Can the PC Brigade lighten up it's Tintin, 25 Sep 2008
I am not quite sure why people are up in arms about this book. It is no different to the old Tom and Jerry cartoons with the servant who kicks old Tom out all the time.

Yes it wouldn't be written today but, this is how things where perceived at the time it was written.

I have been a life long Tintin fan and was surprised on a holiday to France when I noticed 2 books that I had never seen before I was about 13. The other being Tin Tin in Moscow. My French is poor so I never bought (or got my parents to anyway) copies.

Years later I bought both while in Belgium in English Print.

The Story is typical Tintin but, in my opinion is the weakest after his Moscow adventure. Herge was still creating the character and finally hit gold with the next in the series Tintin in America. Funny how people don't think this is racist with the Native Indians?

The book deserves 3 stars and can the PC Brigade please lighten up its Tintin for heavens sake.


Thouroughly racist and problematic , 05 Jul 2008
Reading these reviews of Tintin au Congo reminds me of the words of social analyst Jason Edward Black, "the scariest of racial stereotypes and prejudices arise when the public cannot recognize such ills." Frankly I'm concerned by some of the responses: "there is nothing here that I would personally regard as outrageous" and "It preaches the true story of colonialism and Africa. However there is absolutely nothing racist about it..."
As a child I read both Tintin and Asterix comic books, adored them and was delighted to study them in a course on la bande dessinée at uni. This is when I read Tintin au Congo which provoked pretty strong feelings of repulsion.
This is emphatically not an ideal read for young Tintin fans. It is however a thought provoking text that allows older and more aware readers to tackle issues such as cultural and political imperialism, `Orientalism', the depiction of the cultural other etc.
When my 8 year old nephew kick off his shoes jumps on his bed and settles down to another few pages of Tintin I do not want him to read this, nor do I want his best friend who is black to pick up this book and be confronted with highly racist depictions of Africans who are stereotyped as ugly, lazy, childish, inferior and stupid.


Enjoyable, 23 Jan 2008
Enjoyable, but lacking the psychological complexity, and narrative sophisitcation of later works.

It is worth getting, moreover, just to spite the prigs who would have it banned.

Nothing to see here, 02 Dec 2007
Not really as racist as every made out. I only read it for the controversy and was sadly disappointed. It shows an old fashioned view that the "white men" had of the "Africans". Interesting from a historical perspective, though hardly a lesson a racial superiority. As for the comic itself, well Tintin was hardly the most exciting of characters and his racism whilst perhaps adding to the entertainment still makes me wonder what sort of deprived minds enjoyed this in their youth.

Great Reading material for your children...., 22 Nov 2007
If like me you're desperate to get your children to read more then The adventures of Tin-Tin are a good way to do this. My son's 11 and is a big fan. There's a huge base of these great books and I would thoroughly recommend them. They are totally innocuous, so there's no worries about inappropriate language or situations, not that I'm being unrealistic as 5 mins on an xbox360 seems to give children more exposure to societies less pleasant side than anyone really needs, but strangely enough children seem to enjoy a simplistic fantasy story of one boy and his dog.

Can the PC Brigade lighten up it's Tintin, 25 Sep 2008
I am not quite sure why people are up in arms about this book. It is no different to the old Tom and Jerry cartoons with the servant who kicks old Tom out all the time.

Yes it wouldn't be written today but, this is how things where perceived at the time it was written.

I have been a life long Tintin fan and was surprised on a holiday to France when I noticed 2 books that I had never seen before I was about 13. The other being Tin Tin in Moscow. My French is poor so I never bought (or got my parents to anyway) copies.

Years later I bought both while in Belgium in English Print.

The Story is typical Tintin but, in my opinion is the weakest after his Moscow adventure. Herge was still creating the character and finally hit gold with the next in the series Tintin in America. Funny how people don't think this is racist with the Native Indians?

The book deserves 3 stars and can the PC Brigade please lighten up its Tintin for heavens sake.


Thouroughly racist and problematic , 05 Jul 2008
Reading these reviews of Tintin au Congo reminds me of the words of social analyst Jason Edward Black, "the scariest of racial stereotypes and prejudices arise when the public cannot recognize such ills." Frankly I'm concerned by some of the responses: "there is nothing here that I would personally regard as outrageous" and "It preaches the true story of colonialism and Africa. However there is absolutely nothing racist about it..."
As a child I read both Tintin and Asterix comic books, adored them and was delighted to study them in a course on la bande dessinée at uni. This is when I read Tintin au Congo which provoked pretty strong feelings of repulsion.
This is emphatically not an ideal read for young Tintin fans. It is however a thought provoking text that allows older and more aware readers to tackle issues such as cultural and political imperialism, `Orientalism', the depiction of the cultural other etc.
When my 8 year old nephew kick off his shoes jumps on his bed and settles down to another few pages of Tintin I do not want him to read this, nor do I want his best friend who is black to pick up this book and be confronted with highly racist depictions of Africans who are stereotyped as ugly, lazy, childish, inferior and stupid.


Enjoyable, 23 Jan 2008
Enjoyable, but lacking the psychological complexity, and narrative sophisitcation of later works.

It is worth getting, moreover, just to spite the prigs who would have it banned.

Nothing to see here, 02 Dec 2007
Not really as racist as every made out. I only read it for the controversy and was sadly disappointed. It shows an old fashioned view that the "white men" had of the "Africans". Interesting from a historical perspective, though hardly a lesson a racial superiority. As for the comic itself, well Tintin was hardly the most exciting of characters and his racism whilst perhaps adding to the entertainment still makes me wonder what sort of deprived minds enjoyed this in their youth.

Great Reading material for your children...., 22 Nov 2007
If like me you're desperate to get your children to read more then The adventures of Tin-Tin are a good way to do this. My son's 11 and is a big fan. There's a huge base of these great books and I would thoroughly recommend them. They are totally innocuous, so there's no worries about inappropriate language or situations, not that I'm being unrealistic as 5 mins on an xbox360 seems to give children more exposure to societies less pleasant side than anyone really needs, but strangely enough children seem to enjoy a simplistic fantasy story of one boy and his dog.

not great for children as text too small, 14 Nov 2008
The book is beautifully produced but the text is too small for children to read on their own, more suitable for adults, or older teenagers.

Three of the best, 19 Sep 2001
I love all 3 of these adventures, and always have. The Secret of the Unicorn is one of the very best of all the Tintin books. It does seem a little strange to include it in this volume without its sequel, Red Rackham's treasure (I suspect this is to encourage you to buy Volume 4!) All 3 adventures are classic Tintin, with suberb illustrations, exotic locations and exciting storylines. The colouful Captain Haddock is a very welcome addition to the cast. This collection is a real joy.

Timeless Classics, 27 Aug 1999
I adored Tintin as a child and recently rediscovered the books in a new light. They never lose their appeal. If you enjoy Tintin you should check out 'The Greatest Adventures of Spike and Suzy'.

Excellent in both French and English!, 02 Jul 1999
I read these books when I was a child, and loved them so much I cannot describe it here. They are not for everyone - some children find them confusing and don't get it completely, but the ones that do get it have tremendous affection for the books.

I still have a lot of love for the books as an adult, and now that my daughter is hooked on the adventures of Tinton and Milou (Tintin and Snowy), I often find myself engrossed in the copies we now have for her.

Also - The original French editions are great for teaching a child French, as long as you have the English version nearby to compare.

Excellent choice. . .

BEST Comic characters, 10 Jun 1999
Reading any Tintin book is a joyous experience. It feels as if you are actually watching a movie, such is the power of the pictures with appropriate short and long shots, immaculate detail. Tintin books are not only humorous, but have wit, intelligence and superb buildup of the plot. Time flies before you are already on page 62 !

Can the PC Brigade lighten up it's Tintin, 25 Sep 2008
I am not quite sure why people are up in arms about this book. It is no different to the old Tom and Jerry cartoons with the servant who kicks old Tom out all the time.

Yes it wouldn't be written today but, this is how things where perceived at the time it was written.

I have been a life long Tintin fan and was surprised on a holiday to France when I noticed 2 books that I had never seen before I was about 13. The other being Tin Tin in Moscow. My French is poor so I never bought (or got my parents to anyway) copies.

Years later I bought both while in Belgium in English Print.

