The familiar yet not familiar

I visited a fabulous bookshop in Helsinki, the Akateeminen Kirjakauppa (Academic Bookshop). One of the things I noticed was that there were many books in English but also other languages and that they were not all that separated, especially in the fiction areas. They mingled quite happily on the shelf and I guess reflect the multi-lingual population of Finland.

I looked for one of my favourites series, Tintin, to see if they were there and found them, in all languages, including English.

And another favourite of the kids.

The excellent bookshop also had a cafe, yes it was a Starbucks, but it had lovely, well designed but functional furniture. The shapely table below was concrete thus very stable and heat resistant. The chair was easy to clean and move but styled and very comfortable. It seemed to me that the Finns seemed to pay attention to design! FTW.

Tintin and the Picaros - Herge

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!

Flight 714 - Herge

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.

The Castafiore Emerald - 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.

Tintin in Tibet - Herge

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'.

The Red Sea Sharks - Herge

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.

The Calculus Affair - Herge

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).

Explorers on the Moon - Herge

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.

Destination Moon - Herge

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.

Land of Black Gold - Herge

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.

Prisoners of the Sun - Herge

This is the Hundred-and-twenty-eighth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

The Seven Crystal Balls ended with Captain Haddock and Tintin flying to Peru in search of the unfortunate Professor Calculus. I particularly loved this book as a child, perhaps because of the stunning Peruvian drawings and the sense of being drawn into an ancient culture but also the classic solar eclipse theme, all handled beautifully.

The Seven Crystal Balls - Herge

This is the Hundred-and-twenty-seventh in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

Herge draws on a popular theme, misfortune to the grave robbers, combines it with a South American theme and the usual cast of characters including the newly gentrified Captain Haddock (remember the monocle?). A simple story that leads us, and Tintin, across the world.

Red Rackham's Treasure - Herge

This is the Hundred-and-twenty-sixth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

This story picks up where The Secret of the Unicorn finishes and the hunt for lost treasure is (literally) full steam ahead. As well as the detectives and Sir Francis Haddock's descendant Tintin is joined by the persistent and irrepressible Cuthbert Calculus, whose mad (or slightly eccentric) scientist provides humour but also the critical tools that enable Tintin to succeed. The surprising and upbeat conclusion rounds out the story but also provides the underpinning of the remainder of the Tintin catalogue.

The Secret of the Unicorn - Herge

This is the Hundred-and-twenty-fifth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

For me the Tintin adventure really gets going with this book and its companion, Red Rackham's Treasure. The Haddock character gets a depth beyond expectation and beyond what had been glimpsed in the two previous books in which he featured. His engaging and colourful back story provides the grist for a mysterious mystery that Tintin pursues with typical tenacity, aided in the usual manner by the bumbling detectives. I'm not surprised that Spielberg chose this story line for his (in my opinion) successful translation of Tintin to the big screen. It is a ripper.

Cigars of the Pharaoh - Herge

This is the Hundred-and-twenty-fourth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

There are misunderstanding with the detectives from Scotland Yard, clues and red herrings and a trail of drug running, a mysterious eastern Fakir and a Prince. All ingredients for another adventure.

Tintin in America - Herge

This is the Hundred-and-twenty-third in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

Without doubt my least favourite book in the canon. The caricatures are too over-played and the plot is repetitive and lacks engagement. However it does have the elements that define Tintin, just not so well constructed.

The Blue Lotus - Herge

This is the Hundred-and-twenty-second in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

Early Tintin, not as well rounded as later book and with a tendency for the plot to be a little thin.However we are introduced to Chang, a young friend who plays a pivotal role in a much loved book later in the sequence.

The Shooting Star - Herge

This is the Hundred-and-twenty-first in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

This has always been one of my favourite books. Tintin reunites with Captain Haddock, whose character is still developing, and Herge for the first time dabbles in science fiction. There is a lunatic predicting the end of the world and a giant spider! And very large toadstools. Excellent.

The Crab with the Golden Claws - Herge

This is the Hundred-and-twentieth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

We see some familiar themes in this book, the scourge of opiates and the lure of alcohol. Tintin finds and 'saves' Captain Haddock who is to become the foil for Tintin's faultless character, a companion who's vices threaten to sink him but whose courage and faithfulness comes through in the end. There are also some great dream sequences in this book, another defining feature of Herge's work.

King Ottokar's Sceptre - Herge

This is the Hundred-and-nineteenth in my one-book-at-a-time bookshelf.

I realised as I reflected on this adventure that Tintin is the accidental detective. He is a deliberate tourist and calculated taker of risks but he is a detective driven by other's needs and his own insatiable curiosity. His drive and success is underscored by the comic antics of the real detectives Thomson and Thompson.

The colouful, iconic cultural wallpaper of the 'mythical' Syldavia is one of the trademarks of Herge and it wasn't until I was an adult and had travelled a little that I realised Herge didn't stray far from what he saw in his own travels. 

This is one of my early favourites and is Herge at his best.