Customer Reviews

The Castafiore Emerald (The Adventures of Tintin)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Later in his career Herg' set himself of writing what amounts to a kind of anti-Tintin adventure, where nothing really happens to his cast of characters (there are no opium smuggling rings to smash nor any political coups to thwart), and yet everything happens all the same. THE CASTAFIORE EMERALD may in many ways be Herg''s masterpiece, and it is unquestionably the funniest of all his tales, revolving as it does on the theme of miscommunication ("No, this is not Cutts the butcher!"). Naturally at the very heart of it is the Milanese Nightingale herself, Bianca Castafiore, the world's greatest opera star, who deigns to descend upon the only two people in the world who cannot bear to hear her sing, Tintin and Captain Hamhock (er, Haddock). In addition to La Castafiore comes her entourage (her accompaniest Wagner and her maid Irma), a gaggle of photographers, a suspicious band of gypsies, a television crew, and even a local brass band. Before the tale is done Dr. Calculus will experiment with roses and color television, Tintin will have a mystery or two to unravel, Captain Fatstock (er, Haddock) will explode with fury an untold number of times, and the divine Castafiore will be asked (as always) to sing, to Tintin and Captain Haddock's horror, her signature aria from "Faust." "Yes, it was the 'Jewel Song' from 'Faust' that swept me to the pinnacle of fame," the opera star modestly informs her television interviewer, "They say I'm divine..." And she is.

The Castafiore Emerald is without a doubt the funniest Tintin. But it's not the best. The reason is, it is solely confined to Marlinspike and Castafiore is truly irritating. However, it does give Captain Haddock full license to swear like the old sea dog he is. The ending is not climatic but you see why Herge had to write it. Castafiore has been around for a long time (since King Ottokar's Sceptre) and not to write a book that centered on her would have meant many fan's letters asking for such.

A gem.

I loved this book. It was a true beauty. A gem, an emerald even. Though it is one of the more tame Herge books, Tintin and the Captain never leave Marlinspike, it is one of the best. It is Hilarious. I would definetly reccomend this book!!!!

There are some people who regard comic-strip books as childish. This is one that refutes such a notion. I would say that, without doubt, this book is not only the finest example of Herge's art but the finest comic-strip book EVER written/drawn. In many ways it reminds me of some of Hitchcock's films, namely 'Rope' and 'Lifeboat' in which Hitchcock purposefully set himself the challenge of creating drama within a limited space i.e. a single apartment and a lifeboat. Herge clearly set himself the same task as a way to test the boundaries of his skill, and he succeeded stupendously. All the action takes place at Marlinspike, but Herge fills the narrative with some of his greatest creations: 'Calculas, the Thompsons, Bianca Catasfiore, the hideous Wagg and many more. But moreover, the book has a wonderful sense of place and humanity about it. Tintin's midnight stroll through the woods and his surveillance of the gypsies is a superb moment. NOTHING really happens in this book. It is full of red herrings, dead ends and events and characters that are seemingly important but which are, finally, of no consequence at all: the mysterious loiterers are just reporters out for a scoop, the 'ghost' in the attic is only an owl etc.. Hitchcock called these devices 'MacGuffin's' and this book is full of them. It's a stunning masterpiece, both visually and dramatically, and of misdirection and sleight of hand. But certainly not one for kids. It's a book to be savoured and enjoyed. But, like all masterpieces, it is finally inexplicable and must be left to stand for itself. The only Tintin book that comes close to it is 'Flight 714', and that only for the supremacy of the artwork. This IS the ultimate Tintin book.

This book is very different from other tintin titles becoz itdoes not have to much adventure but has a lot of comedy.CaptainHaddock was extremely funny.The house was ringing about with scales,mercy my jewels ! blah blah blah! It was very hilarious and one should definitely

Oh this is a big success!It is a very very funny book which must be definitely readen!I loved it! Bianka Kastafiore comes and drives Captain Haddock crazy.He tries to get rid of her.Oh yeah everyone must read it.KESINLIKLE BU KITABI OKUYUN.It's full of joy!

Once again, Herge had me giggling. Captain Haddock and Tintin have to suffer through Bianca Castafiore's visit to Marlinspike. Endless scales, a stolen diamond, and gypsies complicate everything. But the best thing of all is, it's actually plausible. I'm crazy about Tintin, all Tintin, and this book is the funniest.