The Story is typical Tintin but, in my opinion is the weakest after his Moscow adventure. Herge was still creating the character and finally hit gold with the next in the series Tintin in America. Funny how people don't think this is racist with the Native Indians?

The book deserves 3 stars and can the PC Brigade please lighten up its Tintin for heavens sake.


Thouroughly racist and problematic , 05 Jul 2008
Reading these reviews of Tintin au Congo reminds me of the words of social analyst Jason Edward Black, "the scariest of racial stereotypes and prejudices arise when the public cannot recognize such ills." Frankly I'm concerned by some of the responses: "there is nothing here that I would personally regard as outrageous" and "It preaches the true story of colonialism and Africa. However there is absolutely nothing racist about it..."
As a child I read both Tintin and Asterix comic books, adored them and was delighted to study them in a course on la bande dessinée at uni. This is when I read Tintin au Congo which provoked pretty strong feelings of repulsion.
This is emphatically not an ideal read for young Tintin fans. It is however a thought provoking text that allows older and more aware readers to tackle issues such as cultural and political imperialism, `Orientalism', the depiction of the cultural other etc.
When my 8 year old nephew kick off his shoes jumps on his bed and settles down to another few pages of Tintin I do not want him to read this, nor do I want his best friend who is black to pick up this book and be confronted with highly racist depictions of Africans who are stereotyped as ugly, lazy, childish, inferior and stupid.


Enjoyable, 23 Jan 2008
Enjoyable, but lacking the psychological complexity, and narrative sophisitcation of later works.

It is worth getting, moreover, just to spite the prigs who would have it banned.

Nothing to see here, 02 Dec 2007
Not really as racist as every made out. I only read it for the controversy and was sadly disappointed. It shows an old fashioned view that the "white men" had of the "Africans". Interesting from a historical perspective, though hardly a lesson a racial superiority. As for the comic itself, well Tintin was hardly the most exciting of characters and his racism whilst perhaps adding to the entertainment still makes me wonder what sort of deprived minds enjoyed this in their youth.

Great Reading material for your children...., 22 Nov 2007
If like me you're desperate to get your children to read more then The adventures of Tin-Tin are a good way to do this. My son's 11 and is a big fan. There's a huge base of these great books and I would thoroughly recommend them. They are totally innocuous, so there's no worries about inappropriate language or situations, not that I'm being unrealistic as 5 mins on an xbox360 seems to give children more exposure to societies less pleasant side than anyone really needs, but strangely enough children seem to enjoy a simplistic fantasy story of one boy and his dog.

not great for children as text too small, 14 Nov 2008
The book is beautifully produced but the text is too small for children to read on their own, more suitable for adults, or older teenagers.

Three of the best, 19 Sep 2001
I love all 3 of these adventures, and always have. The Secret of the Unicorn is one of the very best of all the Tintin books. It does seem a little strange to include it in this volume without its sequel, Red Rackham's treasure (I suspect this is to encourage you to buy Volume 4!) All 3 adventures are classic Tintin, with suberb illustrations, exotic locations and exciting storylines. The colouful Captain Haddock is a very welcome addition to the cast. This collection is a real joy.

Timeless Classics, 27 Aug 1999
I adored Tintin as a child and recently rediscovered the books in a new light. They never lose their appeal. If you enjoy Tintin you should check out 'The Greatest Adventures of Spike and Suzy'.

Excellent in both French and English!, 02 Jul 1999
I read these books when I was a child, and loved them so much I cannot describe it here. They are not for everyone - some children find them confusing and don't get it completely, but the ones that do get it have tremendous affection for the books.

I still have a lot of love for the books as an adult, and now that my daughter is hooked on the adventures of Tinton and Milou (Tintin and Snowy), I often find myself engrossed in the copies we now have for her.

Also - The original French editions are great for teaching a child French, as long as you have the English version nearby to compare.

Excellent choice. . .

BEST Comic characters, 10 Jun 1999
Reading any Tintin book is a joyous experience. It feels as if you are actually watching a movie, such is the power of the pictures with appropriate short and long shots, immaculate detail. Tintin books are not only humorous, but have wit, intelligence and superb buildup of the plot. Time flies before you are already on page 62 !

Tintin volume 7 by Denny Bishop age 13, 07 Nov 2008
a good triligy, plenty of humor, the mystery content is ok, but volume 5 is better. there is plenty of action, and tintin's sidekick, captain haddock is a guarantee for mayhem and madness, always bringing plenty of laughs. a good read from beginning to end.

Not like the later Tintin books...or have I grown up too much?, 07 Jul 2008
I loved Tintin when I was younger, something like a quarter century ago. To try to disprove the second part of my title, I reread some of my favourites, such as "The Black Island", "Land Of Black Gold" et al. and found I still thought they were great!

I think the review which criticises the dimensions of the book is a bit churlish; that isn`t my area of complaint at all. I quite like the hardback format. Firstly, "...Soviets" is black and white and drawn rather too amateurishly for my liking. It`s tempting, as a reasonably talented artist, to redo the thing as it should be, in colour, and with Tintin not carrying about five stone of fat around his midriff! The story lacks the subtlety and humour that I expected too. Which leads me on to "...Congo". Definitely not easy reading through 2008 eyes, and whilst that isn`t Herge`s fault, the story isn`t great. You need to read it though - it`s a prequel to "Tintin in America", a story that whilst may not be one of the greatest, is still pretty good.

So, on balance, this is a purchase that you probably should make if you are in anything like my situation (that of being grown up but a big fan of Tintin in your youth), but if you are looking at this for your children, there are better ways of introducing one of the great graphic stories.

Pocket book, 12 Jun 2007
I have been a Tintin fan almost all my life. I have read all the Tintin adventures in my native language (finnish) and wanted to try finally the english translations. I liked it more, in finnish translations, that Snowy is Milou. Why they didn't use Milou when it's the original name? I also didn't like how small the book was (should read more carefully the "Product details" heh). The book could fit in a pocket and therefore would be a good on travel. So, translations(Snowy)and dimensions(too small): -2 stars

Can the PC Brigade lighten up it's Tintin, 25 Sep 2008
I am not quite sure why people are up in arms about this book. It is no different to the old Tom and Jerry cartoons with the servant who kicks old Tom out all the time.

Yes it wouldn't be written today but, this is how things where perceived at the time it was written.

I have been a life long Tintin fan and was surprised on a holiday to France when I noticed 2 books that I had never seen before I was about 13. The other being Tin Tin in Moscow. My French is poor so I never bought (or got my parents to anyway) copies.

Years later I bought both while in Belgium in English Print.

The Story is typical Tintin but, in my opinion is the weakest after his Moscow adventure. Herge was still creating the character and finally hit gold with the next in the series Tintin in America. Funny how people don't think this is racist with the Native Indians?

The book deserves 3 stars and can the PC Brigade please lighten up its Tintin for heavens sake.


Thouroughly racist and problematic , 05 Jul 2008
Reading these reviews of Tintin au Congo reminds me of the words of social analyst Jason Edward Black, "the scariest of racial stereotypes and prejudices arise when the public cannot recognize such ills." Frankly I'm concerned by some of the responses: "there is nothing here that I would personally regard as outrageous" and "It preaches the true story of colonialism and Africa. However there is absolutely nothing racist about it..."
As a child I read both Tintin and Asterix comic books, adored them and was delighted to study them in a course on la bande dessinée at uni. This is when I read Tintin au Congo which provoked pretty strong feelings of repulsion.
This is emphatically not an ideal read for young Tintin fans. It is however a thought provoking text that allows older and more aware readers to tackle issues such as cultural and political imperialism, `Orientalism', the depiction of the cultural other etc.
When my 8 year old nephew kick off his shoes jumps on his bed and settles down to another few pages of Tintin I do not want him to read this, nor do I want his best friend who is black to pick up this book and be confronted with highly racist depictions of Africans who are stereotyped as ugly, lazy, childish, inferior and stupid.


Enjoyable, 23 Jan 2008
Enjoyable, but lacking the psychological complexity, and narrative sophisitcation of later works.

It is worth getting, moreover, just to spite the prigs who would have it banned.

Nothing to see here, 02 Dec 2007
Not really as racist as every made out. I only read it for the controversy and was sadly disappointed. It shows an old fashioned view that the "white men" had of the "Africans". Interesting from a historical perspective, though hardly a lesson a racial superiority. As for the comic itself, well Tintin was hardly the most exciting of characters and his racism whilst perhaps adding to the entertainment still makes me wonder what sort of deprived minds enjoyed this in their youth.

