This is the Hundred-and-thirty-seventh in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.
In this last of the published adventures of Tintin Herge is a little derivative, reminiscent of his earliest work and lacking the spark of the previous dozen or more excellent books. A nice read but not much more. For the observant, Tintin has finally modernised his trousers!
This is the Hundred-and-thirty-sixth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.
In this book we have some memorable moments; touching down down under, return of very familiar villains (who get their dues), a little UFOlogy and stunning images. Another master work by Herge.
This is the Hundred-and-thirty-fifth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.
Another adventure without a villain. However amusing and entertaining. A worthy addition to the canon.
This is the Hundred-and-thirty-fourth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.
This is my favourite Tintin adventure. Unusually it doesn't feature a conspiracy or blaggards but does have some familiar faces including a character from a much earlier adventure. I'm not entirely sure why this story works so well, perhaps the costume and scenery, perhaps the relentless faithfulness of Tintin, but whatever I suspect I am not alone in finding it deeply satisfying. I also have to repress the odd shout of 'Chang'.
This is the Hundred-and-thirty-third in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.
We return to old villains and old friends, but there is an engaging familiarity in their presence and once again I found myself caught up in the tension of the story (and the comedy) as I skimmed the book! Herge was really comfortable at sea and it shows.
This is the Hundred-and-thirty-second in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.
We return to earth and to familiar territory, chasing the in-demand Professor Calculus in cars and planes, revisiting old friends and old enemies. There are lots of great visual gags in this delightful book (sticking plaster).
This is the Hundred-and-thirty-first in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.
The exploration of the moon has been a dream for mankind for an age, and was still a dream when Herge wrote this book. This adventure is one of exploration of the unknown which cannot be disentangled from the more mundane treachery of humanity and in this case redemptive sacrifice. Great read.
This is the Hundred-and-thirtieth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.
This is a pearler of a story, all the more impressive for being written nearly two decades before the first actual trip to the moon. Herge has shown a fine eye for people and places but he also shows his real interest in the detail of science. This was an inspirational book for me and the frisson from the first time I read it, when I realised that I needed to find the next book At ONCE, has stayed with me. I particularly like the way Professor Calculus dominates this story in a manner not seen in earlier books.
This is the Hundred-and-twenty-ninth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.
As a child I never owned a Tintin book. They were a treasure borrowed from the local public library. However their collection of otherwise excellent hardcover editions didn't contain Land of Black Gold. It was mentioned in other books in footnotes, as something that happened was related to an incident from the aforementioned book. I spent many years keeping an eye out for this book. I'm sure you have had a similar experience. It was many many years later that I first read it and it's elusiveness will always give it a certain mystique in my mind.
