Reviews (13)

The Adventures of Tintin Volume 1
Tintin in America:
The first well known Tintin book "Tintin in America" begins where reporter Tintin and his trusty canine companion Snowy get off of a train in Chicago in order to solve a new mystery. They come to investigate the doings of the largest gang in Chicago. On their way the gang finds out they're being investigated and try to stop Tintin. Tintin has many close calls and chases, and on top of that some very good luck. I reccomend this book to anyone who loves mystery, suspense, and a great comic.

The Cigars of the Pharaohs:
The second Tintin story begins where Tintin and Snowy stumble on a new mystery on a cruise ship. A man claims to know where the temple of an Egyptian Pharaoh is and Tintin and Snowy go along with him for fun. This temple had been visited before by someone else and Tintin had to find out who made the visit and why not all come out. This book gives the same suspense and mystery as most of the other Tintin books and I reccomend it just as much as all the others.

The Blue Lotus:
After a few days in royalty in India, Tintin is summoned to a new mystery in China. This time he has to investigate the doings of a secret drug dealer, the only problem is that they are too secret. Ofcourse this book has mystery and suspense and I reccomend it to any person who loves the genre.

This 3 volume book is classic Tintin and I love it so much. It's the best.

Tintin and Snowy rock!
I love Tintin books and this one is no exception. I like the size of the book, the hardcover has a good binding so that it doesn't come apart and with three adventures in one you are getting a great deal.

Want to keep your boys quiet? Give them the book!
I gave this book along with vol. 2 to my nephews at 5th grade and 1st grade and they can't put them down after the 1st page. So I decide to buy the whole collection for them.

(...);-P

Great gifts for kids at the age to open their mind and explore the world!

Watch out - Small Size
Watch out, this 3-in-one comes in a smaller size than the regular single adventures. Makes it harder to read and harder to enjoy the graphics.

Tin Tin- comic extrodinaire'
Tin-Tin is comicbook creation the way it should be!
Tin-Tin is NOT political correctness, it depicks human beings, events as they are, whether evil or good.
You'll be surprised comparing of todays wishy-washy P.C. comics to Tin-Tin..
It has morals, values, perhaps a bit over the top sometimes since black & white issues were more defined years ago..
The artwork is extremely good, even when some panels only have 1 sentance. Tin-Tin will take you to another time & place.
Before there was Indiana Jones, there was Tin-Tin! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The last three adventures of Tintin, Snowy, and the gang
I have to admit I was a bit disappointed that none of the three tales collected in Volume 7, the final set of "The Adventures of Tintin," constitute classic examples of Hergé's beloved comic book stories. But that seems a minor concern when you consider the epic scope of Hergé's body of work. It is not that these are bad stories, especially compared to the ones collected in Volume 1 of this series, but rather that Hergé so often provided classic tales, with Tintin traveling to the Moon or diving beneath the sea, that these final three adventures do not measure up.

"The Castafiore Emerald" begins with Tintin and Captain Haddock out for a walk and discovering a band of gypsies camped near the rubbish dump. This offends the good captain, who offers the gypsies the use of a large meadow near his hall. However, no good deed goes unpunished and he receives a telegram announcing the imminent arrival of Biana Castafiore, the Milanese Nightingale. Meanwhile, the broken step on the front staircase earns Haddock a badly sprained ankle and the opportunity to roll around the adventure in a wheelchair. The diva and her entourage then descend upon the hall, literally adding insult to injury by giving the captain the gift of a parrot. But as Castafiore repeatedly points out, she has brought along her jewels, including an emerald given the signora by the Maharajah of Gopal. The gypsy fortuneteller had already predicted the theft of the jewels and we expect her prophecy to come true, even though Castafiore is constantly yelling about her jewels missing. "The Castafiore Emerald" derives its comedy from the clash of characters with Tintin staying out of the way for the most part. Of course, by this time in the series Hergé is completely comfortable with his cast of characters, which shows in the interplay, Hergé also does a delightful take on that new fangled invention, the television.

"Flight 714" is sort of the generic Adventure of Tintin, with a little bit of everything that . A Qantas Boeing 707, Flight 714 from London touches down at Kemajoran Airport in Djakarta, java, last stop before Sydney, Australia. Disembarking is our hero, Snowy, Captain Haddock, and Professor Calculus. As they stretch their legs the good Captain spots a forlorn figure and slips a $5 bill into the man's hat. Once again no good deed of Haddock's goes unpunished and it turns out the old man is Mr. Carreidas, "The millionaire who never laughs." Well, Professor Calculus quickly takes care of that and Carreidas insists on flying Tintin and his friends to Australia on his special jet. Haddock is looking forward to a pleasure trip, an ordinary flight and no adventures, but fate has something else in mind, to wit: a hijacking, a cutting edge prototype means of transportation, an exotic island in the middle of nowhere, an evil scientist with truth serum, a gigantic stone head pagan idol, a threatening lava flow, the return of an old familiar villain, a space ship, and Tintin running around a lot with a gun. Pretty much all of these elements have popped up in the previous twenty Adventures of Tintin that Hergé had told over the previous decades. For that reason this particular adventure strikes me as more of a curtain call for Tintin and his friends than anything else, even though this is the penultimate tale and the Thom(p)sons are no place to be seen.

"Tintin and the Picaros" is the final adventure of Tintin, although there is not any sense of this being the end of the road (except for the surprising discover that suddenly Captain Haddock can no longer stand the taste of alcohol). As the story begins the Captain and Tintin are discussing the state of affairs in San Theodoros, when General Tapioca's dictatorship continues to rule in place of their old friend Alcazar. Then news comes that prima donna Bianca Castafiore has been arrested by Tapioca as part of a conspiracy to over throw the government. But when Tapioca charges Haddock, Tintin, and Professor Calculus as being part of the conspiracy a series of charges and countercharges, as well as outright insults, fly back in the forth in the headlines between Haddock and Tapioca. Finally the Captain agrees to accept Tapioca's "invitation" to come to San Theodoros to discuss the matter. Haddock is pretty much trapped into agreeing, and Calculus insists on going to Madame Castafiore's rescue, but Tintin refuses to go, knowing this has to be a trap. The title of the book refers to the Picaros, which is the name of the rebels in the mountains who want to take back the government of San Theodoros and return Alcazar to power. In this final Adventure of Tintin we are back on familiar ground for the most part, both in terms of the geography and the characters. We know, of course, that Tintin has not abandoned his friends and eagerly anticipate some clever way of arriving upon the scene at a most opportune moment. However, this turns out not to be the case, and when Tintin does arrive on the scene you know that Hergé is providing a standard adventure for his hero and his friends, and not something special.

But while "Tintin and the Picaros" and the other two tales found here are average adventure at best, there can be no doubt that taken together these 21 stories (23 if you count the two earlier "flawed" adventures) are a major accomplishment in the field of comic books. I only wish I had made a point of reading these classics two or three decades earlier, because with "The Adventures of Tintin" Hergé created one of the landmark comic book series since Cortes discovered pre-Columbian picture manuscripts in 1519. In terms of owning these stories your choice is between these smaller, hardbound books collecting three stories each, or the larger softcovered versions. I admit I first read most of them in the larger format but have the smaller hardback versions for the comic book section of my library.