Great Reading material for your children...., 22 Nov 2007
If like me you're desperate to get your children to read more then The adventures of Tin-Tin are a good way to do this. My son's 11 and is a big fan. There's a huge base of these great books and I would thoroughly recommend them. They are totally innocuous, so there's no worries about inappropriate language or situations, not that I'm being unrealistic as 5 mins on an xbox360 seems to give children more exposure to societies less pleasant side than anyone really needs, but strangely enough children seem to enjoy a simplistic fantasy story of one boy and his dog.

not great for children as text too small, 14 Nov 2008
The book is beautifully produced but the text is too small for children to read on their own, more suitable for adults, or older teenagers.

Three of the best, 19 Sep 2001
I love all 3 of these adventures, and always have. The Secret of the Unicorn is one of the very best of all the Tintin books. It does seem a little strange to include it in this volume without its sequel, Red Rackham's treasure (I suspect this is to encourage you to buy Volume 4!) All 3 adventures are classic Tintin, with suberb illustrations, exotic locations and exciting storylines. The colouful Captain Haddock is a very welcome addition to the cast. This collection is a real joy.

Timeless Classics, 27 Aug 1999
I adored Tintin as a child and recently rediscovered the books in a new light. They never lose their appeal. If you enjoy Tintin you should check out 'The Greatest Adventures of Spike and Suzy'.

Excellent in both French and English!, 02 Jul 1999
I read these books when I was a child, and loved them so much I cannot describe it here. They are not for everyone - some children find them confusing and don't get it completely, but the ones that do get it have tremendous affection for the books.

I still have a lot of love for the books as an adult, and now that my daughter is hooked on the adventures of Tinton and Milou (Tintin and Snowy), I often find myself engrossed in the copies we now have for her.

Also - The original French editions are great for teaching a child French, as long as you have the English version nearby to compare.

Excellent choice. . .

BEST Comic characters, 10 Jun 1999
Reading any Tintin book is a joyous experience. It feels as if you are actually watching a movie, such is the power of the pictures with appropriate short and long shots, immaculate detail. Tintin books are not only humorous, but have wit, intelligence and superb buildup of the plot. Time flies before you are already on page 62 !

Tintin volume 7 by Denny Bishop age 13, 07 Nov 2008
a good triligy, plenty of humor, the mystery content is ok, but volume 5 is better. there is plenty of action, and tintin's sidekick, captain haddock is a guarantee for mayhem and madness, always bringing plenty of laughs. a good read from beginning to end.

Not like the later Tintin books...or have I grown up too much?, 07 Jul 2008
I loved Tintin when I was younger, something like a quarter century ago. To try to disprove the second part of my title, I reread some of my favourites, such as "The Black Island", "Land Of Black Gold" et al. and found I still thought they were great!

I think the review which criticises the dimensions of the book is a bit churlish; that isn`t my area of complaint at all. I quite like the hardback format. Firstly, "...Soviets" is black and white and drawn rather too amateurishly for my liking. It`s tempting, as a reasonably talented artist, to redo the thing as it should be, in colour, and with Tintin not carrying about five stone of fat around his midriff! The story lacks the subtlety and humour that I expected too. Which leads me on to "...Congo". Definitely not easy reading through 2008 eyes, and whilst that isn`t Herge`s fault, the story isn`t great. You need to read it though - it`s a prequel to "Tintin in America", a story that whilst may not be one of the greatest, is still pretty good.

So, on balance, this is a purchase that you probably should make if you are in anything like my situation (that of being grown up but a big fan of Tintin in your youth), but if you are looking at this for your children, there are better ways of introducing one of the great graphic stories.

Pocket book, 12 Jun 2007
I have been a Tintin fan almost all my life. I have read all the Tintin adventures in my native language (finnish) and wanted to try finally the english translations. I liked it more, in finnish translations, that Snowy is Milou. Why they didn't use Milou when it's the original name? I also didn't like how small the book was (should read more carefully the "Product details" heh). The book could fit in a pocket and therefore would be a good on travel. So, translations(Snowy)and dimensions(too small): -2 stars

Tintin - a non-expert view., 03 May 2002
Although now in my late twenties, I am still fascinated by Tintin, his friends and his adventures. I do not claim to be a Tintinologist. As a child I used to read the full size editions, however, I prefer this smaller format, as it is compact and there is no loss of detail in the text or illustration. It is also more robust in hardback: how quickly did the paperback get dog-eared when read by an excited child?
Interestingly, there is no contents page. You must therefore "thumb" to find the story you require. I know that is a rather pedantic issue, but there is completeness to consider. This compilation is my favourite of the series, as it contains both "Destination Moon" and "Explorers on the Moon".
"Destination" begins with a plot which kept me in suspense about the nature of the mission for 8 pages! From then onward, I was intrigued by the technology Herge uses in the story.
The illustrations in "Explorers" are amazing. Herge has combined true representations of the moon with his imagination for what was, at the time, a place not fully understood.
"Land of Black Gold", relies slightly on "Cigars of the Pharaoh" and "The Black Island", for references to characters/events. This does slightly spoil continuity to someone unfamiliar to Tintin.

Can the PC Brigade lighten up it's Tintin, 25 Sep 2008
I am not quite sure why people are up in arms about this book. It is no different to the old Tom and Jerry cartoons with the servant who kicks old Tom out all the time.

Yes it wouldn't be written today but, this is how things where perceived at the time it was written.

I have been a life long Tintin fan and was surprised on a holiday to France when I noticed 2 books that I had never seen before I was about 13. The other being Tin Tin in Moscow. My French is poor so I never bought (or got my parents to anyway) copies.

Years later I bought both while in Belgium in English Print.

The Story is typical Tintin but, in my opinion is the weakest after his Moscow adventure. Herge was still creating the character and finally hit gold with the next in the series Tintin in America. Funny how people don't think this is racist with the Native Indians?

The book deserves 3 stars and can the PC Brigade please lighten up its Tintin for heavens sake.


Thouroughly racist and problematic , 05 Jul 2008
Reading these reviews of Tintin au Congo reminds me of the words of social analyst Jason Edward Black, "the scariest of racial stereotypes and prejudices arise when the public cannot recognize such ills." Frankly I'm concerned by some of the responses: "there is nothing here that I would personally regard as outrageous" and "It preaches the true story of colonialism and Africa. However there is absolutely nothing racist about it..."
As a child I read both Tintin and Asterix comic books, adored them and was delighted to study them in a course on la bande dessinée at uni. This is when I read Tintin au Congo which provoked pretty strong feelings of repulsion.
This is emphatically not an ideal read for young Tintin fans. It is however a thought provoking text that allows older and more aware readers to tackle issues such as cultural and political imperialism, `Orientalism', the depiction of the cultural other etc.
When my 8 year old nephew kick off his shoes jumps on his bed and settles down to another few pages of Tintin I do not want him to read this, nor do I want his best friend who is black to pick up this book and be confronted with highly racist depictions of Africans who are stereotyped as ugly, lazy, childish, inferior and stupid.


Enjoyable, 23 Jan 2008
Enjoyable, but lacking the psychological complexity, and narrative sophisitcation of later works.

It is worth getting, moreover, just to spite the prigs who would have it banned.

Nothing to see here, 02 Dec 2007
Not really as racist as every made out. I only read it for the controversy and was sadly disappointed. It shows an old fashioned view that the "white men" had of the "Africans". Interesting from a historical perspective, though hardly a lesson a racial superiority. As for the comic itself, well Tintin was hardly the most exciting of characters and his racism whilst perhaps adding to the entertainment still makes me wonder what sort of deprived minds enjoyed this in their youth.

Great Reading material for your children...., 22 Nov 2007
If like me you're desperate to get your children to read more then The adventures of Tin-Tin are a good way to do this. My son's 11 and is a big fan. There's a huge base of these great books and I would thoroughly recommend them. They are totally innocuous, so there's no worries about inappropriate language or situations, not that I'm being unrealistic as 5 mins on an xbox360 seems to give children more exposure to societies less pleasant side than anyone really needs, but strangely enough children seem to enjoy a simplistic fantasy story of one boy and his dog.

not great for children as text too small, 14 Nov 2008
The book is beautifully produced but the text is too small for children to read on their own, more suitable for adults, or older teenagers.

