History Literature / TheClubDumas

* WhoWritesThisCrap: Corso begins to notice the similarities between his own life and ''Franchise/TheThreeMusketeers'', and has this reaction.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Baroness Ungern is based on [[UsefulNotes/HelenaBlavatsky]]. In-universe, she published a bestseller called ''Isis: The Naked Virgin,'' which is obviously meant to be ''Isis Unveiled.''

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Baroness Ungern is based on Helena Blavatsky. In-universe, she published a bestseller called ''Isis: The Naked Virgin,'' which is obviously meant to be ''Isis Unveiled.''

* TheBaroness: Baroness Ungern, while actually holding the title, is not one.

* DoesNotLikeShoes: The Girl/"Irene Adler" apparently enjoys being barefoot, and kicks off her shoes at every opportunity. [[spoiler:Given that she is implied to be a fallen angel, she also qualifies as MagicalBarefooter]].

* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: Corso becomes increasingly aware that he is in a novel, and comments on the line between his individual self and his role in the narrative.

--> He'd have given a rare incunabulum, in good condition, to punch the face of whoever was writing this ridiculous script

* MoneyDearBoy: Baroness Ungern confesses to Corso that she's not as interested in the occult as she once was and writes occult books to maintain her lavish lifestyle.

* TheReveal: [[spoiler: The Dumas and Nine Doors plots are not connected like Corso thinks, and "Richelieu" is non other than Boris Balkan.]]

--> He was about to add, [[ThisIsReality "this is real life, not a crime novel,"]] but didn't. At this point in the story, the line between fantasy and reality appeared rather tenuous. The flesh-and-blood Corso, having an ID, a known place of residence, and a physical presence, of which his aching bones [...] were proof, was increasingly tempted to see himself as a real character in an imaginary world. But that wasn't good. From there it was only a small step to believing he was an imaginary character who thinks he's real in an imaginary world. Only a small step to [[GoMadFromTheRevelation going nuts]]. And he wondered whether someone, some twisted novelist or drunken writer of cheap screenplays, at that very moment saw him as an imaginary character in an imaginary world who thought he ''wasn't'' real. That really would be too much.

* {{Metafiction}}

''The Club Dumas'' is a novel by Creator/ArturoPerezReverte. It centers around Lucas Corso, an expert on rare books. A client, Varo Borja, asks Corso to authenticate his copy of ''De Umbrarum Regni Novem Portis'' (''Of the Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows''). The book has three copies surviving, due to the rest being consigned to the flames in 1667 along with its author Aristide Torchia--because the book is supposedly an adaptation of another book called the ''Delomelanicon'', co-written by Lucifer himself.

* {{Expy}}: InUniverse. GenreSavvy Corso considers Liana Taillefer for Milady, and [[spoiler:Lazolevic]] one for the Comte de Rochefort, while their unseen boss is Richelieu. He begins to use these as codenames until he finds out the truth.

* MetaFiction

** Also, Varo is the Spanish version of Varus. As in, the overconfident Roman general who foolishly caused the destruction of three legions at the Battle of Teutoburg.

** Corso himself jokes about his GenreSavvy nature, noting that among the things he does not trust is The Girl, due to her using the name of the one character to get the better of SherlockHolmes.

** Most obviously, there's a blatant shout-out to SherlockHolmes when the Girl identifies herself once as Irene Adler.

''The Club Dumas'' is a novel by Arturo Pérez-Reverte. It centers around Lucas Corso, an expert on rare books. A client, Varo Borja, asks Corso to authenticate his copy of ''De Umbrarum Regni Novem Portis'' (''Of the Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows''). The book has three copies surviving, due to the rest being consigned to the flames in 1667 along with its author Aristide Torchia--because the book is supposedly an adaptation of another book called the ''Delomelanicon'', co-written by Lucifer himself.

* GreenEyes: The Girl's are dwelt on in detail.

* TextualCelebrityResemblance: According to Baroness Ungern, Lucifer looks like John Barrymore in Film/GrandHotel.

** Intentional or not, Borja is the Spanish version of "Borgia." Yes, ''those'' [[TheBorgias Borgias]].

* TextualCelebrityResemblance: According to Baroness Ungern, Lucifer looks like John Barrymore in GrandHotel.

As Corso attempts to figure out which of the three copies is the genuine one, he discovers that the ''Nine Gates'' has a purpose - when used correctly, the book will raise the Devil himself and grant the summoner great supernatural power. Corso is not the only person who has figured this out, and is chased by others who want the power and protected by a mysterious girl. The deeper Corso delves into the mystery of the book, the deeper the pile of bodies left behind becomes.

''The Club Dumas'' is a novel by Arturo Pérez-Reverte. It centers around Lucas Corso, an expert on rare books. A client, Varo Borja, asks Corso to authenticate his copy of ''De Umbrarum Regni Novem Portis'' (''Of the Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows''). The book has three copies surviving, due to the rest being consigned to the flames in 1667 along with its author Aristide Torchia - because the book is supposedly an adaptation of another book called the ''Delomelanicon'', co-written by Lucifer himself.

* BlondesAreEvil: Liana Taillefer.