Herge's a master!
Herge never ceased to amaze me, as a kid and even now. I'm 18 and the Tintin books are as exciting to me now as they were when I was eight. This volume is no exception. it features the last three Tintin books in the series, "The Castafiore Emerald", "Flight 714", and "Tintin and the picaros".

In "Castafiore", the famous opera singer Bianca Castafiore decides to drop in unexpectedly for a while at Captain haddock's Marlinspike Hall, much to the captain's displeasure. This is not the usual Tintin crime solving comic, yet it is extremely funny. "Flight 714" is full of action as Tintin and co. are hi-jacked on a flight to Sydney.

"Tintin and the Picaros" (1976)is Herge's last completed Tintin book, where Tintin and friends head to the south American republic of San Theodoros to help Castafiore and the Thompsons, who was arrested after being accused of plotting against the government, but in the mix-up get involved with guerillas aiming to overthrow the government. This is one of my favorite Tintin books as there are some major changes in the characters. Tintin finally hangs up his dated golf trousers in favor of bellbottoms and also carries the CND sign on his helmet (real hippy style). This book is also great as it brings back many familiar faces in the Tintin series....a truly great finale to one of the greatest ....if not THE greatest comic series ever.

Tintin brings the child in me
I read all the Tintin adventures that were available in the school library, I missed some that they did not have. Now 20 years later, I thought that I should have all the Tintin adventures. The 3 book series is a great way to collect and its also economical, but does not really bring the real flavor like individual 12 x 9.

Anyway, I got started with this one since Flight 714 was one of the best, besides the land of the black gold. I must say that most of the adventures that were dominated by Calculus were not very interesting, even though I have enjoyed Calculus' parts in all the adventures. Also, all the adventures that were space related were extremely boring. The rest are just terrific, the cigars of pharos, fligh 714, land of black gold, picaros, are one of the best work by Herge, who died a few years back.

delightful, imaginative, adventure of teenager a spunky dog!
The Tintin books are a delight to kids and adults alike. A mixture of science fiction, history, archaelogy, and mystery spread out in an elaborate, comic book form. These books will encourage kids to turn off the TV and dive into the world where a teenager and his dog can go to the moon, hunt buried treasure, pilot submarines, explore secret passages and be back in time for dinner. Perhaps an inspiration for Johnny Quest, these books have delighted readers for generations. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Deja Vu, And As Good as the First Time!
Two of the three adventures here have their genesis in earlier Tintin adventures. Red Sea Sharks takes Capt Haddock back to a ship, and this time we see his metamorphosis from the drunkard in Tintin and the Golden Crab to a responsible and almost noble person who tries his best (in his inimitable manner) to prevent Africans from being sold in slavery. 'Tintin in Tibet' sees Tintin off to Tibet (obviously), with a short stop in Delhi, to rescue his friend who he first met in 'The Blue Lotus'. We meet the yeti, see the captain's attempts at whistling, Snowy's bravery (unintended, as in The Black Island).

I read these adventures as a kid, and some twenty years later I still find myself enjoying these as much. I also enjoy HTML and CSS books now, but some things are too good to grow out of :)

A word of warning - try and buy the bigger versions of these adventures. The 3-in-1 format is convenient to be sure, but the big print of the indivudal comics is that much more satisfying!

A great value!
For reasons unknown, at almost 43 years old, I suddenly had this strange desire to read some of the Tintin stories I read when I was about 12. As a kid I spent countless hours reading Herge's books over and over. If memory serves, I only had 5 or 6 titles, and they were big books with hard covers.

This book is a great value since it contains 3 stories. Oh what memories they bring back. If you ever read Tintin as a kid, get some of these books. The only caveat is that the text is hard to read as these collections are smaller in size and both the drawings and text have been shrunk proportionately.

And yet another "warning." You may start buying the bigger individual stories once you read one of these. I should know. I am now hooked again and "collecting" all 23 volumes.

Thank you, Herge. We miss you.

Tintin is awesome
I love the Red Sea Sharks and Tintin in Tibet. Calculus Affair is full of coincidences and looks amateurish. But hey, when you read Tintin, you cant be too old or critical!

Bordurian agents are after Professor Calculus and his device
If traveling to the moon represents the genius of Professor Calculus going too far in a good way, then the ultrasonic machine that is behind the international machinations in "The Calculus Affair" ("L'affaire Tourensol") clearly represents the good professor going too far in a bad way. Once again Tintin, Snowy and Captain Haddock have to travel across the continent to rescue the absent-minded professor from Bordurian agents, narrowly miss death on numerous occasions, and, most importantly, reunite Calculus and his precious umbrella. Meanwhile, the Thompsons show up in what they think are Swiss disguises, Captain Haddock has a memorable encounter with a piece of sticking plaster, and our hero and his friends have to contend with both Jolyon Wagg and Signora Castafiore (actually, the diva turns out to be surprisingly helpful in this adventure). This 1956 Tintin Adventure certainly reflects the height of the Cold War as Herge deals with the question of how scientific inventions can serve humanity without being coveted by military powers. The answer, unfortunately, is that they cannot and that is why rescuing Calculus from the bad guys is so important. Fortunately, the resolution proves the Herge is still one step ahead of us in the faux world he has created for his hero's adventures. "The Calculus Affair" is one of the better Tintin adventures, although, as always, you are reminded to read these in order.

Herge at the Height of his Powers
This book is one of the great masterpieces of the cartoonists art. I've read it many times since I was 14 (I'm now 29) but the sheer athleticism and virtuosity of both the draughtmanship and the narrative remained undiminished. It really is an astonishing display and is perhaps only second to 'Flight 714' and 'The Castafoire Emerald' in Herge's ouevre. Buy it and read it. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Great books, great service
I love TinTin and snowy. Herge created wonderful books for us, kids and adults. The size of book is just right, the hard cover can last long time. ...

Tintin and Snowy are great!
I love Tintin books and this one is no exception. I like the size of the book, the hardcover has a good binding so that it doesn't come apart and with three adventures in one you are getting a great deal.

A very neat presentation
This standard hardback sized 3 in 1 is just the thing. Most adults find Tintin an excellent toilet book and the single adventure large versions just aren't right. This neat set of three: The Broken Ear, The Black Island and King Ottokar's Sceptre (the best 'early' Tintin, by the way - i.e. no Captain Haddock or Calculus ; though the Thompson twins are not in their first adventure) fits nicely into the bathroom alongside the other volumes. I'm not sure why they stopped at three - or, at least, I can't find volume 4, but it was high time a decent-sized version of Tintin appeared and this does the trick nicely.

Wonderful stories, but don't get the 3-in-1 books
The print and pictures are TINY in this edition. Definitely get the bigger books. But my 3 kids LOVE all these stories -- they're 8, 6, and 5.

A great book!
... I LOVE this book!The Broken Ear, The Black Island,and King Ottokar's Sceptre are the best Tintin books ever written! I reccomend this book highly! It's great for all ages! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Watch out - Small Size
Watch out, this 3-in-one comes in a smaller size than the regular single adventures. Makes it harder to read and harder to enjoy the graphics.

I am not a Stranger here!
Tintin has lived within me for a long while now, in my fond memories of childhood it has a special place. I can remember days spent under an apple tree reading longingly from the black and white pages of my trade paperback edition of Tintin classics like Red Rackham's Treasure, Cigars of the Pharaoh and the Seven Crystal Balls, which is my favorite Tintin adventure, bar none. In the community of Tintin afficionados, i know it is a large community, nobody I think would be more full of joy returning to Tintin again after so many years in exile.

