Tintin Forums

This discussion sort of started in a different thread where it was not really on topic.

According to Sponsz, Little, Brown publishers cancelled "Tintin in the Congo". However, I have had pre-order on it since april from Amazon.com, and they still tell me to expect it between september 6 and 8. I wrote to them asking what the deal was and they said:

"Tintin in the Congo" has not yet shipped because it has not yet been released.

Please note that we are not known by the exact release date since we rely on the publisher for release date information.

I realize that you have been greatly inconvenienced by this situation. This is unacceptable and is not what we want you to expect from us.

As soon as the item has been released, we'll be able to ship it to you.

and so on. It seems to be that they are still planning to send it to me. If anyone else has pre-ordered this, I urge you to write to your seller and ask them what the deal is, and anyone who knows anything about this discrepancy please let me know. It would be a great service to all.

cigars of the beeper
It seems to be that they are still planning to send it to me.

What makes you think that? Amazon have probably not yet received official confirmation that the book isn't going to be released by LB. Amazon have said in the email to you "As soon as the item has been released, we'll be able to ship it to you." But if LB are NOT going to release Tintin in the Congo, as was stated in the letter to sponz (see this post), then I doubt very much you will receive it.

well everyone, this morning I recieved an email from amazon.com informing me that the shipping date for Tintin in the Congo had been pushed foreward to November. I approved this change, but now I have a question for all of you UK users: Amazon.com says that the UK color edition of Congo is hardcover. Is this true? If so, I don't want that edition, because I prefer paperback volumes. But If it is paperback, I am giving up the American edition as a lost cause and ordering the UK edition instead. Thanks!

cigars of the beeper
Amazon.com says that the UK color edition of Congo is hardcover. Is this true?

Yes, the UK edition is hardcover. I think a US paperback edition is looking even less likely, so you may as well wait for the final word from Amazon.com and pick up the UK edition (which doesn't look like going out of print) if you're in no hurry.

Thanks, Richard. Is the UK edition much thicker than the normal color paperback volumes? You see, I made myself a wooden case to fit all of my Tintin books, and I am wondering if I got this hardcover Congo if my case would have enough room for all of the Tintin books. Also, does this hardcover Congo have the normal glossy binding with the title printed on it, or is it a cloth binding like the hardcover facsimile editions? It may be in my best interest to buy this UK edition, but if it would not fit in my Tintin case, I don't think it would be worth it. Thanks for your help.

cigars of the beeper
Is the UK edition much thicker than the normal color paperback volumes?
It's exactly the same as a standard 62 page hard-back in the series, with the card spine, not cloth. I've never measured them but that would probably make it about twice the width of a paper back, maybe two and a half times?

well, it sounds a little large, but maybe I had best just order that version.

Unless you've built your bookshelf with absolutely no extra room to spare, I'm sure a single hardback will fit in fine among your paperbacks. Tintin hardbacks are pretty slender (apart from the facsimiles of old ones). And it's worth having at least one hardcover Tintin book in your collection because you get the lovely portrait gallery blue-and-white endpapers, which you don't get in the paperbacks.

Balthazar
Well, I built my Tintin bookcase last year when I had managed to finally get the 21 readily avaliable Tintin books. I tried to account space for Soviets and Congo, thinking that Soviets was the same dimensions as all the other books. So, I designed it to fit comfortably 23 Tintin books. I had not yet read Soviets then and I did not know that it was thicker than all the other books. I have decided that for Congo I will wait until November, when it is supposedly going to ship to me. If they push it forwards again, though, I am going to cancel the order and get the UK edition. I am thinking now that my bookcase is going to pe pretty packed: Ihave preordered the new editions of Soviets, Congo and Alph-art. I think I can stuff them all in there though. I think that all Tintin fans with the complete set should make a case like mine for their books. it keeps them safe, and it looks good too. P.S.: I have three paperback Tintin books with the portrait gallery endpaper, and no hardcovers with it.

28/12/07:
I am sure you will all be glad to know that I have finally just ordered the color UK edition. I decided to not let the fact that it is hardcover bother me. It does just look like a plain old Tintin book on the side doesn't it?