Tintin Forums

Reading Land of Black Gold I wish that Haddock had never entered the story. When the story was started, The Crab with the Golden Claws hadn't been written and Haddock 'not invented'. The story was released in sections, but when war came it stopped.

When, long after, Hergé wanted to re-work the story, he roughly included Haddock. I am by no way saying that Haddock should never have come along, as some posts talk about, but I think that it would have been good if he wasn't in this story.

Him coming in is too rough, and why does Haddock have to go with Tintin on all his adventures! Couldn't Tintin have some adventure time alone with Snowy?
Any views?

It wouldn't have been better, Haddock's appearance at the end is a great moment and he plays well off of Abdhulla - it would have been nice if there was a reason for him to be there but Herge is quite cheeky about making a virtue of this narrative problem and I respect that.

Nah, Haddock was a great addition. Especially the chemistry between Abdullah and him (no, not the romantic kind silly).

haddock is the major comedian my friends........and yes tintin had enough of adventures with snowy in books from soviets to ottokar's sceptre

I agree. Captain Haddock's appearance really does wonders to the story at the end. It's an interesting adventure in some ways because we see the two dimensions of Tintin merging in a way (Tintin with and Tintin without Haddock).

Also the way he keeps trying to explain how he got there and how something or the other interrupts his narrative is really funny.

I didn't find that Haddock detracted from the story at all. We know from the previous frames before his entrance that we're "on the brink of war..." "Forces on standby..." etc. He is still a ships captain and quite a competent one at that, therefore it is quite natural for him to be called up in times of crisis. (I had a friend who retired from the air force, he was still on "standby" for up to four years after his retirement)

It was at this point that I thought Haddocks phonecall really added to the graveness of the situation. "I'm sorry Tintin, I'm off..." ensured I remained thinking of him throughout the book.

I agree with Stuarts sentiments that his appearance at the end is a great moment and the Haddock/Abdullah comic partnership is established.