I know that MS already has quite a number of good reviews on Tintin, but I still can?t stop myself from adding one more to the list. I was not only crazy about Tintin during my childhood but till date, I cannot get past a Tintin book without reading it once again.
The Adventures of Tintin is a series of 24 books that are loved by people of all ages. Created by Herge, this comic series has become a favorite world wide and has been translated in 51 languages. This adventure series tells us about the exploits of a young reporter named Tintin.
The Author
Herge alias Georges Remi was a Belgian cartoonist born on 22nd May 1907. He joined the army for a brief stint but since his real passion was creating illustrations, he quit and joined a children?s weekly subscription as Editor-in-Chief.
In 1929, he created the first story ?Tintin in the land of the Soviets? and it was printed in a Belgian daily newspaper, Le Vingtième Siècle. Herge was known for the extensive research that he went through for each Tintin story. His quest for accuracy enhanced the adventures with local color and detail. His flawless style and fabulous use of color won him international acclaim.
It is said that, Herge wrote the adventures of Tintin based on his own experiences and that many of the characters were adapted from real-life people he met. Herge passed away in 1983 after a pulmonary failure.
The Characters
Tintin:He is the main character of this series. A reporter of indeterminable age (maybe anything between 16 ? 23), he has a flair for adventure. His aim to punish the wrong-doers takes him around the world. The mop of hair oh his forehead gives him a very unique look. He is a master at camouflage and takes on various disguise to fool his enemies. Although not a very macho man, he can pack in a punch to leave his opponents cold. A very loyal friend, he can risk his own life to save someone in danger. Being a master horseman and an excellent driver, he manages to escape from awkward situations.
Snowy:He is a small white fox terrier, very devoted to his master Tintin and his constant companion. Introduced from the very first book, Snowy remained a faithful buddy in all of Tintin?s adventures. He even went to the moon with Tintin! He has an amazingly good sense of smell and an immense intuition. Very fond of bones and good food, Snowy even likes alcoholic drinks like whiskey and rum. Snowy has even been sown smoking in one of the stories (I don?t remember which..) Although Snowy can do almost anything for his master, spiders scare him out of his wits.
Captain Haddock:He is an old seafaring captain introduced in the book The Crab with the Golden Claws. After their first adventure together, Tintin and Captain Haddock become friends for life. This character always manages to bring in laughter because of his antics. An incurable alcoholic, he is a man who can get very angry at the slightest provocation. His list of abuses is almost unending.?Baboons!?, ?Blistering Barnacles!?, ?Cushion footed quadrupeds!?, ?Lily-livered landlubbers!?are some insults from his vocabulary.
Cuthbert Calculus:Prof. Calculus as he is usually called is a half deaf genius. Generally seen carrying an umbrella and a pendulum, he is an easy target for unscrupulous crooks. Hard of hearing, he usually manages to understand only half of what is being told to him and this leads to very bad misunderstandings. Usually calm, modest and reserved, Prof Calculus is capable of falling into fearsome rage. He is a very dear friend of Tintin and Capt. Haddock. He has invented things like ?Soda-Water maker? and ?Motor roller skates?.
Thomson and Thompson:Very loveable twin detectives, they help Tintin in many of his quests. The two look exactly alike and the only difference among them is in their moustache. One has a pointed moustache while the other has a rounded one. The two are prone to accidents and are rather clumsy. They have a funny way of contradicting each other by mixing up the words.
Bianca Castafiore:The only female character in the Tintin series, she is a very famous singer who has a fancy for Capt. Haddock (but she cannot pronounce his name!!). She is very hysterical and loves her collection of jewels. She has the tendency to faint at the slightest excitement.
Nestor:Courteous and patient, Nestor is Capt. Haddock?s butler at Marlinspike Hall. Although faithful to Capt. Haddock, he sometimes peeps through key holes and listens behind the doors. His balancing acts with bottles of whisky are real fun to watch.
Books in this series:
Tintin in the Land of the Soviets:The only book in black and white, it speaks of the horrors of communism in Russia.
Tintin in the Congo: Translated in English only after Herge?s death, this story shows a racist view of the coloured African.
Tintin in America: Tintin travels to Chicago to battle against Al Capone's crime kingdom
Cigars of the Pharaoh:The Thomsons are formally introduced in this book. Takes Tintin to Egypt and deals with his fight against a opium smuggling gang.
Blue Lotus: Tintin travels to China where he works on a drug racket case.
The Broken Ear:Tintin's journey to San Theodoras is on the trail of an idol that has been stolen from a museum.
The Black Island:The story is set in Scotland, where Tintin uncovers the secret hideout of a gang of counterfeiters in a ruined castle.
King Ottokar's Sceptre : Based in Syldavai, the plot revolves around the sceptre of a Syldavian king, which is stolen by members of a revolutionary group.
The Crab with the Golden Claws: Captain Haddock first appears in this book as a drunk and desolate ship-captain.
The Shooting Star: This book takes Tintin to a quest for a meteorite that has landed in the Arctic waters.
The Secret of the Unicorn: This is an adventure about clues to a treasure found a small model ship that Tintin gifts Capt. Haddock.
Red Rackham's Treasure: Continuation of the treasure hunt from the previous book.
The Seven Crystal Balls:Members of an expedition starts falling sick with a mysterious illness and Tintin is called to the rescue.
Prisoners of the Sun:Tintin?s trail to the hidden city of the Incas where he is captured and sentenced to death.
Land of Black Gold:Petroleum supplies all over the world start exploding and Tintin sets out to find out why.
Destination Moon:Tintin helps Prof. Calculus in his project of building a rocket to send men on moon.
Explorers on the Moon:A brilliant lunar adventure of Tintin and his friends.
The Calculus Affair:Prof. Calculus is kidnapped and Tintin is hot on the trails of the kidnappers in this fascinating adventure.
The Red Sea Sharks:An on-sea adventure of Tintin and his friends.
Continued in the comments section