These editions of Tintin give me a great pleasure not only because I am a Tintin-afficionado, or TA, but also because of their compact size and comprehensive format. I read them sometimes on the subway, at school, at work and home, savoring every reality-infused slide of creation, delighting in the allure of those places like the deserts of Africa, wild jungles of the South Seas, Latin America and France that come out of every Tintin page.

And why not? Intricacy of its creation comes from a mind as complex as Borges and nearly as adventurous as the blind sage. Herge is a universal mind: he is one of few artists who could blend a penchant for fun and adventure with complex characterization and some very cherished stereotypes--Haddock, Professor Monocle and many more which made these stories worthwhile. His main character, Tintin, almost pales against these characters but Tintin will endure because he is the centerpiece of all the action, all the adventure, all the utopian fantasy of various characters that revolves in a web to encompass our entire world.

VERY HARD TO READ
The print was very small and not black...I think it was light red, maybe? My son is 9 and he wouldn't even try to read it. He found the type so confusing that I returned the book. I see that alot of kids liked the book but they seem older than my son. Consider the age of your child and the size of the print that your child usually reads from before buying this book. The type size is very small...very close together...and light in color. It was confusing to my child.

Why's Tintin so unique in the world of comic books ?
Of course we've all grown up with so many fiction characters from DC/Marvel comics, Disney, Archie's`etc., each of them with its own appeal and flavour ...

What sets Tintin apart from all the rest, I feel, the brilliant quality of the artwork. The level of detail, right from the wheels of flight 714 about to land on that tiny island (flight 714), to the shadow effects of walking in a hidden passage to the Inca empire (prisoners of the sun), to the shape of the waves on which Tintin in a coffin is floating (cigars of the pharaoh), or the jaguar in which Tintin chases the gangsters (the calculus affair), the details are just fantastic and the right amount, without creating too much noise and distraction - as is the case with many of the DC comics - iron man, the incredible hulk, etc.

The stories range from contemporary to looking ahead in the future - swing wing planes, rockets to the moon, hidden cameras/espionage. The subject matter is political, and in my opinion slightly controversial at times. Especially the way Herge stereotypes native people in India (Cigars of the Pharaoh, Tintin in Tibet), or in the jungles of Amazon (The Broken Ear). But even here, Herge is way above the shady and simplistic plots of the like of Phantom and Flash Gordon.

The collection is more readable towards the later comics, some of the earlier ones contains situations which are too improbable and rely far too much on luck for Tintin to get himself out of danger.

the Funniest!! :)
in my opinion among the Funniest Tintins, are these three. Captain Haddock is in inimitable style, and Prof. Cuthbert Calculus, is as deeply unfathomable as his subjects! :) Funny, and Fun if you enjoy the adventures of Tintin and Snowy you'll not stop grinning with these three! awesomely illustrated and penned..really nice. ... Read more

Book Description

Fascimile Edition of Tintin's Travel to America. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Tintin in America
The first well known Tintin book "Tintin in America" begins where reporter Tintin and his trusty canine companion Snowy get off of a train in Chicago in order to solve a mystery. They come to investigate the doings of the largest gang in Chicago. On their way the gang finds out they're being investigated and try to stop Tintin. Tintin has many close calls and chases, and on top of that some very good luck. I reccomend this book to anyone who loves mystery, suspense, and a great comic.

Good Tintin, though not the best by far....
one of the "OK"s. the TinTin image is not yet complete. the absence of some the major later characters is a little disappointing but the magic is there.

Tintin comes to America, home of gangsters and Indians
I read "Tintin in America" relatively late in my journey through the Adventures of Tintin, which might not be fair since this early work by Herge certainly pales in comparison to some of our beloved heroes later and greatest adventures (e.g., "Land of Black Gold" or "Explorers on the Moon"). From that perspective you notice that the art is a bit more cartoonish than what comes later but the most important difference is that this is basically Tintin and Snowy on their own. The wonderful cast of colorful supporting characters that end up populating the Tintin universe are not to be seen at this point, which might explain why Snowy "talks" a lot more in this early Tintin adventure than is his habit in later volumes.

While this is not a great Tintin adventure, "Tintin in America" is certainly an interesting one because of the way Herge presents America to his readers. In a manner that reminds me of Babe's fanciful vision of the big city in "Babe: Pig in the City," Herge presents the U.S. as half Chicago gangsters and half Wild Wild West cowboys and Indians. Tintin arrives in Chicago to clean up the city ruled by gangster bosses and Al Capone is not happy to see the world famous reporter. Tintin survives so many attempted gangland hits that you lose count of them, and it is a toss up whether there are more last second escapes or scenes where Tintin pulls a gun on a gangster. The perils of Tintin continue even when our hero and his faithful terrier companion make their way out West and become involved with some of the quaint customs of the local natives.

The final word would be that if you have heard people raving about Herge and Tintin, and then you start at the "beginning" (in terms of what is readily available of the Adventures of Tintin) you might be wondering what all the fuss is about. Do not fear. "Tintin in America" represents the early days when Herge was still finding his way and learning his craft. The best is yet to come after this one and the best is pretty good. Get with the program and stick to it.

Satire and serial thrills as our heroes race through the USA
Although it begins with a precise date (1931) and location (Chicago) and features a real historical figure (Al Capone), 'Tintin In America' is Herge's tribute to the mythical America of dime novels and silent serials (especially gangster stories and Westerns). There's a real 'Perils Of Pauline' quality to Tintin's misadventures, which see the young reporter and his faithful terrier Snowy attempt to clean Chicago of gangsters, and which includes trapdoors, underground passages, falls from cliffs broken by handy branches, tetherings to railway lines etc. On their arrival, the pair are plunged into a hectic series of mishaps - they are kidnapped by a mob stooge in a steel-shuttered limousine; sawing their way out, they are met by police, and give chase; just as the nabbed hood is about to squeal, he is knocked out by a boomerang, whose owner they pursue in a gun-stuttering chase which ends in the first of many vehicular accidents. Throughout, Tintin will be gassed, dumped into Lake Michigan, shot at by a professional sniper, captured by Red Indians, have his brakeless train dynamited, and be thrown into a mincer. Welcome to America!

The simple-minded pleasures of these melodrama cliches are supplemented by a sophisticated and often quite savage critique on modern America (having tackled Bolshevik Russia in the previous adventure), an America on the brink of globalising superpowerdom, a critique that invokes the past to indict the present. The Red Indian sequence at first seems in dubious taste, with the warriors easily manipulated by a gang leader into mutilating Tintin - their knee-jerk savagery and comical rituals are the sad cliches of many a Western. But in the book's most perturbing sequence, Tintin accidentally hits oil on their land; they are speedily thrown off the reservation, and oil wells, banks and a new city erected in its place; a brilliant, shocking encapsulation of the long and terrible history that underlies bright modern America. The gangster epidemic is linked to police and presidential corruption, while the tendency of famed American democracy and justice to degenerate into mob rule and lynching is unflinchingly pinpointed, as are the ecological crimes of big business. In fact, Herge sees American capitalism as a form of cannibalism - a sausage-grinding plant is a front for disposing of gangland enemies, their flesh mingled with animal meat for sale (the leader of the gang is a dead ringer for Foucault!). Conversely, Tintin is at one point rescued by a labor strike! One frame must have registered on the young Jean-Luc Godard, in which Tintin passes a landscape of car-wreckage overlooked by advertising hoardings. The irony of the story is that America, once so new, innocent, a beacon of hope where the world's oppressed could find refuge, has become as corrupt as the Old World, to which Tintin must return ito protect HIS innocence.

