Tintin: A tribute

Charles de Gaulle once said:

"My only international rival is Tintin"

In 1929, an androgynous baby faced reporter made his way into Le Petit Vingtième, a children's supplement to the Belgian newspaper Le XXe Siècle. More than 80 years later, that reporter is a legend and a household name. Tintin was and is more than just a character in a comic. Tintin is a hero; a role model and indeed a paragon whose daring exploits have inspired millions.

In the 20’s and thirties, the average Joe had a really limited knowledge of the world around him. TV had not yet caught on and one could not see anything through a radio. In such a world, tintin’s daring exploits in locations as diverse as Tibet and the Sahara desert were a veritable introduction to Geography for entire generations. They opened the eyes of millions to countries, cultures, landscapes and natural phenomena which were still relatively unheard of. From the sands of the Sahara to bitterly cold mountains of the Himalayas to the Scottish highlands, tintin served as a passionate introduction to planet earth.

Eighty years back, the world was a much worse place than it is now (no matter what elders will tell you convince you otherwise). It was an era of poverty, hunger, depression and yes, racial discrimination. To give you an idea how racially bigoted the world was at that time, let me quote Heinrich Himmler:

“We Germans, who are the only people in the world who have a decent attitude to animals, will also adopt a decent attitude to these human animals, but it is a crime against our own blood to worry about them and to bring them ideals” 

In such an era, the broad mindedness of Georges Remi (tintin’s creator, popularly known as Herge) is frankly, astonishing. This is especially seen in ‘the blue lotus’ where tintin makes a lifelong friend in the Chinese boy Chang, whose life he will later save in ‘Tintin in Tibet’. Chang is modelled on Herge’s real life friend of the same name. In the blue lotus, Herge illustrates how deeply ingrained the notion of racial inequality was even amongst the oppressed through the following lines spoken by Chang when he is rescued by Tintin:

"I'm Chang... But... why did you rescue me?!!?"

The main reason why Tintin is such a role model is that he seems to be a paragon. He leads an enviable lifestyle as a bachelor with an adventurous lifestyle as a reporter. He can fight, fly aeroplanes and is skilled marksman with the pistol. He is kind, generous and essentially flawless. Tintin personifies all of the universal values that are a mirror to everyone's own aspirations. Eternally youthful, the indefatigable reporter continues to conquer the world with unflagging, never-failing vitality. A brilliant supporting cast of characters such as Captain Haddock, Professor Calculus and Thompson & Thomson lend colour, depth, and perspective to tintin’s world.

Not only is tintin flawless, he inspires change in others. When Captain Haddock is introduced into the series in “The crab with the golden claws”, he is a miserable drunken wretch whose ship is used by his first mate, Alan to smuggle drugs. By the time of ‘Tintin in Tibet’, he is a noble man ready to sacrifice his life for tintin.

When was the last time a comic character got a national award? Tintin was awarded Tibet’s highest civilian honour, the light of truth award in 2006 by the Dalai Lama for promoting Tibet thorough ‘tintin in Tibet’

A lasting memory of tintin will be that of him running alongside his faithful dog, snowy, both beaming in eager anticipation of adventure. A powerful image that makes you wish you were in tintin’s wonderful world. Just as you start believing in the reality of his world, you flip over the last page and you are brought back to the cruel reality of this mundane world.

Audrey Niffenegger's masterpiece XD

Title: The time traveller’s wife
Author: Audrey Niffenegger

The time traveller’s wife is a book that will stick with you long after the last page has been turned. This book was recommended to me by my friend Amritha when she saw that I had nothing better to do: P

The moment I saw the cover, I was seized with a nameless fear. The book seemed to ooze a “hey, I am a headache inducing book which you will have to give your entire attention span to” feel. Reading the back did not help one single bit. Considering that I had just finished reading a masterpiece of Wodehousian Insouciance before this, it was with apprehension that I picked up the book. Guess what. This is still a book that you will have to devote your entire attention span to :P (something i discovered when I tried to juggle this book and a peanut butter sandwich simultaneously ;) ) Thankfully, however, this book will not have you reaching out for the nearest strip of aspirin. Au contraire, it takes you on a magical journey of time, longing and bonding that will keep you so engrossed that the red ants will thanks you as they gleefully raid the open peanut butter bottle!

This story tells the tale of Henry and Clare. Henry suffers from a genetic disorder which causes him to take involuntary jaunts in time. Clare and henry meet when she is six and he, thirty six. Thus they begin a life of attachment and separation as they ceaselessly struggle to lead a normal life.

Audrey Niffenegger weaves and blends together wonder,romance,humour and tragedy as smoothly as a chocolatier blends cocoa butter with milk in a book that is intensly moving and entirely unforgettable.

A new dish…

Title: Rani

Author: Jaishree Mishra

Here is a book that lovers of historical fiction would devour and relish and demand second helpings of! Rani is the story of little Manikarnika, with stars in her eyes, who went on to become an unforgettable heroine in Indian history! Picking up a four hundred volume tome with minuscule print is a daunting prospect by itself… but once you get past this challenge, you are in for a treat in the form of a story etched beautifully in the background of the Sepoy Mutiny.