Three of the best, 19 Sep 2001
I love all 3 of these adventures, and always have. The Secret of the Unicorn is one of the very best of all the Tintin books. It does seem a little strange to include it in this volume without its sequel, Red Rackham's treasure (I suspect this is to encourage you to buy Volume 4!) All 3 adventures are classic Tintin, with suberb illustrations, exotic locations and exciting storylines. The colouful Captain Haddock is a very welcome addition to the cast. This collection is a real joy.

Timeless Classics, 27 Aug 1999
I adored Tintin as a child and recently rediscovered the books in a new light. They never lose their appeal. If you enjoy Tintin you should check out 'The Greatest Adventures of Spike and Suzy'.

Excellent in both French and English!, 02 Jul 1999
I read these books when I was a child, and loved them so much I cannot describe it here. They are not for everyone - some children find them confusing and don't get it completely, but the ones that do get it have tremendous affection for the books.

I still have a lot of love for the books as an adult, and now that my daughter is hooked on the adventures of Tinton and Milou (Tintin and Snowy), I often find myself engrossed in the copies we now have for her.

Also - The original French editions are great for teaching a child French, as long as you have the English version nearby to compare.

Excellent choice. . .

BEST Comic characters, 10 Jun 1999
Reading any Tintin book is a joyous experience. It feels as if you are actually watching a movie, such is the power of the pictures with appropriate short and long shots, immaculate detail. Tintin books are not only humorous, but have wit, intelligence and superb buildup of the plot. Time flies before you are already on page 62 !

Tintin volume 7 by Denny Bishop age 13, 07 Nov 2008
a good triligy, plenty of humor, the mystery content is ok, but volume 5 is better. there is plenty of action, and tintin's sidekick, captain haddock is a guarantee for mayhem and madness, always bringing plenty of laughs. a good read from beginning to end.

Not like the later Tintin books...or have I grown up too much?, 07 Jul 2008
I loved Tintin when I was younger, something like a quarter century ago. To try to disprove the second part of my title, I reread some of my favourites, such as "The Black Island", "Land Of Black Gold" et al. and found I still thought they were great!

I think the review which criticises the dimensions of the book is a bit churlish; that isn`t my area of complaint at all. I quite like the hardback format. Firstly, "...Soviets" is black and white and drawn rather too amateurishly for my liking. It`s tempting, as a reasonably talented artist, to redo the thing as it should be, in colour, and with Tintin not carrying about five stone of fat around his midriff! The story lacks the subtlety and humour that I expected too. Which leads me on to "...Congo". Definitely not easy reading through 2008 eyes, and whilst that isn`t Herge`s fault, the story isn`t great. You need to read it though - it`s a prequel to "Tintin in America", a story that whilst may not be one of the greatest, is still pretty good.

So, on balance, this is a purchase that you probably should make if you are in anything like my situation (that of being grown up but a big fan of Tintin in your youth), but if you are looking at this for your children, there are better ways of introducing one of the great graphic stories.

Pocket book, 12 Jun 2007
I have been a Tintin fan almost all my life. I have read all the Tintin adventures in my native language (finnish) and wanted to try finally the english translations. I liked it more, in finnish translations, that Snowy is Milou. Why they didn't use Milou when it's the original name? I also didn't like how small the book was (should read more carefully the "Product details" heh). The book could fit in a pocket and therefore would be a good on travel. So, translations(Snowy)and dimensions(too small): -2 stars

Tintin - a non-expert view., 03 May 2002
Although now in my late twenties, I am still fascinated by Tintin, his friends and his adventures. I do not claim to be a Tintinologist. As a child I used to read the full size editions, however, I prefer this smaller format, as it is compact and there is no loss of detail in the text or illustration. It is also more robust in hardback: how quickly did the paperback get dog-eared when read by an excited child?
Interestingly, there is no contents page. You must therefore "thumb" to find the story you require. I know that is a rather pedantic issue, but there is completeness to consider. This compilation is my favourite of the series, as it contains both "Destination Moon" and "Explorers on the Moon".
"Destination" begins with a plot which kept me in suspense about the nature of the mission for 8 pages! From then onward, I was intrigued by the technology Herge uses in the story.
The illustrations in "Explorers" are amazing. Herge has combined true representations of the moon with his imagination for what was, at the time, a place not fully understood.
"Land of Black Gold", relies slightly on "Cigars of the Pharaoh" and "The Black Island", for references to characters/events. This does slightly spoil continuity to someone unfamiliar to Tintin.

Intresting historical perspective, 28 Oct 2005
The book is valuable for two reasons, firstly it is interesting to compare how TinTin developed over the years, and secoundly for anyone with an interest in Soviet history, how the orginal stories in Le Soir (belgium newspaper)in the 1930's and the book, were and still are, portrayed by some as mere anti communist propoganda.

It is chilling that despite millions of people being murdered in Gulags or shot out of hand, that the book which falls short of showing the full horrors of lenin and Stalin regimes are still derided in this way.

Anyway once again a good book, but for some the biggest critism is that boy dectective might have got too close to the real world in his first outing.

Essential for Tintin fans!!!, 09 Jun 2004
This book is essential for anyone who likes Tintin. Its always interesting to see how a character begins and this is no exception, including how Tintin got his hairstyle. Its also different to see the pages in black and white only, while Snowy looks a little bit different in Land of the Soviets, compared to future stories.

While this is almost double the price of other Tintin books, it is worth it!

Actually you should probably read the first Tintin tale last, 07 Jan 2004
The value of "Tintin au Pays des Soviets" ("Tintin in the Land of the Soviets") is as much historical as it is literary since this is the first of Les Aventures de Tintin created by Hergé. The date is January 10, 1929 and in Brussels the intrepid young reporter for "Le Petit Vingtième" Tintin and his dog Milou board a train for Moscow. There Tintin spends his time denouncing the methods of the Communist Party and then avoiding attempts by the Soviet secret police to silence him for his views. By the time Tintin makes it back home word of his exploits has arrived ahead of him and he is greeted as a hero.

Today "Tintin au Pays des Soviets" constitutes something of a false start for Hergé's series. The seven volume collection of the Three-in-One series of "The Adventures of Tintin," which is probably the most common way for today's readers to get a hold of the Tintin stories, begins with the third adventures, "Tintin Au America." Both this story and "Tintin Au Congo" are left out of the "official" canon, the former because of the suspect ideology and the latter because of the implicit racism. What emerges in the other eighteen Tintin tales is more pure storytelling that takes place in a created world that bears only an allegorical relationship to the real world. Besides, Tintin does not even have his trademark tuft of hair at this point.

Consequently, Tintin fans who track down the first couple of adventures will need to take both tales with a grain of salt. Whereas the other stories tend to stand on their own, the first two are clearly dated. "Tintin au Pays des Soviets" especially requires commentary or annotation that reveals exactly what was going on in the Soviet Union in the late 1920s that Hergé and the left found necessary to attack, even in a comic book adventure. I know that Hergé was working for "Le Petit Vingtième," an anti-Communist church-run newspaper, but I also know that he also apologized for this book later in life because he had never actually visited the Soviet Union and had based his story on one book, which was apparently written for propaganda purposes.

Consequently, it is fairly safe to say that this particular Tintin adventure is really not intended for children until they are old enough to understand the politics of the time in which it was written. It might be ironic that you should read the first couple of Tintin adventures after you have read the other eighteen, but that is probably the best way to proceed.

A book of historic interest, 19 Sep 2001
This book will mostly interest dedicated Tintin fans. In comparison to all the other books, the black-and-white drawings are very crude and the storyline seems to meander without a coherent plot. It is interesting to see how Tintin began, but personally I'm glad Herge's artwork and storytelling skills improved during the years after this strip was published.

The first in the Famous Tintin Series, 12 Apr 2000
This is Herge's first work. It was a pleasure to read. It laid the foundation for all the other Tintin books. This is the only book I have read where he actually writes a story for his paper.

Can the PC Brigade lighten up it's Tintin, 25 Sep 2008
I am not quite sure why people are up in arms about this book. It is no different to the old Tom and Jerry cartoons with the servant who kicks old Tom out all the time.

Yes it wouldn't be written today but, this is how things where perceived at the time it was written.