Herge's satirical instinct does not preclude a great love for the LOOK of America, with its precisionist skyscraperscapes, and vast prairie spaces. Herge deliberately streamlines his animation, drawing in bold, uncluttered strokes and strong, bright colours, giving some indication of the size and modernity of America, as well as its anonymity, conformity and assembly line mentality. The nocturnal scenes, in which the overall brightness becomes deeply mysterious, are particularly beautiful. I dare anyone who views the flabbergasting scene of Tintin clambering across an endless skyscrapter not to feel dizzy. Within his frames, Herge creates an extraordinary dynamism of movement. I particularly love it when characters walk on the border of the frame, as if getting ready to leap from it.

Tintin in America
I am a big fan of the Tintin series. But in my mind, this is one of the worst. The drawing is not as good as some of the other books, and the storyline isn't as good. I found that in this book, Tintin narrowly escapes death and gets out of tough situations a few times too many. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A must-read for Tintin's fans!!!!!!
My brother and I are MAGOR Tintin fans, and have both read all the books. These three tales are my alltime faves. I like the part in the Land of Black Gold when Thompson with a P as in "psychology" falls asleep and drives the Jeep into the Arabien city! The moon adventures are just awesome. Great, exciting book.

Ven Kanuparthi
I have read each of these titles about 20 times, the lowest number of times among all the Tintins. I still read them and am collecting all of them for my kids. I still laugh the house down reading each one of these that I strongly recommend as collectibles for eternity. A really good, healthy reading for all ages.

THE Euro-man of the 21st century.....TinTin
I love all TinTin adventures. I started buying the books in France on travels and have almost all the adventures. I wish you sold the individual books as I have need of three more stories to complete the set. TinTin is the Don Quiotte of the 21st century. The righter of all wrongs, the protector of more fragile beings. The way he dashes about, part boy, part man in a very European way is very charming. By the way, I'm over 12.

True to Childhood Memories!
I first read this(these) book(S) when I was 8. I was in Belgium at the time and there TinTin books were HOT! Of course they were written in French, but that didn't stop me, I read them anyway, with the help of a English/French dictionary:) Allthough this book is in English, there is still something quite un-American about it, I think it adds to the charm. (Not that we Americans arn't charming!:) The TinTin series is great for kids and nostalgic for adults, a must have.

Excellent
I first encountered Tintin as a child of 10 or 11, and now that I am grown, I collect Tintin titles for my own children. Tintin is subtle, entertaining to children, and to the adults that read to them. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Picking up where he left off in the Egyptian adventure Cigars of the Pharaoh, Tintin travels to China in The Blue Lotus, a tale which is generally considered Herge's first masterpiece. It's also Tintin's only foray into actual history, specifically the Sino-Japanese conflicts of the early 1930s. The political tensions combined with the chilling threats of drugs give the story an especially high and realistic sense of danger. Herge's interest in China was spurred by a friendship with a young Chinese student named Chang Chong-chen, a relationship that Tintin mirrors with a Chinese boy also named Chang Chong-chen. Herge paints a vivid picture of China and takes the opportunity to denounce ethnic prejudices (though ironically his artistic depiction of the Japanese businessman Mitsuhirato is quite grotesque).Years later, Tintin's relationship with Chang would become the basis of Tintin in Tibet. --David Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (12)

One of the best Tintin books
The Blue lotus is a very interesting book. It has lots of adventure and humor. Drawings are very nice, detailed and clear. The story is great and the ideas are superb. It is one of the best Tintin books written by Herge.

I want to be buried with this book.
Those delightful boobies, Thomson and Thompson, reappear in this sequel to 'Cigars Of The Pharoah', at one point ostentatiously disguising themselves in 'Mikado'-like finery to blend in with the Chinese locals, as they attempt to surreptitiously capture Tintin, only gathering an amused crowd in their wake.

For many Tintinophiles, 'The Blue Lotus' is the most precious of all Herge's masterpieces; certainly, in the event of a fire, after my dogs, and maybe my wife, my long-battered copy would be the first thing I would rescue. From its famous front cover - a giant, twisting black Chinese dragon on a rich red background, facing Tintin and Snowy as they hide in blue vase patterned with a bird and flowers, the images lit by a pale green lantern - every frame is a detailed artwork in itself. Set largely in Japan and European-occupied Shanghai in the early 1930s, every frame painstakingly evokes the Oriental setting: every wall-covering, item of clothing, ornament, building, street, poster, vehicle. Some of the landscapes and silhouettes are etched with the complex simplicity of a wood-cut by Hokusai, Hiroshige or Taige. The eye-dazzling colour is complemented by a much higher proportion of night scenes than previous Tintins. The deep, sombre colours give the story a melancholy (as do the peeling walls found everywhere behind the prettily picturesque Orientalist scenes). This sadness is matched by the plot's events, not just the violent expansionist plans of Japanese fascists or the culpability of European colonialists, but a world where brave sons turn mad, and orphans nearly drown by sheer chance. Herge's storytelling has also matured significantly since his early efforts: his pacing and variations of tone, his crosscutting and fragmenting of narrative, his sustaining mystery - all come together with superb mastery.

And for the first time, because the fictional world created is so believable and historically rooted, Tintin takes on the contours of a genuine hero, much more than a mad marionette endlessly dodging melodramatic villains. His genuine nobility, loyalty and courage, his touching friendship with the orphan Chang, all bespeak fading values in a world crashing towards totalitarianism. A beautiful, urgent book.

The Blue Lotus
After a few days in royalty in India, Tintin is summoned to a new mystery in China. This time he has to investigate the doings of a secret drug dealer, the only problem is that they are too secret. Ofcourse this book has mystery and suspense and I reccomend it to any person who loves the genre.

Herge's masterpiece!
This is probably the most exciting and the most interesting of all the 25 Tintin adventures. Considering it was written early in Herge's career (c. 1930s), the level of proficiency and artwork is extraordinary. In this adventure, really the continuation of "Cigars of the Pharaoh" but able to stand on its own, Tintin travels to China to root out an international drug-smuggling gang. During his stay in China, Tintin gets enmeshed in the politics of the time, when the Japanese were secretly creating pretexts for extending their occupation of China. At a time when the European powers were practicing appeasement towards Japan, this adventure is a daring stance in solidarity with the underdog - here being the Chinese. Much of the day-to-day events of the time are interwoven seamlessly with the action of this adventure comic. Neither is the opium trade (the centerpiece of this story) that the colonial powers pushed on China far removed from reality.

