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Pierre Assouline: "Hergé: The Man Who Created Tintin"

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comixfanboy
Member
#1 · Posted: 4 Apr 2009 06:19
Folks, I saw this new book about Hergé on Amazon, Hergé: The Man Who Created Tintin. It's in hardcover, and by Pierre Assouline, and sells for £16.99.

It's already out in French, and the author I believe is a famous comic critic...
Has anyone heard of this? Any news would be greatly appreciated!

Best regards
comixfanboy
luinivierge2010
Member
#2 · Posted: 12 Apr 2009 19:10
The author, Pierre Assouline, is a journalist, novelist and biographer.

This will be an English translation of the French language biography Hergé, first published by Plon in 1996, and reissued by Gallimard in 1998 - with a few changes - as a livre de poche.

It is unclear at this stage whether any further alterations or corrections will be introduced into the English edition.
jock123
Moderator
#3 · Posted: 18 Aug 2009 14:23
A positive piece by someone called Mark Savas on the Assouline book, in his blog, The Elegant Variation; scroll down to find it.

It would be nice to think that the publication of this biography will encourage further English-language books about Hergé, as the blogger suggests.
comixfanboy
Member
#4 · Posted: 18 Aug 2009 23:35
Thanks Jock123!

I have pre-ordered this and The Art of Hergé, Volume 2. Can't wait for it to get released! The cover image isn't Amazon yet...

Looking forward to it!
Tintinrulz
Member
#5 · Posted: 19 Aug 2009 06:53
Is this the Tintin et Moi interview book?
jock123
Moderator
#6 · Posted: 19 Aug 2009 11:47
Tintinrulz:
Is this the Tintin et Moi interview book?
No, that's by Numa Sadoul; this is a general biography of Hergé, and I believe it was written after he had died.
Tintinrulz
Member
#7 · Posted: 19 Aug 2009 13:43
Ooops, okay, thanks. It still looks very interesting.
As for Numa Sadoul's book, do you know if there are any plans for an English version? I would find it invaluable. Thanks
mhoefler
Member
#8 · Posted: 24 Oct 2009 16:12
Got my copy of the Assouline book this week.

Some descriptions of Tintins adventures are a bit strange to say the least:
p. 56 "...Tapioca is overthrown by General Alcazar, who also decides to have him shot. Tintin shares a bottle of aguardiente with the colonel heading the firing squad, who in his inebriation promotes Tintin to colonel..."
p. 59 "...The terrifiying monster is a gorilla the villains trained to kill but who turns out to be Ranko, Tintin's friend, who now finds a comfortble home in a zoo..." - Tintin's friend? Huh?
p. 77f The Crab with the Golden Claws is constantly confused with The Land of Black Gold: "Hergé wanted a new title for the book based on the serial The Land of Black Gold. At first he thougt of calling it The Red Crab..."

I wonder if it results from bad translation? Even worse: the author himself wrote this?
Maybe readers of the original French version can shed some light?
But what does this say about the credibility of the (translated) book as a whole? Even if it is not the author's fault. Everything that is said might be incorrect because of bad translation.

Some explanation my be the words on the 1st page: "The first English-language edition retains the core but not the totality of the original French edition."

Don't get me wrong. The book is an interesting read but what shall I think about its content...?
Any thoughts?
Tintinrulz
Member
#9 · Posted: 25 Oct 2009 06:56
Is that really how the book reads? The English translation is awful! I'm not sure I can stomach something that badly written, even if it is about Hergé and Tintin.
luinivierge2010
Member
#10 · Posted: 25 Oct 2009 11:32
The French edition is generally free of mistakes (there are, however, a few factual details which needed updating - it will be interesting to see if the English edition takes account of these).

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