Tintin and The Broken Ear by Hergé

I have re-read 8 Tintins and have been slacking in posting reviews. Here is another one. I still have 14 Tintin Albums to re-read and of course a lot reviews pending.


Title: Tintin and The Broken Ear
Author: Hergé

The Broken Ear 1937, is set in a fictional part of South America. A wooden "Arumbaya" statue with a broken ear is stolen from Tintin's local museum, replaced with a fake, while a man who had made the fake is killed. Tintin is compelled to investigate, and he and his dog Snowy end up travelling to South America to solve that mystery. Things aren't too well down there, revolutions and counter-revolutions leave things politically confusing, and even the citizens aren't really sure who they're supposed to be following. The fact that foreign companies are encouraging war for their own profit doesn't help either.

Once Tintin gets to South America, there is a fair bit of satire infused into the plot. The made-up nation of San Theodoros is in constant civil war and revolution. The General would rather play chess than lead his people, and thanks to his personal promotions, has more colonels than corporals in his army. Tintin too is made a colonel! The instability is taken adventage of by western oil companies and weapons merchants, who persuade the General to go to war against his neighbour for their own gain. This satire is just as relevant today.

It's a pretty engaging adventure, and a must read for Tintin fans!