Tintin Forums

While the Castafiore Emerald was a "jewel" of humor and wit, the next two books of the series feel incomplete. In Flight 714, Tintin&co take their longest step yet from reality, dealing with extraterrestrials and mind control. In Tintin&the Picaros, Tintin undergoes what might be called a "coming-of-age", taking up yoga, exchanging the eternal plus-fours for the current fashion, and actually refusing to go on an adventure. While these changes in themselves aren't necessarily bad, they seem to affect the foundations of both stories. Flight 714 has a great deal of action, more of a thriller than any book previous. Unfortunately the characters are not emphasized, and resemble action figures more than individuals. Tintin&the Picaros is back to a more logical formula, but still feels hollow. The force of the adventure--Tintin himself--doesn't want to go! Of course he does eventually, but it's not for the sake of the adventure anymore. The idea of a wrongful deposition of a friend from his past doesn't disturb him nearly as much as it once would have. Tintin is merely participating so that the Thom(p)sons and Castafiore are safely extricated. He doesn't seem to enjoy the adventure itself anymore. In both books, a sense of weariness prevails. It replaces the usual life and charm, making the two feel like imitations. The art mainly improves (though the eyebrows can be ridiculous), but the stories are less than exquisite. What's your opinion?

The noticeable changes in Tintin in "The Castafiore Emerald," "Flight 714" and "Tintin and the Picaros" is, I think, Herge's premonition somehow that he was really leaving. Why? The way I interpret those changes, its like...

1. Herge wanted to make his life happy/enjoyable after all his struggles and fulfillments in his life.
2. After hearing the 'call of salvation,' Herge depended to 'someone above' to save his soul from death.
3. Herge needed to stay at home, for his body was old and tired for extremities, but then he changed his mind and tried to help his friends in efforts he could do.
4. In the unfinished "Tintin and the Alph-art," the final plan for the enemy to do with Tintin was to preserve him in liquid polyester. The adventure doomed afterwards with Herge's death.

It's my opinion, dear friend. Let me know from you your comments.

"Deteriorate" is quite strong word here. Surely there are some changes that some readers don't like, and UFOs especially seem to divide opinions. But then again the late books contain some of the funniest scenes in the series, and Picaros is a good picture of South American revolutions. And I think Alph-art would have been one of the classics in the series if it had been finished, it seems to have all the ingredients of a great book.

Not the strongest books in the series, but not the weakest ones either.

One of my favourites is the Picaros, I'd disagree, they're definitely different in style from the previous ones. I feel they're sometimes even richer and more satisfying. Herge was taking a big risk introducing extra terrestrials, we all know where that can go terribly wrong! ;) I'm referring of course to Asterix.

I don't know, Ivan, I kind of have the feeling that Tintin never really did sympathize with Alcazar. He just happened to become a friend because Alcazar saved him from Tapioca. If Tapioca had saved Tintin from Alcazar, then Alcazar would be seen as bad. Herge even made that statement in "Picaros" with the guards walking through the slum past the sign that at first said "Viva Tapioca" and then "Viva Alcazar". I really think that Tintin never really did politically support Alcazar, although he was his friend, and I think that if Tintin were to hear that Alcazar had died during one of the many revolutions, he would be sad.

Well I think that Tintin only used Alcazar to save Bianca and the Thom(p)sons from imprisonment and firing squad. He thought that by changing presidency is the only way to set the prisoners free. Of course, Alcazar aspired too much to return to throne, so he gave in.

I think so too, another change in Tintin, explioting Alcazar's recources and desires to help his real friends. However in his monolauge at the begining he does express sympathies for the favorite corrupt dictator.

I am rather surprised at how often "Flight 714" is described as Tintin's biggest departure from reality when Tintin had already come across the supernatural more than once in previous books. For example, in "Prisoners of the Sun" Tintin discovers that what was happening to the 7 explorers was ancient witchcraft or some sort of black magic to be more precise. There is no logical or scientific explanation for how the Inca priest could do it. And in "Cigars of the Pharaoh", that fakir uses a magic rope to climb to the Maharajah's room and shoot that arrow at him and I cannot possibly figure out how it is possible to make the rope stand up like a tree trunk just by playing music without real magic (it is a classic trick of course but in this case there was no room left for an explanation, the rope was just standing still in the air). Not to mention that the fakir is capable of hypnosis with merely his eyes. At least the scientist in "Flight 714" was equipped with a special device for this. Surely aliens and mind control through alien advanced technology cannot be that much far-fetched in comparison to that fakir's powers.

I suppose what you say is true. Alcazar was more of an acquaintance than a "friend" to Tintin. So Tintin's less than enthusiastic response to Alcazar's plight doesn't show a change in Tintin's basic ideals. That was a faulty comparison.
To clarify: I can't, really. It's terribly difficult to word. What lacks in the final completed books is what lacks in the TV series (no offense): that "spark", that life, that which makes the Tintin series unique. How to put it?
If you think about it, the truly special thing about Tintin is Tintin himself. When he changes, everything else does, too. One of the facts of Tintin is his joy of adventure: wherever, whatever, let's go! He chases it, seemingly. In the last two books he doesn't seem to enjoy adventure, but accept it. He's more reactive. Maybe that's what the difference is.
Note: Tintin in the Alph-Art is personally excepted from this opinion. Even in its rough form, it has the shape of a great story.
Another note: As to the UFOs, I don't think they're stranger than an elevated rope. It's just that fakirs and witches seem to fall in the category of floating monks: fantastic but somewhat familiar. They stem from myth, which came from truth at some point.Therefore they seem more of a possibility than mind-control and flying saucers.

I think somewhere a few months ago we talked about this. I would give a link if I could remember the name of the thread, but I can't. Maybe Jock knows?