The Tintin comic books by Belgium writer and artist Georges
Rémi are much loved by millions of readers around the world. Written originally
in French, starting in 1929, they have been translated into many other
languages, including English, Chinese, Russian, Italian and Polish, to name
just a few.
The books follow the adventures of the young reporter
Tintin and his faithful dog Milou (Snowy in English). A cast of major characters
travel with Tintin, including Capitaine Haddock (Captain Haddock), Professor
Tournesol (Professor Calculus), and the police detectives Dupond and Dupont (Thompson
and Thomson). There are also a host of minor characters and, naturally, plenty
of baddies.
If you are already familiar with Tintin in English, or
other language, then you can use your existing knowledge and enthusiasm to
tackle the books in French. Another option is to have the book in front of you
in both English and French versions.
I read “Objectif lune” (Destination Moon), first
published in 1953. The story follows the development of a working moon rocket,
well before the first actual moon landing in 1969.
Most of the story takes place at a tightly-guarded research
centre in a remote mountain region of the fictional country of Syldavia. All
does not go smoothly though, as it transpires espionage is afoot.
The story is a mix of serious plot and humourous
incidents, the latter often involving the somewhat hapless Capitaine Haddock
and the at times absent-minded and hard-of-hearing Professor Tournesol. The Professor
uses a hearing trumpet – a technology that doesn’t always work very
effectively!
Georges Rémi is well known for the attention to detail
and realism of his drawings. The colourful illustrations put the text – most of
which is in speech bubbles – in context and helps with comprehension. Be aware,
however, that some of the exclamations produced by the excitable Capitaine
Haddock can be challenging!
I highly recommend
reading Tintin books as a way to practice your French and build on your
vocabulary. They can also be a type of barometer of your personal progress in French
reading comprehension. The first time I tried to read Tintin, I could only make
out a few words here and there. But on returning to Tintin after time spent in
French class and lots of reading of graded readers, I found that I could understand significantly more. One
day I will dip in again and hopefully will be able to understand even more.
To find Tintin books
in French outside the francophone world, try your local French cultural centre,
or the children’s French language section at your local public library. Books
may also be purchased directly from the publisher, Casterman (in French) or the Boutique Tintin online store.
Read more about Tintin at the official site.
The French version of the Tintin site includes additional material such as “Tintin TV”.
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