I have been a life long Tintin fan and was surprised on a holiday to France when I noticed 2 books that I had never seen before I was about 13. The other being Tin Tin in Moscow. My French is poor so I never bought (or got my parents to anyway) copies.

Years later I bought both while in Belgium in English Print.

The Story is typical Tintin but, in my opinion is the weakest after his Moscow adventure. Herge was still creating the character and finally hit gold with the next in the series Tintin in America. Funny how people don't think this is racist with the Native Indians?

The book deserves 3 stars and can the PC Brigade please lighten up its Tintin for heavens sake.


Thouroughly racist and problematic , 05 Jul 2008
Reading these reviews of Tintin au Congo reminds me of the words of social analyst Jason Edward Black, "the scariest of racial stereotypes and prejudices arise when the public cannot recognize such ills." Frankly I'm concerned by some of the responses: "there is nothing here that I would personally regard as outrageous" and "It preaches the true story of colonialism and Africa. However there is absolutely nothing racist about it..."
As a child I read both Tintin and Asterix comic books, adored them and was delighted to study them in a course on la bande dessinée at uni. This is when I read Tintin au Congo which provoked pretty strong feelings of repulsion.
This is emphatically not an ideal read for young Tintin fans. It is however a thought provoking text that allows older and more aware readers to tackle issues such as cultural and political imperialism, `Orientalism', the depiction of the cultural other etc.
When my 8 year old nephew kick off his shoes jumps on his bed and settles down to another few pages of Tintin I do not want him to read this, nor do I want his best friend who is black to pick up this book and be confronted with highly racist depictions of Africans who are stereotyped as ugly, lazy, childish, inferior and stupid.


Enjoyable, 23 Jan 2008
Enjoyable, but lacking the psychological complexity, and narrative sophisitcation of later works.

It is worth getting, moreover, just to spite the prigs who would have it banned.

Nothing to see here, 02 Dec 2007
Not really as racist as every made out. I only read it for the controversy and was sadly disappointed. It shows an old fashioned view that the "white men" had of the "Africans". Interesting from a historical perspective, though hardly a lesson a racial superiority. As for the comic itself, well Tintin was hardly the most exciting of characters and his racism whilst perhaps adding to the entertainment still makes me wonder what sort of deprived minds enjoyed this in their youth.

Great Reading material for your children...., 22 Nov 2007
If like me you're desperate to get your children to read more then The adventures of Tin-Tin are a good way to do this. My son's 11 and is a big fan. There's a huge base of these great books and I would thoroughly recommend them. They are totally innocuous, so there's no worries about inappropriate language or situations, not that I'm being unrealistic as 5 mins on an xbox360 seems to give children more exposure to societies less pleasant side than anyone really needs, but strangely enough children seem to enjoy a simplistic fantasy story of one boy and his dog.

not great for children as text too small, 14 Nov 2008
The book is beautifully produced but the text is too small for children to read on their own, more suitable for adults, or older teenagers.

Three of the best, 19 Sep 2001
I love all 3 of these adventures, and always have. The Secret of the Unicorn is one of the very best of all the Tintin books. It does seem a little strange to include it in this volume without its sequel, Red Rackham's treasure (I suspect this is to encourage you to buy Volume 4!) All 3 adventures are classic Tintin, with suberb illustrations, exotic locations and exciting storylines. The colouful Captain Haddock is a very welcome addition to the cast. This collection is a real joy.

Timeless Classics, 27 Aug 1999
I adored Tintin as a child and recently rediscovered the books in a new light. They never lose their appeal. If you enjoy Tintin you should check out 'The Greatest Adventures of Spike and Suzy'.

Excellent in both French and English!, 02 Jul 1999
I read these books when I was a child, and loved them so much I cannot describe it here. They are not for everyone - some children find them confusing and don't get it completely, but the ones that do get it have tremendous affection for the books.

I still have a lot of love for the books as an adult, and now that my daughter is hooked on the adventures of Tinton and Milou (Tintin and Snowy), I often find myself engrossed in the copies we now have for her.

Also - The original French editions are great for teaching a child French, as long as you have the English version nearby to compare.

Excellent choice. . .

BEST Comic characters, 10 Jun 1999
Reading any Tintin book is a joyous experience. It feels as if you are actually watching a movie, such is the power of the pictures with appropriate short and long shots, immaculate detail. Tintin books are not only humorous, but have wit, intelligence and superb buildup of the plot. Time flies before you are already on page 62 !

Tintin volume 7 by Denny Bishop age 13, 07 Nov 2008
a good triligy, plenty of humor, the mystery content is ok, but volume 5 is better. there is plenty of action, and tintin's sidekick, captain haddock is a guarantee for mayhem and madness, always bringing plenty of laughs. a good read from beginning to end.

Not like the later Tintin books...or have I grown up too much?, 07 Jul 2008
I loved Tintin when I was younger, something like a quarter century ago. To try to disprove the second part of my title, I reread some of my favourites, such as "The Black Island", "Land Of Black Gold" et al. and found I still thought they were great!

I think the review which criticises the dimensions of the book is a bit churlish; that isn`t my area of complaint at all. I quite like the hardback format. Firstly, "...Soviets" is black and white and drawn rather too amateurishly for my liking. It`s tempting, as a reasonably talented artist, to redo the thing as it should be, in colour, and with Tintin not carrying about five stone of fat around his midriff! The story lacks the subtlety and humour that I expected too. Which leads me on to "...Congo". Definitely not easy reading through 2008 eyes, and whilst that isn`t Herge`s fault, the story isn`t great. You need to read it though - it`s a prequel to "Tintin in America", a story that whilst may not be one of the greatest, is still pretty good.

So, on balance, this is a purchase that you probably should make if you are in anything like my situation (that of being grown up but a big fan of Tintin in your youth), but if you are looking at this for your children, there are better ways of introducing one of the great graphic stories.

Pocket book, 12 Jun 2007
I have been a Tintin fan almost all my life. I have read all the Tintin adventures in my native language (finnish) and wanted to try finally the english translations. I liked it more, in finnish translations, that Snowy is Milou. Why they didn't use Milou when it's the original name? I also didn't like how small the book was (should read more carefully the "Product details" heh). The book could fit in a pocket and therefore would be a good on travel. So, translations(Snowy)and dimensions(too small): -2 stars

Tintin - a non-expert view., 03 May 2002
Although now in my late twenties, I am still fascinated by Tintin, his friends and his adventures. I do not claim to be a Tintinologist. As a child I used to read the full size editions, however, I prefer this smaller format, as it is compact and there is no loss of detail in the text or illustration. It is also more robust in hardback: how quickly did the paperback get dog-eared when read by an excited child?
Interestingly, there is no contents page. You must therefore "thumb" to find the story you require. I know that is a rather pedantic issue, but there is completeness to consider. This compilation is my favourite of the series, as it contains both "Destination Moon" and "Explorers on the Moon".
"Destination" begins with a plot which kept me in suspense about the nature of the mission for 8 pages! From then onward, I was intrigued by the technology Herge uses in the story.
The illustrations in "Explorers" are amazing. Herge has combined true representations of the moon with his imagination for what was, at the time, a place not fully understood.
"Land of Black Gold", relies slightly on "Cigars of the Pharaoh" and "The Black Island", for references to characters/events. This does slightly spoil continuity to someone unfamiliar to Tintin.

Intresting historical perspective, 28 Oct 2005
The book is valuable for two reasons, firstly it is interesting to compare how TinTin developed over the years, and secoundly for anyone with an interest in Soviet history, how the orginal stories in Le Soir (belgium newspaper)in the 1930's and the book, were and still are, portrayed by some as mere anti communist propoganda.

It is chilling that despite millions of people being murdered in Gulags or shot out of hand, that the book which falls short of showing the full horrors of lenin and Stalin regimes are still derided in this way.

Anyway once again a good book, but for some the biggest critism is that boy dectective might have got too close to the real world in his first outing.

Essential for Tintin fans!!!, 09 Jun 2004
This book is essential for anyone who likes Tintin. Its always interesting to see how a character begins and this is no exception, including how Tintin got his hairstyle. Its also different to see the pages in black and white only, while Snowy looks a little bit different in Land of the Soviets, compared to future stories.

While this is almost double the price of other Tintin books, it is worth it!

