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Thursday, December 14, 2017

Tintin in Tibet

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Tintin is an intrepid Belgian reporter who has a knack for solving mysteries and getting involved in all kinds of capers. Often accompanied on his adventures by Captain Haddock, an old sailor who likes his whiskey, and his dog, the always irrepressible Snowy, Tintin travels around the world solving mysteries and encountering new cultures. This one begins with Tintin vacationing in the Alps when news reaches him of a plane crash. Tintin's friend Chang was en route to Europe when his plane crashed in the Himalayas. No survivors were reported, but Tintin is sure his friend is alive. He promptly decides to mount a rescue expedition, and with a reluctant Haddock in tow, they set off for the mysterious East.

Arriving in Katmandu, various hijinks ensue as they strive to hire a guide to take them into the mountains. Eventually meeting success, they set off but are soon beset by various setbacks, including strange calls in the night that may be a yeti and nervous porters. When they find the scene of the plane crash the fun really begins, as Tintin is separated from the rest of the group and finds evidence that Chang may just be alive after all. The usual shenanigans ensue, including avalanches, a stop at a secluded monastery, and a game of cat and mouse with an elusive yeti who has also taken an interest in young Chang. 

The artwork as always is crisp and clean. Herge would express a lot of the story through facial expressions, and if you watch the art carefully you will discover nuances to the story you might otherwise miss. I've heard it said that this was Herge's favorite of Tintin's adventures, and was somewhat personal for him as he had lost touch with a Chinese friend of his own whom he had collaborated with years earlier. The Tintin series comprises 23 books and they are readily available in various formats. I like the oversized softcover versions myself, the art is much more enjoyable that way because of the size. 

Tintin has a great supporting cast- besides Haddock and Snowy, there are the bumbling detectives Thomson and Thompson, who tend to finish each others sentences and cause all manner of chaos, Professor Calculus who is a bit hard of hearing, often with hilarious results, and Bianca Castafiore, an opera singer of the highest caliber and the nemesis of Haddock. These supporting players come and go depending on which installment you're reading, and there are others, but they're the core of the series. This particular book only has Haddock and Snowy, however. 

17 comments:

  1. I had this one on audio as a kid and loved it. It was scary

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  2. This sounds really interesting, and I love the cover. Hugs...RO

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  3. oh man I bet the illustrations played a big part in bringing the story and the setting to life. Great review, this sounds cute

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    1. Thanks Lily! And yes the illustrations are a HUGE part of the story!

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  4. Oh Tintin! I always loved them. Used to read and the see everyting when I was younger

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  5. I had this confused with Rin Tin Tin so I was confused how a dog was also an intrepid Belgian reporter but I'm with you now! This sounds like a lot of fun and it's one I missed in childhood! Adding to my list.

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  6. Oh sounds so good. I haven’t read any children or even teen books for years so I’m kinda behind. The last graphic book I read was more than three or four years ago. Thanks for sharing this, Greg. Awesome review. I love how diverse your reads are. 😁❤️👍🏻

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  7. There's a yeti!? Love it! Also, trekking through the Himalayas sounds kind of amazing in any book. The cover is great too, I imagine all the graphics are. And I will fully admit that like Katherine above me, I was sure that Tintin was the dog, and I also was impressed at his reporting skills, then concerned that a dog had a PET dog because that seemed wrong, until I realized that I was thinking of an entirely different entity too. I like the sound of this one MUCH better :)

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  8. Ooh, I read all the tintin books as a kid and this one was one of my absolute faves!

    ~Mogsy @ BiblioSanctum

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  9. Tintin just reminds me of the cartoons that used to be on when I was a kid, The Adventures of Tintin. I didn't learn that the cartoon was based upon a book until later. It does sound like a fun read and I always loved that he had a pet dog as well (who doesn't love a dog?). Glad you enjoyed this because it seems like it's just that right level of fun going on in it.

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  10. My son loved the Tintin books. We borrowed them from the library all the time. I don't remember if we watched the cartoon and then got into the books, or vice versa. Thanks for bringing up a great memory! 💜

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  11. I feel like I've vaguely heard of this before. Was there a movie or something? Anyway, this sounds kind of quirky! Especially the stuff about the yeti lol. I like when artwork is nuanced and detailed and really adds to the story. Sometimes when reading GNs, I get kind of caught up in the words and have to remind myself to slow down and pay attention to everything in the pictures. Glad you liked this!

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