cooking book. *''The Dead Man's Hand, or Anne of Austria's Page.'' Taillefer's unpublished novel, cribbed largely from ''Angeline de Gravaillac''. *Amaury de Verona, ''Angeline de Gravaillac, or Unsullied Virtue'', published in the 19th century in ''The Popular Illustrated Novel''. Books by an unnamed Nobel-prize-winning author: *''I, Onan'' *''In Search of Myself'' *''Oui, C'est Moi.'' Book by Don Jaime Astarloa, (hero of Perez-Reverte's novel

The Fencing Master *''The Fencing Master'' may also refer to: The Fencing Master (Dumas novel), a nineteenth century novel by Alexandre Dumas ''The Fencing Master'' (1988) is a novel by Arturo Pérez-Reverte set in Spain at the middle of the 19th century. Amid the p ...

): *''Treatise on the Art of Fencing''.

Aristide Torchia

Aristide Torchia, a fictional historical author from the novel, has been referred to in other media including ''

The Ninth Gate ''The Ninth Gate'' is a 1999 neo-noir horror thriller film directed, produced, and co-written by Roman Polanski. An international co-production between the United States, Portugal, France, and Spain, the film is loosely based upon Arturo Pére ...

'' (a film based on the novel), and video game ''

Max Payne ''Max Payne'' is a neo-noir third-person shooter video game series developed by Remedy Entertainment (''Max Payne'' and ''Max Payne 2'') and Rockstar Studios (''Max Payne 3''). The series is named after its protagonist, Max Payne, a New York Ci ...

''. The fictional character Torchia was born in 1620. He was apprenticed in

Leyden Leiden (; in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. The municipality of Leiden has a population of 119,713, but the city forms one densely connected agglomeration with ...

under the Elzevir family. After returning to

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

he published small works on philosophical and esoteric themes. In 1666, Torchia published ''De Umbrarum Regni Novem Portis'' (The Nine Doors to the Kingdom of Shadows), which was in turn based on the ''Delomelanicon, or Invocation of Darkness'', a work supposedly written by

Lucifer Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passage ...

and that would allow the reader to summon devils. The

condemned Torchia for magic and

witchcraft Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have us ...

and burned him at the stake in 1667.

Film adaptation

Roman Polanski Raymond Roman Thierry Polański , group=lower-alpha, name=note_a (né Liebling; 18 August 1933) is a French-Polish film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, two ...

's film ''

'' (1999) was adapted from Pérez-Reverte's novel. While following the same basic plotline for the first two-thirds of the film, the finale is greatly altered in the movie. Several characters' roles diminish, expand, merge, swap or disappear completely, and one of the novel's most important subplots – the Dumas connection – is removed entirely.

Awards

In 1998, ''The Club Dumas'' was nominated for the Anthony Award for Best Novel, the Macavity Award for Best Novel, and the

World Fantasy Award for Best Novel In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Club Dumas 1993 novels Metafictional novels Novels by Arturo Pérez-Reverte Spanish crime novels Spanish novels adapted into films Club Dumas Adaptations of works by Alexandre Dumas Toledo, Spain in fiction Novels set in Madrid Novels set in Portugal Novels set in Paris