Tintin in Tibet

This album was first published in 1960. It is my favorite Tintin. Tintin has a vivid dream in which his friend Tchang is in serious danger. They soon find out that his friend was on a plane that crashed in the Himalayas. There were no survivors reported, but Tintin is still convinced that Tchang is alive. Tintin and Captain Haddock flies to India and then they go to the Nepalese/Tibetan border. The adventure that follows is gripping and full of mystery and it has some great humor. The cold and harsh Himalayan Mountains provides nearly insurmountable challenges and both strange and dangerous things will happen. Despite the hardships Tintin forges ahead against all odds and against all advice. This story is a little bit slower and more philosophical than most other Tintin adventures, and it includes some paranormal phenomena. However, it is still exciting and gripping, and the humor is superb. I always get a good laugh out of this book no matter how many times I re-read it. The story is very much about the human spirit, hope, and the power of compassion. One thing that stayed with me forever was the lonely cry of the Yeti. This is my favorite Tintin adventure because it is more than just an adventure. It was also my favorite Tintin album when I was a kid. However, younger children may like "Blue Lotus" or the "The Crab with the Golden Claws" better. I would recommend this album for adults and mature children before any other Tintin album, with the slight reservation that it is an untypical Tintin album and that you may also want to read a couple of the other albums. I should say that I loved the Tintin books as a kid and I still like them, and so does my American kids (I am Swedish). In fact my American X-Box and Wii playing kids read them all the time and like them even more than I did. Finally I would like to list all the Tintin albums in order from my favorite to the one I liked the least. I will make this list into a list mania list next but put it here for easy access. Skip this list if you don't want to read it (I know it is very long). (1) Tintin in Tibet (5 stars). It was published 1960. It is my favorite Tintin. Tintin's friend Tchang (from Blue Lotus) is lost in a plane crash in Tibet. Everyone thinks he is dead, but not Tintin, who sets out to find him against all odds. It contains adventure, humor, and mystery; however, it is also about the human spirit, and compassion. Therefore it is also a very inspiring and thought provoking adventure. (2) Blue Lotus (5 stars). This is Herge's first master piece; it is one of my favorites. This Tintin adventure from 1934 takes place in 1931 but is still the second best Tintin (after Tintin in Tibet) as far as I am concerned. Tintin is fighting Opium gangs in China when Japan invades. This adventure is dark, scary, exciting and fun. It is also a history lesson to a certain extent. (3) Flight 714 (5 stars). This book was published in 1968. Tintin and his friends are invited to fly in the

Tintin and Snowy were created in 1929 by Georges Remi (a.k.a. Hergé). In 1934 Hergé met a young Chinese student, Chang Chong-Chen, at which point Tintin's creator became convinced of the importance of having a soundly built storyline and getting the facts straight. In short, Hergé started taking his soundtrack very seriously. After the Communists took over China, Hergé and Chang lost touch. In 1960 the English version of "Tintin in Tibet" was published and it was immediately clear that this was a very personal story for Hergé, who was writing about his friendship with a friend he had not seen in decades. Tintin has a dream about Chang, the boy he made friends with in China back in the adventure of "The Blue Lotus." In the dream Tintin sees Chang lying in the snow, half buried, holding out his hands and calling to Tintin to help him. When Tintin gets a letter from Chang he is surprised at the remarkable coincidence, but then he reads in the newspaper that Chang's plane has crashed in Tibet. Tintin, convinced his friend is not dead, goes off to the land of the ice and snow to save his friend. There are none of the traditional villains in this rather special Tintin story in which our hero is aided only by Snowy and Captain Haddock (with a brief appearance by Calculus). This is arguably the most poignant Tintin adventure, focusing on the power of loyalty and hope overcoming all obstacles and Hergé places a lot of obstacles in Tintin's way. I think what I like most about this story is about how Hergé keeps what are essentially a series of cliffhangers going and going but in a realistic manner, while still working in the series trademark humor with Snowy and the Captain. "Tintin in Tibet" is an atypical Tintin adventure, but that just makes it all the more special (By the way, in 1981 Hergé and Chang Chong-Chen were happily reunited). "Tintin in Tibet" was recently in the news when it was announced that the Chinese translation had the story as "Dingding in Chinese Tibet." Given that Fanny Rodwell, Hergé's widwow, is reported to be a personal friend of the Dalai Lama it is not surprising that she decided not to attend the promotional ceremonies in China for the launching of the Chinese language version of Tintin (the Chinese are not publishing "Tintin in the Land of the Soviets" (anti-communist) and "Tintin in the Congo" (too racist and imperialist).

I am a huge fan of Tintin and grew up reading Tintin comics - as an adult - I enjoy them as much - Tintin in Tibet is one of my personal favorites for it's wonderful description of Nepal (where I visited in 1991) - it is a very touching story that reinforces the power of friendship and as in many other Tintin adventures, does try to dispel many prejudices and misconceptions about alien cultures.If you like Tintin comics, "Tintin - the complete companion book" is an absolute must - it has helped me gain a much greater appreciation of an already favorite book.

This book is a MUST for Tintin fans. It has most of the comical element that a comic book would need. It's funny where Captain Haddock complains about the tent strings. It rates over the Tintin In Tibet audio tape, because the tape leaves out the tent string part. It's also exciting.

I have been a huge Tintin fan ever since I received my first Tintin book ('Red Rackham's Treasure') in 1974, while on a trip to Kashmir. I have read all of Tintin's adventures as a child, but I have never truly appreciated Herge's artistic style. Now as an adult, I am amazed by the sheer detail and complex characterization of all the Tintin books. Tintin books are truly classic graphic novels which are as interesting to read in 2000 as they were in 1974! I am 32, and I still pick up the ocassional Tintin graphic novel to read whenever the mood strikes me. As an adult, 'Tintin in Tibet' is my favorite book of the entire Tintin series. I am also really glad that the adventures of Tintin are now shown on cable television. If you only had to buy one Tintin book in the entire series (I hope you buy them all), then 'Tintin in Tibet' is the one to have. This book combines great art with amazing characters set in a truly exotic country -- Tibet!