Tintin in the New World: A Romance

***Tintin in the New World: A Romance*** is a 1993 novel by American writer Frederic Tuten. The story follows Tintin, Captain Haddock, and Snowy going to Machu Picchu, Peru to meet with a group of mysterious intellectuals. While visiting, Tintin falls in love with an older debutante named Madame Clavdia Chauchat. The novel's author pitched the novel's concept to Tintin creator Georges "Hergé " Remi before his death, and received his official approval to write the novel, making it the first and only *Tintin* fan fiction to be professionally published.

## Synopsis

One evening at Marlinspike Hall, Tintin is restless, and uninterested in his usual hobbies. He is now an adult man, but unable to grow up, both physically and mentally after years of maintaining his image of a wholesome child star. Tintin's boredom is alleviated when he receives an unsigned letter inviting him to Machu Picchu, and the group soon ventures out to Peru, stopping first in Cuzco. They meet a group of eccentric intellectuals who quickly welcome Tintin into their presence; they are the mysterious, alluring Madame Chauchat, the twitchy Lieutenant Naptha, the imposing Lieutenant Peeperkorn (whom is also Clavdia's lover), and the capitalist Signor Settembrini. Tintin's crew join them for long philosophical discussions, while he and Chauchat hit it off. That night, Tintin is invited to Chauchat's hotel room, and the two make love.

That night, both Tintin and Clavdia have a long, winding dream about being lost in the wilderness, escaping, and then living together at Marlinspike Hall. Tintin awakes from the dream alone and feeling less rested. The crew goes to Machu Picchu and meets with Lieutenant Nelson dos Amantes, a staunch anti-colonialist, and he hosts an animated dinner discussion. Peeperkorn begins to tell a long, wild story about his past, including his opinions of women, and an agitated Clavdia knocks over a tray of cups and leaves. The philosophical discussion carries on well into the next morning.

Peeperkorn invites Tintin to come look at his paintings. Much of them are portraits of Clavdia, and while looking at them, Tintin realizes he is in love with her. Peeperkorn admits he is running out of ideas to paint, and Tintin volunteers himself as the next painting muse. Peeperkorn seems to sense Tintin has feelings for Clavdia, and begins to tell Tintin about how "crazy" she is, and how many suitors she's had over the years. Tintin is disgusted and refuses to listen, not wanting Clavdia's image to be broken for himself. That afternoon, Peeperkorn and Clavdia break up, and Tintin finds the two of them near a cliff's edge. Peeperkorn steps off the edge, while Tintin leads Clavdia away from the edge, and returns to the hotel with her. The group discusses the late Peeperkorn while he is being cremated elsewhere; during this, Tintin realizes that he now feels like a grown man.

The novel ends with Clavdia rejecting Tintin's proposal to move with him to Marlinspike. Tintin considers jumping off the same cliff as Peeperkorn, but instead, decides to work with Lieutenant dos Amantes. Captain Haddock takes Snowy back to Marlinspike Hall, while Tintin becomes a wandering traveller in South America.

## Allusions

Chauchat, Naptha, Peeperkorn, and Settembrini are adapted from the 1924 novel *The Magic Mountain* by Thomas Mann. The four are "allegorical characters"; each of them in their original context represent a theme or concept, rather than being an individual person. Chauchat represents lust and desire, Naptha represents radicalism, Settembrini represents humanism, and Peeperkorn represents human impulse and emotionalism.

## Reception

While largely forgotten in the modern era, *New World* was declared one of the New York Times' Notable Books of the Year for 1993. However, fans of the comics have had mixed opinions on the novel. Wilda Williams, writer from the Library Journal, wrote in 1993, "Fans of the original Hergé books will find this a pretentious bore, an example of the kind of pomposity Hergé loved to mock."

## Availability

Digital copies exist online, but are generally fan-made scans in lieu of an official ebook version. Physical copies of *New World* are frequently listed online for sale through second-hand book retailers.

## References

1. ↑ The Magic Mountain | Allegorical characters - Wikipedia
2. ↑ *Library Journal* Volume 118 No. 6