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Today's search for ridiculously cheap secondhand Tintin books has not been successful; however, I did find a hilariously scathing review of Tintin au Tibet on amazon.ca
I can't figure out how to link to an amazon review, so I am reproducing it in full below the cut...
( Perfect for crazed cruel French teachers )
The reason I find this review so funny is because I remember having all the same complaints when I was in school and had to read Tintin au Tibet for French class. I didn't have the same dislike for the characters, obviously, but I remember feeling complete disdain for the plot, specifically the way it hinges on a dream and on Tintin behaving completely irrationally.
(NB: I still hate it when people insist on boring me to tears with lengthy descriptions of their dreams and then want my opinion about what it means.)
I've had a bit of a turn around since then. These days Tintin au Tibet is just about my favourite out of all the books...because Tintin's behaviour is so completely irrational! Well, more accurately, because I am in love with how Haddock deals with it.
I mean, there they are having a cozy holiday together when they get the bad news. Tintin in tears must have been disconcerting enough, but when he starts insisting that Tchang isn't dead...Haddock must have thought Tintin had become unhinged with grief. Then Tintin is bent on going on a crazy search, so Haddock does what any sensible person would do and says no way - obviously an empty threat issued in the hope that it might make Tintin come to his senses.
Tintin, of course, won't be swayed and Haddock gives in. I think this makes a really interesting contrast with Picaros, when it is Haddock who wants to go on a foolish trip and Tintin is the one refusing - Haddock was clearly surprised and a bit upset by Tintin's refusal to come to South America, whereas Tintin shrugs off Haddock's refusal like it is irrelevant. Basically, Haddock acts like half of a couple, while Tintin acts like a free agent. Given that Tintin lives with Haddock and spends all his time with Haddock, I sorta feel like somebody should sit Tintin down and explain how relationships work to him.
Anyway, when Haddock gives in the first time, that's about what you would expect. The part that really slays me is when Haddock starts digging in his heels the second time, at the monastery. At that point it isn't "Oh, Tintin's acting crazy, try to dissuade him but if that doesn't work, no harm in going with him and keeping an eye on him" it's become "We are going to DIE in these mountains." And Haddock, understandably, doesn't want to die because Tintin had a dream about some kid Haddock's never met. So what changed his mind? I can only imagine that once Tintin left on his own, Haddock started to imagine what it would be like to return to Marlinspike alone and then spend every day of the rest of his life wondering how much further Tintin had got before the inevitable happened. It didn't really take him that long to decide that he'd rather die with Tintin than live with that.
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
The only thing I don't understand is how anyone can finish reading it and still not see that Haddock is completely in love with Tintin.
I can't figure out how to link to an amazon review, so I am reproducing it in full below the cut...
( Perfect for crazed cruel French teachers )
The reason I find this review so funny is because I remember having all the same complaints when I was in school and had to read Tintin au Tibet for French class. I didn't have the same dislike for the characters, obviously, but I remember feeling complete disdain for the plot, specifically the way it hinges on a dream and on Tintin behaving completely irrationally.
(NB: I still hate it when people insist on boring me to tears with lengthy descriptions of their dreams and then want my opinion about what it means.)
I've had a bit of a turn around since then. These days Tintin au Tibet is just about my favourite out of all the books...because Tintin's behaviour is so completely irrational! Well, more accurately, because I am in love with how Haddock deals with it.
I mean, there they are having a cozy holiday together when they get the bad news. Tintin in tears must have been disconcerting enough, but when he starts insisting that Tchang isn't dead...Haddock must have thought Tintin had become unhinged with grief. Then Tintin is bent on going on a crazy search, so Haddock does what any sensible person would do and says no way - obviously an empty threat issued in the hope that it might make Tintin come to his senses.
Tintin, of course, won't be swayed and Haddock gives in. I think this makes a really interesting contrast with Picaros, when it is Haddock who wants to go on a foolish trip and Tintin is the one refusing - Haddock was clearly surprised and a bit upset by Tintin's refusal to come to South America, whereas Tintin shrugs off Haddock's refusal like it is irrelevant. Basically, Haddock acts like half of a couple, while Tintin acts like a free agent. Given that Tintin lives with Haddock and spends all his time with Haddock, I sorta feel like somebody should sit Tintin down and explain how relationships work to him.
Anyway, when Haddock gives in the first time, that's about what you would expect. The part that really slays me is when Haddock starts digging in his heels the second time, at the monastery. At that point it isn't "Oh, Tintin's acting crazy, try to dissuade him but if that doesn't work, no harm in going with him and keeping an eye on him" it's become "We are going to DIE in these mountains." And Haddock, understandably, doesn't want to die because Tintin had a dream about some kid Haddock's never met. So what changed his mind? I can only imagine that once Tintin left on his own, Haddock started to imagine what it would be like to return to Marlinspike alone and then spend every day of the rest of his life wondering how much further Tintin had got before the inevitable happened. It didn't really take him that long to decide that he'd rather die with Tintin than live with that.
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
The only thing I don't understand is how anyone can finish reading it and still not see that Haddock is completely in love with Tintin.