What is perhaps the most amazing thing about this creation is that Herge never traveled to China, not before nor after this story (though he did go to Hong Kong much later in his life). For information about China, he relied on magazine photos and articles, and on the information provided by a friend and roommate Chang Chong Ching, who played the role model for the Chang Tintin befriends in the story (and whom we encounter later in Tintin in Tibet). Chang is the one who wrote the myriad excellent specimens of Chinese calligraphy ornamenting the book. All the Chinese signs in the adventure are meaningful inscriptions, from simple restaurant signs "Foods" and advertisements for international companies "Siemens" to anti-imperialist and anti-Japanese slogans grafittied on the walls. These signs paint a realistic portrait of the Chinese environment at the time. All my Chinese friends who have read this adventure swear that the depictions of China are realistic and cannot believe that Herge never visited that country!

This comic story has all the components for a great piece of art/literature. The artwork is masterful, the settings and scenery realistic, the plot and action entertaining and suspenseful, and the characters well-developed and possess considerable depth. In addition, while the ending is happy, the story is not free from life's tragic moments that bring tears to the eyes. A definite must-read for all Tintin lovers, as well as for those wishing to learn something about China and its recent history.

Tintin travels to China and makes friends with young Chang
"The Blue Lotus" begins where "Cigars of the Pharaoh" left off, with Tintin and Snowy in India as the guests of the Maharaja of Gaipajama. The evil gang of international drug smugglers had been smashed and all of them are now behind bars except for the mysterious leader, who disappeared over a cliff. A visitor from Shanghai is hit with a dart dipped in Rajaijah juice, the poison of madness, which is enough to send our interipd hero to the Chinese city where his rickshaw runs into Gibsons, an occidental who is not looking where he is going and starts beating the rickshaw driver for daring to barge into a white man. Tintin intervenes, calling the man's conduct disgraceful and Gibbon vows revenge. The next thing we know Tintin is being shot at every time he turns around. Things become even more mysterious when another bystander is hit with a Rajaijah dart and Tintin embarks on a ship for Bombay only to wake up in the home of Wang Chen-yee, who begins to unravel the mystery for our hero.

This Tintin adventure was first published in Belgium in 1934-35, although the story is actually set in 1931, which was when Japanese troops were first occupying parts of China. Shangai, the great northern seaport on the Yangtze river, had an International Settlement that served as a trading base for Western nations. Hergé incoprorates several actual events in this narrative, including the blowing-up of the South Manchurian railway, which served as an excuse for further Japanese incursions into China, and led to Japan walking out on the League of Nations.

Of course, it is the Japanese invaders who are after Tintin, who is pretty much on his own for most of this adventure until the Thom(p)sons show up with orders to arrest him (of course the duo don native dress, wanting to avoid causing a scene by walking around dressed in European clothes). The title of the story comes form an opium den that figures prominently in the resoltuion of the tale. "The Blue Lotus" finds Hergé fully committed to providing accurate cultural details in is stories, although this story has the added virtue of being the most "realistic" in terms of portraying current events in a world poised on the brink of war. His drawings of Asian figures can certainly be considered caricatures, but then this is pretty much true of the way he draws everybody in these stories, with the simplistic look of Tintin being the exception that proves the rule.

"The Blue Lotus" is also the adventure in which Tintin meets Chang Choug-chen, a young orphaned Chinese boy our hero saves from drowning. Chang is surprised a white devil would bother to save his life and Tintin haas to explain how not all white men are wicked. The character of Chang is based on Chang Chong-Chen,a young Chinese student who became Hergé's friend in 1934, as is the case with Chang and Tintin. When the Communists took over China the two friends lost touch. Decades later Tintin would race across half the earth to help rescue his friend in "Tintin in Tibet" in 1960. Even though he does not appear in the interim, Hergé makes it clear that Chang is a very special friend to Tintin. "The Blue Lotus" is a first rate Tintin adventure, made all the more special because once World War II began Hergé made a concerted effort to distance his stories from the horrors of the real world. After the war Hergé would deal with East-West tensions on a completely fictional level, making this early adventure of more than passing interest in Hergé's career.

Oh, and in 1981, Georges Remi (a.k.a. Hergé) and Chang Chong-Chen were reunited. ... Read more

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After The Seven Crystal Balls set the eerie stage, Tintin and his friends continue their adventures in Peru. There Tintin rescues an orange-seller named Zorrino from being bullied, and the young man becomes their guide in their quest to find the Temple of the Sun. But they find more than they bargained for and end up in a hot spot. The perils of this engaging two-part adventure are especially harrowing in their combination of the supernatural and the real, although the resolution is a little too deus ex machina. Calculus and the Thompsons provide their usual comic relief. --David Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Wonderful the first time...
The first time I read this one (when I was about ten) I absolutely LOVED it - the way the adventure overtakes Tintin & Haddock so quickly, the Peruvian roads, the mystery and 'hiddeness'of the Inca temple, and the way it reached civilization only in rumours and whispers - but now I've found I've read it so much that the feelings have faded a bit; so, don't overdo it!

The conclusion of what may be the greatest Tintin adventure
"Prisoners of the Sun" concludes the epic Tintin adventure that begins in "The Seven Crystal Balls." The Sanders-Hardiman Ethnographic Expedition had returned from a trip to Peru and Bolivia exploring Inca burial chambers when all seven members fell into comas induced by mysterious crystal balls. Tintin is already involved in the mystery when Professor Calculus is kidnapped and put aboard a steamer bound for Peru. With Snowy and Captain Haddock in tow, Tintin arrives in South America ready to rescue his friend and solve the mystery of the curse of the Incas. This involves a journey through the Andes Mountains and the jungles of the rain forest. There is seriousness to what happens in "The Seven Crystal Balls" and "Prisoners of the Sun" that reflects a significant turning point in Hergé's work. The point that Europeans need to respect the cultures of other peoples is not only explicitly articulated by Tintin in these volumes, but is reinforced by the attention to details he puts into Tintin's visit to foreign lands. The ability of Hergé to grow as a storyteller over the course of his distinguished career is impressive and these stories deserve the accolades they have received and the affection with which they have been embraced by generations of readers. I have always liked his foray into science fiction with the two-part Moon story, but Hergé never did anything any better than this Incan epic. "Prisoners of the Sun" also has one of Hergé's best running gags: no, not the perpetual confrontations between Captain Haddock and the llamas, but the attempt by the Thom(p)sons to use dowsing to help solve the case.

DEFINETLY THE VERY BEST TINTIN BOOK
I am a huge Tintin fanatic and have read just about every book. This book stands out because it is a great follow-up to the seven crystal balls that has myth, adventuring, danger, and "BLISTERING BARNICALS," Capitan Haddock the hilarious friend of Tintin. A five star book for sure!

I thought that prisoners of the sun was a great adventure.
"Prisoners of the Sun" was the first Tintin adventure that I read. It was so good, that it got me hooked. I'm now a big fan of the series. I like the adventure/fiction story put into a great comic strip. I hope to be able to read all the Tintin comics.