Actually you should probably read the first Tintin tale last, 07 Jan 2004
The value of "Tintin au Pays des Soviets" ("Tintin in the Land of the Soviets") is as much historical as it is literary since this is the first of Les Aventures de Tintin created by Hergé. The date is January 10, 1929 and in Brussels the intrepid young reporter for "Le Petit Vingtième" Tintin and his dog Milou board a train for Moscow. There Tintin spends his time denouncing the methods of the Communist Party and then avoiding attempts by the Soviet secret police to silence him for his views. By the time Tintin makes it back home word of his exploits has arrived ahead of him and he is greeted as a hero.

Today "Tintin au Pays des Soviets" constitutes something of a false start for Hergé's series. The seven volume collection of the Three-in-One series of "The Adventures of Tintin," which is probably the most common way for today's readers to get a hold of the Tintin stories, begins with the third adventures, "Tintin Au America." Both this story and "Tintin Au Congo" are left out of the "official" canon, the former because of the suspect ideology and the latter because of the implicit racism. What emerges in the other eighteen Tintin tales is more pure storytelling that takes place in a created world that bears only an allegorical relationship to the real world. Besides, Tintin does not even have his trademark tuft of hair at this point.

Consequently, Tintin fans who track down the first couple of adventures will need to take both tales with a grain of salt. Whereas the other stories tend to stand on their own, the first two are clearly dated. "Tintin au Pays des Soviets" especially requires commentary or annotation that reveals exactly what was going on in the Soviet Union in the late 1920s that Hergé and the left found necessary to attack, even in a comic book adventure. I know that Hergé was working for "Le Petit Vingtième," an anti-Communist church-run newspaper, but I also know that he also apologized for this book later in life because he had never actually visited the Soviet Union and had based his story on one book, which was apparently written for propaganda purposes.

Consequently, it is fairly safe to say that this particular Tintin adventure is really not intended for children until they are old enough to understand the politics of the time in which it was written. It might be ironic that you should read the first couple of Tintin adventures after you have read the other eighteen, but that is probably the best way to proceed.

A book of historic interest, 19 Sep 2001
This book will mostly interest dedicated Tintin fans. In comparison to all the other books, the black-and-white drawings are very crude and the storyline seems to meander without a coherent plot. It is interesting to see how Tintin began, but personally I'm glad Herge's artwork and storytelling skills improved during the years after this strip was published.

The first in the Famous Tintin Series, 12 Apr 2000
This is Herge's first work. It was a pleasure to read. It laid the foundation for all the other Tintin books. This is the only book I have read where he actually writes a story for his paper.

An excellent Tintin adventure, 10 Feb 2008
I still haven't read all the stories, but this is the one I like most so far. Full of wit, quirkiness, it has that undefinable thing in it which makes Tintin cool: probably something to do with his innate love of travelling and adventure more than anything, and his youthfulness, although it could be that haircut. This one takes him to a very cool destination, and once he's there, the story never stops introducing aspects ascociated with the area. It is jam packed with details all readers with wanderlust in them will love.

The Dalai Lama likes this book, 02 Dec 2006
A friend of mine worked as a doctor in the Tibetan refugee camp in Dharamsalla. At the end of his tour, he was allowed an audience with the Dalai Lama, as a gesture of thanks. The Dalai Lama asked if there was any way he could help my friend, to which my friend responded by whipping out his copy of Tintin in Tibet and asking him to autograph it. The Dalai Lama duly did so, adding a wee Buddhist prayer. And not only that, the Dalai Lama knew the book very well, and actually appears in it as a young man, and a lot of the other Tibetans in the book are based on real people. The Dalai Lama admired the story as a tale of a friend's unswerving, unflinching loyalty, linked by a very strong ethereal bond.
Madame Herge had also spent a lot of time attending and supporting the sanctuary, and that was how Herge himself got to know the culture of Tibet. A true story; I have seen the autographed book. And why else would this book have been translated into Tibetan?

A classic!, 24 Oct 2006
If I had to name one Tintin album that has given me the greatest pleasure as an adult, it would be this one. It's one of those rare comic books that have not only a good plot and humour but are touching also. And it has a great Lewis Carroll-esque surrealistic moment too. The best comic book ever? Well, damn close to it, at least.

Scary book., 29 Jul 2006
This book took me by suprise when it went to the part where Tintin, captin and Tharkey found the Yeti ( migou ) footprints leading to the plane. I would say that book would have been the best if it had more writing.


Tintin in Tibet, 30 Apr 2006
This is a touching story, which manages to balance a combination of emotion, magic -even if captain Haddock didn't seem to think so!- and subtle humour, its a real classic!

Can the PC Brigade lighten up it's Tintin, 25 Sep 2008
I am not quite sure why people are up in arms about this book. It is no different to the old Tom and Jerry cartoons with the servant who kicks old Tom out all the time.

Yes it wouldn't be written today but, this is how things where perceived at the time it was written.

I have been a life long Tintin fan and was surprised on a holiday to France when I noticed 2 books that I had never seen before I was about 13. The other being Tin Tin in Moscow. My French is poor so I never bought (or got my parents to anyway) copies.

Years later I bought both while in Belgium in English Print.

The Story is typical Tintin but, in my opinion is the weakest after his Moscow adventure. Herge was still creating the character and finally hit gold with the next in the series Tintin in America. Funny how people don't think this is racist with the Native Indians?

The book deserves 3 stars and can the PC Brigade please lighten up its Tintin for heavens sake.


Thouroughly racist and problematic , 05 Jul 2008
Reading these reviews of Tintin au Congo reminds me of the words of social analyst Jason Edward Black, "the scariest of racial stereotypes and prejudices arise when the public cannot recognize such ills." Frankly I'm concerned by some of the responses: "there is nothing here that I would personally regard as outrageous" and "It preaches the true story of colonialism and Africa. However there is absolutely nothing racist about it..."
As a child I read both Tintin and Asterix comic books, adored them and was delighted to study them in a course on la bande dessinée at uni. This is when I read Tintin au Congo which provoked pretty strong feelings of repulsion.
This is emphatically not an ideal read for young Tintin fans. It is however a thought provoking text that allows older and more aware readers to tackle issues such as cultural and political imperialism, `Orientalism', the depiction of the cultural other etc.
When my 8 year old nephew kick off his shoes jumps on his bed and settles down to another few pages of Tintin I do not want him to read this, nor do I want his best friend who is black to pick up this book and be confronted with highly racist depictions of Africans who are stereotyped as ugly, lazy, childish, inferior and stupid.


Enjoyable, 23 Jan 2008
Enjoyable, but lacking the psychological complexity, and narrative sophisitcation of later works.

It is worth getting, moreover, just to spite the prigs who would have it banned.

Nothing to see here, 02 Dec 2007
Not really as racist as every made out. I only read it for the controversy and was sadly disappointed. It shows an old fashioned view that the "white men" had of the "Africans". Interesting from a historical perspective, though hardly a lesson a racial superiority. As for the comic itself, well Tintin was hardly the most exciting of characters and his racism whilst perhaps adding to the entertainment still makes me wonder what sort of deprived minds enjoyed this in their youth.

Great Reading material for your children...., 22 Nov 2007
If like me you're desperate to get your children to read more then The adventures of Tin-Tin are a good way to do this. My son's 11 and is a big fan. There's a huge base of these great books and I would thoroughly recommend them. They are totally innocuous, so there's no worries about inappropriate language or situations, not that I'm being unrealistic as 5 mins on an xbox360 seems to give children more exposure to societies less pleasant side than anyone really needs, but strangely enough children seem to enjoy a simplistic fantasy story of one boy and his dog.

not great for children as text too small, 14 Nov 2008
The book is beautifully produced but the text is too small for children to read on their own, more suitable for adults, or older teenagers.

Three of the best, 19 Sep 2001
I love all 3 of these adventures, and always have. The Secret of the Unicorn is one of the very best of all the Tintin books. It does seem a little strange to include it in this volume without its sequel, Red Rackham's treasure (I suspect this is to encourage you to buy Volume 4!) All 3 adventures are classic Tintin, with suberb illustrations, exotic locations and exciting storylines. The colouful Captain Haddock is a very welcome addition to the cast. This collection is a real joy.

Timeless Classics, 27 Aug 1999
I adored Tintin as a child and recently rediscovered the books in a new light. They never lose their appeal. If you enjoy Tintin you should check out 'The Greatest Adventures of Spike and Suzy'.