Mani grows up with her playmates Tantia and Nana in a shady haunt near Varanasi under the care of her doting father and a far sighted, indulgent Peshwa. The ground beneath her feet positively rumbles when, at a tender age, she becomes the second wife of Gangadhar, King of Jhansi, a man thrice her age.Playful, thirteen year old Mani parts from her father, family and friends and becomes Lakshmibai- Adopting a new name…Embracing a new life… Shedding her rash, energetic mannerisms.

Like a firmly planted line of dominoes, problems and obstacles stand tall in the way of her happiness, but this erstwhile young Rani knocks them down and wins a place in the hearts of all her subjects.A jealous brother in law…. unacceptable British laws… an ailing husband… a traumatic pregnancy…. and the premature death of her son… Over eight years and sparingly spent tears, she deals with them all with remarkable forbearance. A forbidden romance and the looming war are woven into the skeins of this poignant tale whose predictable ending still leaves you unsettled.

Add a dash of fact and a dollop of fiction… and marinate the ingredients in a sauce of delicious vocabulary and fine narration. Stir in the twists and turns,  grate the finer details and spice it all up with drama. End Result: Rani, by Jaishree Mishra. A dish with several flavours that warms the heart.

And Thereby hangs a tale!

Name: And Thereby hangs a tale
Author: Jeffrey Archer

My fellow bibliophiles, once more we have a book that will draw us into its realms and keep us engrossed. Once more we find a tome that will force us to keep the pages turning and leave us with a throat choked with emotion as every story ends… well, mostly anyway!

Largely based on true incidents and partly derived from his imagination, in his usual disarming way Archer surprises us with a twist at the climax of every tale. Each narrative is unique and entertaining enough to ensure that the reader isn’t tired of the monotony of the same voice. The reader instead, embarks upon a journey to different parts of the world… Italy.. London… Ireland.. India… and many other places where he has a rendezvous with characters from different strata of life.Cunningly woven, each short story explores a theme that is extremely different from its predecessor and successor.

For the greater part, the book is pure genius, but certain stories may leave an ardent fan disappointed. When viewed as a package, though, the book is an ABSOLUTE treasure, with a plethora of protagonists from a woman with a fetish for shoes.. to a diplomat with bad social skills… to Death himself! I flipped over the first page with a beaming smile and turned over the last one with a glistening tear in my eye! Jeffrey Archer’s latest book covers a myriad range of human emotions over fifteen novellas that cant fail to touch the heart of even an ardent hater of fiction!

Read them all at once… Or read them one at at a time and savour the magic… Read them in any order and over any span of time… But just be sure you Read them all. You wont regret investing your time.

All is fair in love-And Cricket!!

Name: The Zoya Factor
Author: Anuja Chauhan
While aimlessly walking through the aisles of a bookstore,  I came across a book that had me laughing for days. In a cricket-crazed nation, I am among that tiny percentage, near extinct species of people, who have almost no interest in the game. Yet, some weird feeling nudged me, and made me go ahead and pick the book up.. and I sure am glad I did!


Zoya Solanki, the “truly spiritually evolved” protagonist, an advertising agent with a sarcastic tongue, chubby face and witty persona, is in no way pleased to be pulled away from the shooting scene of a video involving a shirtless Shah Rukh Khan. She is even less pleased to be informed that she has to work with the Indian Cricket Team and ensure that all tantrums are cut down and that her company can complete the advertisement on time.
Remembering the name of the captain of the team was hardly part of her Job description, and within a few chapters we see a harried Zoya rushing to and fro to keep the Men in Blue happy.
A confrontation with the captain follows... and is succeeded by further delays… foolish remarks… and before we know it, Zoya Singh Solanki is a miracle worker! The lucky charm who administers victory upon any team she has breakfast with on the morning of a match!
Born on 25th June 1983, the identical moment when India won the World Cup, Zoya’s luck is supposedly unfailing… and the ray of sunshine that the dying team has been looking for! Needless to say, Insanity ensues.
Lifted from her busy world, Zoya is thrust into a seemingly parallel universe, with adoring worshippers, money minded officials, a smouldering captain and a raging heart. Throughout this journey, we see how she copes with it all… and this laugh riot will make you heave a sigh of sadness as you turn over the last page and realise that you are done.
Written in a friendly, chatty style, punctuated with gossip columns, pilfered emails and other tidbits… the reader is in for an entertaining experience.
The descriptions and occasional Indian phrases introduce us to Delhi and all its spicy masala, leaving a homey feeling inside us. Despite being predictable in certain places, the plot is not exactly devoid of surprises. The characters are strong, lifelike and believable.. and extremely amusing!
Although it may strictly feature under Chic-litt, the book will have a plethora of readers hooked to it. In short, it’s a lovely read, appealing enough to be read over again!