Very good book.
Prisonersof the sun is the best Tintin adventure yet. One can never get tired of reading a book like that. It starts off a bit boring but once the search in the forest begins, the book is really gripping. It has a lot of humor, mainly from the Captain, but Calculus' hearing problem also brings a few laughs in the ending. This is a great book. Herge's idea of Tintin &his friends escaping with the help of an eclipse is brilliant. The pictures are very well drawn too. The whole idea of the book is great. ... Read more

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The Secret of the Unicorn was one of the first truly great Tintin adventures and Herge's personal favorite, combining a puzzling mystery with a ripping pirate yarn.When Tintin finds a magnificent model ship in the street market, his attempt to buy it for Captain Haddock leads him on a trail of pickpockets, burglars, and secret treasure, and Haddock enthralls him with a tale of his seafaring ancestor, Sir Francis Haddock (who was exclaiming "Thundering typhoons!" generations before the Captain ever did), and his fateful encounter with the fearsome pirate Red Rackham. The story is also notable for Herge's fantastic eye for ship detail as well as the first appearances of Nestor and Marlinspike Hall. The Secret of the Unicorn was Tintin's first official two-book adventure, continued in Red Rackham's Treasure. --David Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A Sea Adventure Everyone Will Like
This is the first part, the second part is 'Red Rakham's Treasure'. This is also the series when Marlinspike Hall makes its appearance. The second part is also when Prof Cuthbert Calculus enters Tintin cast for the first time. This is a story every Tintin lover will cherish and other readers will also enjoy. Despite being more than half a century old the story has lost nothing of its charm and sense of fun.

The plot concerns miniature models of boats that bear a striking similarity to a boat in a portrait of one of Capt Haddock's ancestors. From there begins a tale of pirates, of a treasure, of theives after the same treasure, of three hundred year old rum, of our adventurers' attempts at getting to it. The story finally culminates in the Marlinspike Hall, with Capt Haddock being restored to what turns out to be his ancesteral home.

This is the first and perhaps the best of the three adventures Herge wrote that ran into two books. The others two book adventures are 'The Seven Crystal Balls' and 'Prisoners of the Sun', and 'Destination Moon' and 'Explorers on the Moon'.

All in all, an excellent comic book to read, anytime, anywhere.

Tintin begins the search for Red Rackham's Treasure
First off, be forewarned that "The Secret of Unicorn" is only the first half of a two-part Tintin adventure, which is concluded in "Red Rackham's Treausre." So do not get all bent of shape when you get to the end of this 1943 adventure and Tintin looks out and you and tells you to find out what happens next in "Red Rackham's Treasure."

As our story opens, the Thompsons are trying to solve a rash of pockets being picked and Tintin decides to buy on impulse a model of an old galliard ship. But suddenly two other gentleman want to buy the model from Tintin, who refuses because he intends the model to be a gift to his friend, Captain Haddock. Then Tintin finds a small piece of parchment that was hidden in one of the masts talking about a treasure and a ship called the Unicorn. The mystery deepens when it turns out that Sir Francis Haddock, an ancestor of Tintin's good friend, was the captain of the Unicorn. After the captain tells the exciting story of Sir Francis and his glorious victory over the dreaded Barbary buccaneers, Tintin races off to track down the final pieces of the puzzle that will tell where the treasure of the Unicorn can be found.

This is only Captain Haddock's third Tintin adventure but he is already as important to the story as Snowy. Nestor and Marlinspike Hall make their first appearance in "The Secret of the Unicorn" with Professor Calculus making his unforgettable first appearance in the second half of the tale. Herge is obviously staying as far away as he can from what is happening in Europe during World War II, but that does not take away from the fact this is a first rate tale of detective work by our intrepid hero and the second half is an equally fun adventure as Tintin and company race for "Red Rackham's Treasure."

The Secret of The Unicorn; A Funny Mystery Book
How would you feel if you bought a boat and found a treasure note inside? How would you feel then, if the boat got stolen? This is what happens to TinTin and his dog, Snowy, in The Secret of the Unicorn, by Herge. Once they try to find the boat, but are not successful. After looking for the boat, they start looking for the treasure. They search by submarine, by scuba diving,and by swimming in shark infested water. Do they find the treasure? Read The Secret of the Unicorn to find out.

The Second Best Tintin Comic I Ever Read
The Secret Of The Unicorn Is The Second Best Tintin Comic I Ever Read ( My Favourite Is Red Rackham's Treasure) The Main Charecters Are Tintin, Captain Haddock,Thompson & Thomson And Of Course The Criminals . I Advice You All To Read It

Best of the Tintin series
The first Tintin book I ever read was The Secret of the Unicorn. I still consider it among the best along with King Ottokar's Sceptre. The plot moves along, the dialogue is humorous, and the characters are vintage Herge. I highly recommend this one. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

At long last, Tintin and Snowy meet up with Captain Haddock
"The Crab with the Golden Claws" has a simple beginning, when Snowy goes scavenging in the rubbish and gets his muzzle stuck in a can of crabmeat. However, that crab of tin meat quickly leads our hero on a new adventure, which starts off rather horribly when Tintin is knocked unconscious aboard a mysterious ship and taken out to sea where the bad guys intend to send him to the bottom. Of course, Tintin leads a charmed life, which takes a major turn for the better when he comes across the ship's drunken captain, who introduces himself as Captain Haddock.

The rest, as they say is history, because this is the first of many adventures for Tintin and the person who, along with Snowy, becomes his almost constant companion in the years to come. Even though this is the good captain in his rawest form, Herge knew he was onto something with the emotional, blustering, cursing (in his way) Haddock, who plays increasingly pivotal roles in the next Tintin adventures, "The Shooting Star" and "The Secret of the Unicorn." As for Snowy, he does manage to find some of the biggest bones in his long career.

"The Crab with the Golden Claws" takes Tintin and his companions from the perils of the high sea to the burning sands of the desert. Of course, all those cans of crab are not actually filled with crab. This 1941 story is a traditional exotic adventure for the interpid reporter, filled with slapstick and narrow escapes in equal measure, which might indicate Herge's desire to forget about what was happening in Europe at that point in history.

Oh Columbus! It's Captain Haddock!
The adventure every re-reader of Tintin waits impatiently for, Captain Haddock's debut. We first meet him on board the merchant ship Karaboudjan, his alcoholism being fuelled by a nefarious mate, the hatchet-faced Allan, who is smuggling opium in tins of crab meat. It is curious that such a weak, defeated, decadent figure should become such a beloved, even heroic character for generations of readers - in the context of the Nazi-Occupied Europe in which the book was written, the resonance of Haddock's spiritual progress - from manipulable weakling to tortured prisoner to victim of (collaborationist?) police brutality to ferocious resistant - is easier to fathom. Besides his inability to resist bottle-sized tipples, the captain is famous for a bellicosity unleashed in an inexhaustible gust of arbitrary, all-inclusive epithets ('Rats! Ectoplasms! Freshwater swabs! Bashi-bazouks! Cannibals! Caterpillars!'); his rage often sufficient to ward off enemies. Beneath these terrifying outbursts, however, and the tendency to Thom(p)son-like imbecilities (such as the drunken kindling of a fire on a longboat), Haddock is really a kind of human Snowy, someone whose essentially good instincts are led astray by appetite, someone who needs the affection, reassurance, security and stability offered by Tintin's tolerant friendship. He is a brave man of an earlier, more chivalrous age, stranded in a modernism blighted by criminals and the counterfeit.

This marvellously funny episode begins as a mystery story, with Thompson and Thomson investigating the death by drowning of a sailor whose remains include clues that prompt Tintin to investigate the Karaboudjan. In terms of incident and visuals, 'Crab' harks back to the earlier 'Cigars Of The Pharoah' (another introductory adventure, that time the Thom(p)sons), with its drug-smuggling plot, its misadventures at sea, its awesome African sandscapes and the delight offered by Thom(p)sonian buffoonery. The depiction of French Morocco, its eternal sunlight riven with omnipresent shadows, echoes the Metaphysical/Surrealist world of de Chirico, while there are many jokes inspired once again by silent cinema, especially two 'Gold Rush'-quoting hallucinations in which a thirst-crazed Haddock imagines Tintin as a bottle of champagne.