When I was a kid I didn't like this book at all, but reading it as an adult I finally appreciate it for what it it, and would even consider it one of my favourite stories. Why? Well, the interesting thing about this book is that not much happens in it - there's no adventure, no jet-setting, no boats or airplanes or explosions; there's not even a villain. Just a compelling mystery, and lots of character development, as well as some pretty good comedy, some social commentary, and great use of recurring incidents. The whole tale is set in Marlinspike Hall and its environs, and it starts with Tintin and Haddock's encounter with gypsies who are camped out next to the garbage dump. Haddock invites them to use part of his land; then Bianca Castafiore drops in for a visit and the real fun begins. She's a prima donna, of course, and can never remember Haddock's name (Captain Hemlock, Captain Fatstock, Captain Drydock, etc etc etc), and brings with her a maid, Irma, and a pianist, Wagner. There's a broken tile on the steps, there's an owl, a nightingale, and Bianca Castafiore's jewels (how many times do we hear Castafiore scream "Mercy, my jewels!"?), which sometimes go missing. Calculus debuts his colour TV invention, Haddock has a romance (sort of), and we get a new character - Mr Bolt, the handyman. Impeccable.

When the Castafiore Emerald came out in the early 60s, reportedly some critics went berserk, pronouncing it the birth of a new art form. Actually, this album is not even among Tintin's best. It is sort of an anti-adventure, since almost all the action happens in Marlinspike (or Moulinsart, in the original). Bianca Castafiore has arrived in Marlinspike uninvited for a vacation, at a time Haddock has a leg in a cast, and a number of things happen during her stay. Things that appear to be serious or ominous, would later turn out to have a simpler explanation (the robbery of the jewels, the mysterious men during the TV interview). The running joke here is that Castafiore is totally unaware of how much she is hated by Haddock. I think Herge wanted to prove here that he would be able to pull off a Tintin album without having the characters go through extraordinary situations. The whole thing is more like a sitcom than an adventure. I don't think this is among Tintin's best albums, but if you are a Tintin fan, I guess the book is still worthwhile reading.

"The Castafiore Emerald" was Herge's 1963 adventure, set completely in Captain Haddock's Marlinspike Hall. It was probably one of my least favorite as a kid because not much happened in it and not many locations were used, but now I realize that that was the whole point, and can appreciate it that way.

Captain Haddock is enjoying life on his Marlinspike Hall estate. He loves to walk through the grounds with his friend Tintin. The gypsies, who have been forced to live in a rubbish dump, aren't having such a great time, so the Captain invites them to camp on his estate. It's no trouble, and there's room for everyone. Or so he thinks. Trouble comes when opera singer Bianca Castafiore (first seen in "King Ottokar's Sceptre") comes and pays the Captain a visit. Captain Haddock sprains his ankle on a broken step, and is confined to a wheelchair. People keep calling up the house, thinking it's the butchers. Journalists swarm in, hungry for gossip and scandal. Ms Castafiore sings loudly and smothers the Captain, asking him to dress properly and comb his hair. Mr Wagg adds to the tension, coming to discuss insurance. A television crew come in, the gossip gets worse and finally the Castafiore Emerald, Bianca's prized possession is stolen. Tintin decides to try and find the culprit. The detectives Thomson and Thompson think it's the gypsies, but it could have been one of the freelance journalists. Mr Wagner, Bianca's pianist, has been acting strangely too. Will all things work out right?

By the plot, I can see why I didn't like it so much as a kid, it's a bit more mature age than usual. Its actually quite interesting when you consider Herge's life at the time. He'd just been divorced, and apparently the overwhelming Bianca Castafiore is based a little on his ex-wife. He was also a little frustrated with the Tintin adventures, and the characters all end up frustrated at each other, particularly the Captain, who really just wants a bit of peace and quiet. The politics are all domestic in this adventure, unlike hte others. It's the thoughts of a well-to-do middle aged, European man in the 1960s. I can imagine Herge strolling through fields like Captain Haddock, thinking this up, venting his frustrations with everything.

On that level, it's very interesting, and well worth reading for Tintin fans. An interesting study of the Tintin characters. The next one, 1968's "Flight 714", would study the nature of some of the Tintin villains, but that's another kettle of fish...