Excellent in both French and English!, 02 Jul 1999
I read these books when I was a child, and loved them so much I cannot describe it here. They are not for everyone - some children find them confusing and don't get it completely, but the ones that do get it have tremendous affection for the books.

I still have a lot of love for the books as an adult, and now that my daughter is hooked on the adventures of Tinton and Milou (Tintin and Snowy), I often find myself engrossed in the copies we now have for her.

Also - The original French editions are great for teaching a child French, as long as you have the English version nearby to compare.

Excellent choice. . .

BEST Comic characters, 10 Jun 1999
Reading any Tintin book is a joyous experience. It feels as if you are actually watching a movie, such is the power of the pictures with appropriate short and long shots, immaculate detail. Tintin books are not only humorous, but have wit, intelligence and superb buildup of the plot. Time flies before you are already on page 62 !

Tintin volume 7 by Denny Bishop age 13, 07 Nov 2008
a good triligy, plenty of humor, the mystery content is ok, but volume 5 is better. there is plenty of action, and tintin's sidekick, captain haddock is a guarantee for mayhem and madness, always bringing plenty of laughs. a good read from beginning to end.

Not like the later Tintin books...or have I grown up too much?, 07 Jul 2008
I loved Tintin when I was younger, something like a quarter century ago. To try to disprove the second part of my title, I reread some of my favourites, such as "The Black Island", "Land Of Black Gold" et al. and found I still thought they were great!

I think the review which criticises the dimensions of the book is a bit churlish; that isn`t my area of complaint at all. I quite like the hardback format. Firstly, "...Soviets" is black and white and drawn rather too amateurishly for my liking. It`s tempting, as a reasonably talented artist, to redo the thing as it should be, in colour, and with Tintin not carrying about five stone of fat around his midriff! The story lacks the subtlety and humour that I expected too. Which leads me on to "...Congo". Definitely not easy reading through 2008 eyes, and whilst that isn`t Herge`s fault, the story isn`t great. You need to read it though - it`s a prequel to "Tintin in America", a story that whilst may not be one of the greatest, is still pretty good.

So, on balance, this is a purchase that you probably should make if you are in anything like my situation (that of being grown up but a big fan of Tintin in your youth), but if you are looking at this for your children, there are better ways of introducing one of the great graphic stories.

Pocket book, 12 Jun 2007
I have been a Tintin fan almost all my life. I have read all the Tintin adventures in my native language (finnish) and wanted to try finally the english translations. I liked it more, in finnish translations, that Snowy is Milou. Why they didn't use Milou when it's the original name? I also didn't like how small the book was (should read more carefully the "Product details" heh). The book could fit in a pocket and therefore would be a good on travel. So, translations(Snowy)and dimensions(too small): -2 stars

Tintin - a non-expert view., 03 May 2002
Although now in my late twenties, I am still fascinated by Tintin, his friends and his adventures. I do not claim to be a Tintinologist. As a child I used to read the full size editions, however, I prefer this smaller format, as it is compact and there is no loss of detail in the text or illustration. It is also more robust in hardback: how quickly did the paperback get dog-eared when read by an excited child?
Interestingly, there is no contents page. You must therefore "thumb" to find the story you require. I know that is a rather pedantic issue, but there is completeness to consider. This compilation is my favourite of the series, as it contains both "Destination Moon" and "Explorers on the Moon".
"Destination" begins with a plot which kept me in suspense about the nature of the mission for 8 pages! From then onward, I was intrigued by the technology Herge uses in the story.
The illustrations in "Explorers" are amazing. Herge has combined true representations of the moon with his imagination for what was, at the time, a place not fully understood.
"Land of Black Gold", relies slightly on "Cigars of the Pharaoh" and "The Black Island", for references to characters/events. This does slightly spoil continuity to someone unfamiliar to Tintin.

Intresting historical perspective, 28 Oct 2005
The book is valuable for two reasons, firstly it is interesting to compare how TinTin developed over the years, and secoundly for anyone with an interest in Soviet history, how the orginal stories in Le Soir (belgium newspaper)in the 1930's and the book, were and still are, portrayed by some as mere anti communist propoganda.

It is chilling that despite millions of people being murdered in Gulags or shot out of hand, that the book which falls short of showing the full horrors of lenin and Stalin regimes are still derided in this way.

Anyway once again a good book, but for some the biggest critism is that boy dectective might have got too close to the real world in his first outing.

Essential for Tintin fans!!!, 09 Jun 2004
This book is essential for anyone who likes Tintin. Its always interesting to see how a character begins and this is no exception, including how Tintin got his hairstyle. Its also different to see the pages in black and white only, while Snowy looks a little bit different in Land of the Soviets, compared to future stories.

While this is almost double the price of other Tintin books, it is worth it!

Actually you should probably read the first Tintin tale last, 07 Jan 2004
The value of "Tintin au Pays des Soviets" ("Tintin in the Land of the Soviets") is as much historical as it is literary since this is the first of Les Aventures de Tintin created by Hergé. The date is January 10, 1929 and in Brussels the intrepid young reporter for "Le Petit Vingtième" Tintin and his dog Milou board a train for Moscow. There Tintin spends his time denouncing the methods of the Communist Party and then avoiding attempts by the Soviet secret police to silence him for his views. By the time Tintin makes it back home word of his exploits has arrived ahead of him and he is greeted as a hero.

Today "Tintin au Pays des Soviets" constitutes something of a false start for Hergé's series. The seven volume collection of the Three-in-One series of "The Adventures of Tintin," which is probably the most common way for today's readers to get a hold of the Tintin stories, begins with the third adventures, "Tintin Au America." Both this story and "Tintin Au Congo" are left out of the "official" canon, the former because of the suspect ideology and the latter because of the implicit racism. What emerges in the other eighteen Tintin tales is more pure storytelling that takes place in a created world that bears only an allegorical relationship to the real world. Besides, Tintin does not even have his trademark tuft of hair at this point.

Consequently, Tintin fans who track down the first couple of adventures will need to take both tales with a grain of salt. Whereas the other stories tend to stand on their own, the first two are clearly dated. "Tintin au Pays des Soviets" especially requires commentary or annotation that reveals exactly what was going on in the Soviet Union in the late 1920s that Hergé and the left found necessary to attack, even in a comic book adventure. I know that Hergé was working for "Le Petit Vingtième," an anti-Communist church-run newspaper, but I also know that he also apologized for this book later in life because he had never actually visited the Soviet Union and had based his story on one book, which was apparently written for propaganda purposes.

Consequently, it is fairly safe to say that this particular Tintin adventure is really not intended for children until they are old enough to understand the politics of the time in which it was written. It might be ironic that you should read the first couple of Tintin adventures after you have read the other eighteen, but that is probably the best way to proceed.

A book of historic interest, 19 Sep 2001
This book will mostly interest dedicated Tintin fans. In comparison to all the other books, the black-and-white drawings are very crude and the storyline seems to meander without a coherent plot. It is interesting to see how Tintin began, but personally I'm glad Herge's artwork and storytelling skills improved during the years after this strip was published.

The first in the Famous Tintin Series, 12 Apr 2000
This is Herge's first work. It was a pleasure to read. It laid the foundation for all the other Tintin books. This is the only book I have read where he actually writes a story for his paper.

An excellent Tintin adventure, 10 Feb 2008
I still haven't read all the stories, but this is the one I like most so far. Full of wit, quirkiness, it has that undefinable thing in it which makes Tintin cool: probably something to do with his innate love of travelling and adventure more than anything, and his youthfulness, although it could be that haircut. This one takes him to a very cool destination, and once he's there, the story never stops introducing aspects ascociated with the area. It is jam packed with details all readers with wanderlust in them will love.

The Dalai Lama likes this book, 02 Dec 2006
A friend of mine worked as a doctor in the Tibetan refugee camp in Dharamsalla. At the end of his tour, he was allowed an audience with the Dalai Lama, as a gesture of thanks. The Dalai Lama asked if there was any way he could help my friend, to which my friend responded by whipping out his copy of Tintin in Tibet and asking him to autograph it. The Dalai Lama duly did so, adding a wee Buddhist prayer. And not only that, the Dalai Lama knew the book very well, and actually appears in it as a young man, and a lot of the other Tibetans in the book are based on real people. The Dalai Lama admired the story as a tale of a friend's unswerving, unflinching loyalty, linked by a very strong ethereal bond.
Madame Herge had also spent a lot of time attending and supporting the sanctuary, and that was how Herge himself got to know the culture of Tibet. A true story; I have seen the autographed book. And why else would this book have been translated into Tibetan?