An added bonus are four full-page plates you will be sorely tempted to rip from the page and hang on your wall - a looming airplane terrorising our capsized heroes bobbing in a Hokusai sea; a panting Tintin and Haddock trekking an endless desert, happy Snowy chomping the massive bone of a dromedary skeleton and acknowledging the 'camera'; the trio in pursuit down a crowded Moroccan alley, amazingly detailed and coloured, and seemingly on the brink of collapse; and an archway-framed composition of the Thom(p)sons shadowing a suspect in one of their hapeless attempts at blending in with the locals, bournos failing to hide their ever-distinctive black suits, bowlers and moustaches. As ever, Tintin, like Sherlock Holmes, is much more successful with disguise, and learns something about the contempt directed at the poor in certain societies.

great book!
After six comics Captain Haddok gets intruduced. And in this adventure Tintin fights drug smuggling. This book is interesting because Herge draws so well and so presise. This is truly a book for Tintin fans of all ages.

Good Morning, Captain Haddock...
The Crab with the Golden Claws is great because it introduces us to one of our favorite characters: Captain Haddock! A "drunken wretch," he slowly evolves into the lovable, "upper class" mansion dwelling man in the later novels.

But the plot is really awesome! Drug smuggling rings in north Africa really present Tintin with a challenge, and sometimes I would ask myself, "How will you ever get out of this one!"

Some scenes are just incredibly well-drawn, and we get several big one picture pages that demonstrate Herge's talent...

Like all the rest, its truly great....

A must for Herge completists
You shouldn't leave out The Crab if you're studying the Tintin books, although there are better, more profound stories in the series (I would recommend The Calculus Affair, Destination Moon, and Explorers on the Moon).

I would beg to differ with the previous reviewer regarding Captain Haddock's drunkenness. While there is much laughter at Haddock's expense in the Tintin books (he bears the brunt of the numerous pratfalls portrayed in the adventures), he is, in essence, a functional alcoholic, a man with his own vices but also possessing a kind of heroism. The endless physical slapstick in the Tintin books has a cumulative effect and becomes exceedingly hard to take after a while -- it hints at our mortality. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Watch out - Small Size
This 3-in-One volume is smaller size than the regular Tintin books, making it harder to read and lessens the enjoyment of the illustrations. I am not sure if a large-size 3-in-one series exists.

Tintin is Great for Children
My father and I accidently ran across Tintin whenI was 8. I'm 19 now and we both still hooked for the little guy and his cute little dog, Snowy. People who say that the type is to small should buy the larger book, there are 2 sizes, the small one with three books in one and indivisual ones. You can also find video tapes in many different languages that are superb.

VIVA TINTIN
Tintin is wonderful, delightful, fun, and as a 26 year old I sitll enjoy it as much as when I was 5 years old. I think everybody should get to know these wonderful stories. You can read them over and over again and it feels like you are with the characters. The stories are funny, witty and truly adventerous. I RECOMMEND TINTIN (ANY OF HIS ADVENTURES) HIGHLY.....

Excellent in both French and English!
I read these books when I was a child, and loved them so much I cannot describe it here. They are not for everyone - some children find them confusing and don't get it completely, but the ones that do get it have tremendous affection for the books.

I still have a lot of love for the books as an adult, and now that my daughter is hooked on the adventures of Tinton and Milou (Tintin and Snowy), I often find myself engrossed in the copies we now have for her.

Also - The original French editions are great for teaching a child French, as long as you have the English version nearby to compare.

Excellent choice. . .

BEST Comic characters
Reading any Tintin book is a joyous experience. It feels as if you are actually watching a movie, such is the power of the pictures with appropriate short and long shots, immaculate detail. Tintin books are not only humorous, but have wit, intelligence and superb buildup of the plot. Time flies before you are already on page 62 ! ... Read more

Reviews (10)

More high adventures in Arabia
After a strange encounter with General Alcazar of San Theodoros, and then getting home to see that Emir Ben Kalish Ezab, has sent his thoroughly obnoxious son, Prince Abdullah, to stay at Marlinspike, the Emir is deposed by the evil Revolutionary thug, Sheik Bab El Er.
Tintin and the Captain fly to Khemed, to try to get to the bottom of an illegal arms buying racket and if they can, to help their friend, the Emir.
There they take a boat to Mecca , where they must battle several enemies , in a high adventure on the Red Sea. Before the adventure is through , they will break a slave smuggling ring and ensure the defeat of several villains.
The issue of slave trade by Arabs , of Africans , was not only still going on when this book was written in 1958 , but is still endemic today , in places such as the Sudan.
These adventures are always full, of life and colour.

Tintin and Captain Haddock save the day in Khemed
While talking about General Alcazar, the deposed president of the Republic of San Theodoros, Tintin and Captain Haddock literally run into him. This is more than mere coincidence, it is the beginning of another exciting adventure for our hero and his friends as it seems Alcazar is involved in buying armaments on the sly. However, Prince Abdullah has been sent by his father the Emir to stay with the good Captain to improve the young scamp's English. The Emir mentions that the situation is serious at home and when the headlines announce a coup d'etat in Khemed, Tintin decides to head there to find out if there is a connection between the rebel victory achieved by air power and the arms dealing he has discovered.

What makes "The Red Sea Sharks" one of the best Tintin adventures is that there are even more dastardly deeds being done by the bad guys this time around (involving "coke" smuggling). Herge continues to explore the class between Western and Near Eastern cultures as Captain Haddock has to wear a veil as a disguise and Snowy has a memorable encounter with a cheetah, while back home Professor Calculus and Nestor do their best to keep Prince Abdullah, ah, entertained. Herge might have created an imaginative parallel world for Tintin's adventures, but they certainly echo serious real world concerns, and that is especially true of "The Red Sea Sharks." As an added pleasur3e, the good captain gets to vent time and time again at people who really deserve to be roundly cursed out, even by Haddock's peculiar collection of epithets.

One of the most exciting Tintin books so far!
I love this book, it reminds me of going to sea with friends, a beautiful sea adventure. Since I read it, I just loved the artwork of Herge, he really did a great job of bringing the characters and scenery to life!

If you once looked at the water you'll see it really blue and there's waves crashing on shore, just like a real sea! Also, the characters drawn are humanlike.

Enough with the praise on artwork, let's head on to the comical features. I really loved Captain Haddock when he started dancing on the raft like a maniac, happy when he saw and felt that he's saved! He danced until the raft broke under him!

Simply, one of the most brilliantly created Tintin stories. This would delight children AND adults like me as well, for years to come!

The writing too is also in good english and I feel that Leslie Londsale Cooper and her companion translated it so well!

I simply give this 5 stars because it is an excellent book and would be one of my personal favourites of all time!

Interesting title change
One curious thing about this book is that it is one of the few Tintin books whose original title (in the French edition) is in English: "Coke in Stock", a reference to the modern slave trade, I believe; but for some strange reason the title was changed for the English-language edition., to "Red Sea Sharks"...I wonder why?

One of my favourites
The Tintin adventure stories are all really good and this is probably the best one with all the characters. Quite a few of the characters that have made appearances throughout the series appear in this story and the main adventure involves Tintin and the Captain as the uncover a slave trading gang and get into a thrilling adventure at sea. I am a big fan of the Tintin books and this one has to be one of the best. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Along with Mickey Mouse and Asterix, Tintin is one of the world's most recognizable cartoon characters. If you haven't read any of his adventures, you are missing a real pleasure. The clean, crisp art style that defines modern European comics is almost entirely the influence of Hergé. Considered to be one of Hergé's masterworks, Tintin in Tibet is a great book for both old and new fans of Tintin. It is compelling, exciting, and spiritually rewarding in the way that the best comics stories can be. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

The best and the most sensitive Tintin book
I believe that Tintin in Tibet is Herge's best book. It has a very serious agenda. Tintin's blind faith that his friend Chang survived the air crash in the Himalayas drives him, Snowy and his loyal friend Captain Haddock to find and rescue Chang. All through the adventure, they face terrible dangers and discouragement but Tintin's belief in Chang's being alive is never shaken. Herge, I have read, was going through a personal crisis in his life when he completed this adventure. It shows. There are occassional funny scenes as in all Tintin adventures but essentially, it seems that Herge did not want this to be a funny adventure but rather, a serious one. Hence, the absence of the Thompson twins and a very minimal of Professor Calculus is understandable. This book is a classic for all ages. The mood can be summarized in the last panel on the last page when Chang shares his thoughts about the Yeti.

The Himalayas , the Yeti and Tibetan Buddhism
Firmly convinced that his friend Chang, has survived the plane crash in Nepal, Tintin, accompanied by Captain Haddock, sets off for Nepal to rescue Chang.
After passing through New Deli and Nepal (where we explore the sights and sounds of these wonderful places, Tintin and the reluctant Captain set off for the Tibetan Himalayas for the mission impossible.

This is one of Herge's best works as he explores the , hazards of Himalayan mountain climbing, the gentle Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and the truth about the Yeti , commonly known as the 'abominable snowman'.

The only thing left out, is the brutal Chinese occupation of Tibet which still continues today .The book was recently released in China, on condition that the name 'Tibet' was left out of the title, another example that after the holocaust of 2 million Tibetans, the Red Chinese are still not content in their drive to wipe out the beautiful culture and memory of Tibet.

A particular interesting scene is the psychedelic delirium of Captain Haddock during his sunstroke.
The strong 60's flavour of this is interesting considering that the book was written at the ver dawn of this era-1960.

Tintin and Snowy head off to Tibet to rescue Chang
Tintin and Snowy were created in 1929 by Georges Remi (a.k.a. Hergé). In 1934 Hergé met a young Chinese student, Chang Chong-Chen, at which point Tintin's creator became convinced of the importance of having a soundly built storyline and getting the facts straight. In short, Hergé started taking his soundtrack very seriously. After the Communists took over China, Hergé and Chang lost touch. In 1960 the English version of "Tintin in Tibet" was published and it was immediately clear that this was a very personal story for Hergé, who was writing about his friendship with a friend he had not seen in decades.

Tintin has a dream about Chang, the boy he made friends with in China back in the adventure of "The Blue Lotus." In the dream Tintin sees Chang lying in the snow, half buried, holding out his hands and calling to Tintin to help him. When Tintin gets a letter from Chang he is surprised at the remarkable coincidence, but then he reads in the newspaper that Chang's plane has crashed in Tibet. Tintin, convinced his friend is not dead, goes off to the land of the ice and snow to save his friend.

There are none of the traditional villains in this rather special Tintin story in which our hero is aided only by Snowy and Captain Haddock (with a brief appearance by Calculus). This is arguably the most poignant Tintin adventure, focusing on the power of loyalty and hope overcoming all obstacles and Hergé places a lot of obstacles in Tintin's way. I think what I like most about this story is about how Hergé keeps what are essentially a series of cliffhangers going and going but in a realistic manner, while still working in the series trademark humor with Snowy and the Captain. "Tintin in Tibet" is an atypical Tintin adventure, but that just makes it all the more special (By the way, in 1981 Hergé and Chang Chong-Chen were happily reunited).

"Tintin in Tibet" was recently in the news when it was announced that the Chinese translation had the story as "Dingding in Chinese Tibet." Given that Fanny Rodwell, Hergé's widwow, is reported to be a personal friend of the Dalai Lama it is not surprising that she decided not to attend the promotional ceremonies in China for the launching of the Chinese language version of Tintin (the Chinese are not publishing "Tintin in the Land of the Soviets" (anti-communist) and "Tintin in the Congo" (too racist and imperialist).

One of the best Tintin adventures!
I have been a fan of Hergé's Adventures of Tintin since I was three years old, and "Tintin in Tibet" is without a doubt one of the four best. It combines wonderful art and a touching story, plus the return of Tintin's friend Chang, whom we have not seen since the earlier story "The Blue Lotus". (The other three best Tintin stories, in my opinion are "The Castafiore Emerald," "The Calculus Affair" and "Flight 714". I recommend you check them all out.) Enjoy.

Tintin heads off to Tibet to save his friend Chang
Tintin and Snowy were created in 1929 by Georges Remi (a.k.a. Herge). In 1934 Herge met a young Chinese student, Chang Chong-Chen, at which point Tinti''s creator became convinced of the importance of having a soundly built storyline and getting the facts straight. In short, Herge started taking his soundtrack very seriously. After the Communists took over China, Herge and Chang lost touch. In 1960 the English version of "Tintin in Tibet" was published and it was immediately clear that this was a very personal story for Herge, who was writing about his friendship with a friend he had not seen in decades.

Tintin has a dream about Chang, the boy he made friends with in China in "The Blue Lotus." Chang is lying in the snow, half buried, holding out his hands and calling to Tintin to help him. When Tintin gets a letter from Change he is surprised at the remarkable coincidence, but then he reads in the newspaper that Chang's plane has crashed in Tibet. Tintin, convinced his friend is not dead, goes off to save his friend.

There are none of the traditional villains in this rather special Tintin story in which our hero is aided only by Snowy and Captain Haddock (with a brief appearance by Calculus). This is arguably the most poignant Tintin adventure, focusing on the power of loyalty and hope overcoming all obstacles and Herge places a lot of obstacles in Tintin's way. I think what I like most about this story is about how Herge keeps what are essentially a series of cliffhangers going and going but in a realistic manner, while still working in the series trademark humor with Snowy and the Captain. "Tintin in Tibet" is an atypical Tintin adventure, but that just makes it all the more special.

By the way, in 1981 Herge and Chang Chong-Chen were happily reunited.

More recently in the news, "Tintin in Tibet" was recently in the news when it was announced that the Chinese translation had the story as "Dingding in Chinese Tibet." Given that Fanny Rodwell, the widow of Tintin's Belgian creator Herg, is reported to be a personal friend of the Dalai Lama it is not surprising that she decided not to attend the promotional ceremonies in China for the launching of the Chinese language version of Tintin (the Chinese are not publishing "Tintin in the Land of the Soviets" (anti-communist) and "Tintin in the Congo" (too racist and imperialist). ... Read more