A classic!, 24 Oct 2006
If I had to name one Tintin album that has given me the greatest pleasure as an adult, it would be this one. It's one of those rare comic books that have not only a good plot and humour but are touching also. And it has a great Lewis Carroll-esque surrealistic moment too. The best comic book ever? Well, damn close to it, at least.

Scary book., 29 Jul 2006
This book took me by suprise when it went to the part where Tintin, captin and Tharkey found the Yeti ( migou ) footprints leading to the plane. I would say that book would have been the best if it had more writing.


Tintin in Tibet, 30 Apr 2006
This is a touching story, which manages to balance a combination of emotion, magic -even if captain Haddock didn't seem to think so!- and subtle humour, its a real classic!

Tintin: The Blue Lotus, 02 Oct 2007
I have been waiting for a long time for this to come out. This Tintin book is most likely the best Tintin book Hergé ever made! Now I have the Cartoon version, the colour version, and NOW the Original version! It's made my day to have bought this item.

An amazing comic adventure..., 06 Feb 2006
~This story is very well thought out and neatly presented, the artwork is great and characters are drawn accuratly with a lot of detail put in. Most comic books are nowhere near up to this standard. The overall plot is much better than the average Tintin story.
The bad guys mean serious bussiness and Tintin actually gets captured and for a moment you think the young reporter has had it when he's about to get beheaded towards the end.(not to give to much away!)Its only thanks to his friend~~ Chang that he escapes. So not all of this is about Tintin being lucky and having success every time like so many other stories. (ei - Tintin In America)
Enjoyable all the way through and suitable for all ages. In my opinion its the best Tintin book.~

Lets be objective here, 04 Feb 2006
Oh come on! This is an awful Tintin book, one that the Herge of later years himself would probably wish could have magically disappeared. Many of the later books are sublime, but this is dire.One of the few Tintin books that I have laughed more 'at' than 'with'.

Tintin and Snowy meet up with Chang Choug-chen, 16 Nov 2002
"The Blue Lotus" begins where "Cigars of the Pharaoh" left off, with Tintin and Snowy in India as the guests of the Maharaja of Gaipajama. The evil gang of international drug smugglers had been smashed and all of them are now behind bars except for the mysterious leader, who disappeared over a cliff. A visitor from Shanghai is hit with a dart dipped in Rajaijah juice, the poison of madness, which is enough to send our intrepid hero to the Chinese city where his rickshaw runs into Gibson, an occidental who is not looking where he is going and starts beating the rickshaw driver for daring to barge into a white man. Tintin intervenes, calling the man's conduct disgraceful and Gibson vows revenge. The next thing we know Tintin is being shot at every time he turns around. Things become even more mysterious when another bystander is hit with a Rajaijah dart and Tintin embarks on a ship for Bombay only to wake up in the home of Wang Chen-yee, who begins to unravel the mystery for our hero.

This Tintin adventure was first published in Belgium in 1934-35, although the story is actually set in 1931, which was when Japanese troops were first occupying parts of China. Shanghai, the great northern seaport on the Yangtze river, had an International Settlement that served as a trading base for Western nations. Hergé incoprorates several actual events in this narrative, including the blowing-up of the South Manchurian railway, which served as an excuse for further Japanese incursions into China, and led to Japan walking out on the League of Nations.

Of course, it is the Japanese invaders who are after Tintin, who is pretty much on his own for most of this adventure until the Thom(p)sons show up with orders to arrest him (of course the duo don native dress, wanting to avoid causing a scene by walking around dressed in European clothes). The title of the story comes form an opium den that figures prominently in the resoltuion of the tale. "The Blue Lotus" finds Hergé fully committed to providing accurate cultural details in is stories, although this story has the added virtue of being the most "realistic" in terms of portraying current events in a world poised on the brink of war. His drawings of Asian figures can certainly be considered caricatures, but then this is pretty much true of the way he draws everybody in these stories, with the simplistic look of Tintin being the exception that proves the rule.

"The Blue Lotus" is also the adventure in which Tintin meets Chang Choug-chen, a young orphaned Chinese boy our hero saves from drowning. Chang is surprised a white devil would bother to save his life and Tintin haas to explain how not all white men are wicked. The character of Chang is based on Chang Chong-Chen, a young Chinese student who became Hergé's friend in 1934, as is the case with Chang and Tintin. When the Communists took over China the two friends lost touch. Decades later Tintin would race across half the earth to help rescue his friend in "Tintin in Tibet" in 1960. Even though he does not appear in the interim, Hergé makes it clear that Chang is a very special friend to Tintin. "The Blue Lotus" is a first rate Tintin adventure, made all the more special because once World War II began Hergé made a concerted effort to distance his stories from the horrors of the real world. After the war Hergé would deal with East-West tensions on a completely fictional level, making this early adventure of more than passing interest in Hergé's career.

Oh, and in 1981, Georges Remi (a.k.a. Hergé) and Chang Chong-Chen were reunited.

Tintin and Snowy go to Tibet to rescue their friend Chang, 03 Nov 2002
"The Blue Lotus" begins where "Cigars of the Pharaoh" left off, with Tintin and Snowy in India as the guests of the Maharaja of Gaipajama. The evil gang of international drug smugglers had been smashed and all of them are now behind bars except for the mysterious leader, who disappeared over a cliff. A visitor from Shanghai is hit with a dart dipped in Rajaijah juice, the poison of madness, which is enough to send our interipd hero to the Chinese city where his rickshaw runs into Gibsons, an occiental who is not looking where he is going and starts beating the rickshaw driver for daring to barge into a white man. Tintin intervenes, calling the man's conduct disgraceful and Gibbon vows revenge. The next thing we know Tintin is being shot at every time he turns around. Things become even more mysterious when another bystander is hit with a Rajaijah dart and Tintin embarks on a ship for Bombay only to wake up in the home of Wang Chen-yee, who begins to unravel the mystery for our hero.

This Tintin adventure was first published in Belgium in 1934-35, although the story is actually set in 1931, which was when Japanese troops were first occupying parts of China. Shangai, the great northern seaport on the Yangtze river, had an International Settlement that served as a trading base for Western nations. Hergé incoprorates several actual events in this narrative, including the blowing-up of the South Manchurian railway, which served as an excuse for further Japanese incursions into China, and led to Japan walking out on the League of Nations.

Of course, it is the Japanese invaders who are after Tintin, who is pretty much on his own for most of this adventure until the Thom(p)sons show up with orders to arrest him (of course the duo don native dress, wanting to avoid causing a scene by walking around dressed in European clothes). The title of the story comes form an opium den that figures prominently in the resoltuion of the tale. "The Blue Lotus" finds Hergé fully committed to providing accurate cultural details in is stories, although this story has the added virtue of being the most "realistic" in terms of portraying current events in a world poised on the brink of war. His drawings of Asian figures can certainly be considered caricatures, but then this is pretty much true of the way he draws everybody in these stories, with the simplistic look of Tintin being the exception that proves the rule.

"The Blue Lotus" is also the adventure in which Tintin meets Chang Choug-chen, a young orphaned Chinese boy our hero saves from drowning. Chang is surprised a white devil would bother to save his life and Tintin haas to explain how not all white men are wicked. The character of Chang is based on Chang Chong-Chen,a young Chinese student who became Hergé's friend in 1934, as is the case with Chang and Tintin. When the Communists took over China the two friends lost touch. Decades later Tintin would race across half the earth to help rescue his friend in "Tintin in Tibet" in 1960. Even though he does not appear in the interim, Hergé makes it clear that Chang is a very special friend to Tintin. "The Blue Lotus" is a first rate Tintin adventure, made all the more special because once World War II began Hergé made a concerted effort to distance his stories from the horrors of the real world. After the war Hergé would deal with East-West tensions on a completely fictional level, making this early adventure of more than passing interest in Hergé's career.

Oh, and in 1981, Georges Remi (a.k.a. Hergé) and Chang Chong-Chen were reunited.