Flight 714 to Sydney

by Hergé

Book Overview

30.5 x 22.5 x 0.8 Weight (gm): 433 Read about the world's most famous travelling reporter in his native language, French, as Tintin's adventures take him Down Under. Tintin, Captain Haddock and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0316358371
• ISBN13: 9780316358378
• Release Date: April 1975
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Length: 62 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 8.6" x 11.6"
• Age Range: 10 to 13 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 8

Customer Reviews

"It's a bore to stop being a millionaire."

Reader opinion is divided over the merits of Flight 714. Far and away the most modern of Belgian writer Herge's Tintin comic books, Flight 714 deals with industrial espionage, aliens, and a surprising amount of gunplay for a Tintin adventure. Some fans saw it as an unwelcome departure from the quaint European jet-setting of books past; more than that, however, the book shows that Herge understood that the world was changing. The Cold War had begun, and the people were unsafe in new and frightening ways. For all that bleakness, the book is more action-packed than many of the others, and it ends happily, as does every Tintin book. It's also the next-to-last book in the series, followed by Tintin and the Picaros.

Flight 714: Non-stop entertaining adventure

Yet again, we get a glimpse of Herge's creative genius in this action-packed Tintin adventure. This Tintin adventure is unlike any other simply because it has hints of being based on some sort of a magical success-formula, not unlike one that would ensure a James Bond movie box-office hit! In sort, it features an eccentric millionaire, an airplane hijacking, a secret island base of Tintin's archrival- the evil Rastapopulous, the return of Captain Haddock's nemesis- Allan (from "The Crab with the Golden Claws", "The Red Sea Sharks"), and also the return of a friend-Skut (from "The Red Sea Sharks"), lot's of gunmen, volcano eruptions, and even a mysterious alien encounter. The plot is quite simple: Rastapopulous wishes to obtain millionaire Lazslo Carreidas's fortune by kidnapping him and getting him to, rather willing fully, reveal his wealth-related secrets- of course with the aid of a scientist's "truth formula" injection. However, getting Tintin, Captain Haddock, Snowy, and Professor Calculus into the picture changes the simplicity of the equation. The artwork, as is the case with the last Tintin book (Tintin and the Picaros), is simply outstanding among all Tintin books-which are already top quality in the first place! One scene I fondly remember is that of Allan catching sight of a monkey and then trying to recall who it reminds him of (based on the shape of its nose), and then realizing that it reminds him of none other than his boss-Rastapopulous. Herge's drawing of Allan's facial expressions (and even Rastapopulous's, as he seems to realize what's in Allan's mind) in this sequence, yet again, displays how effortlessly he could make his characters "talk" to the reader. It is peculiar to note how different this adventure is to its preceding one-The Castafiore Emerald, in which, our heroes don't even leave Marlinshire. Perhaps, Herge himself longed for Tintin to go on another exciting adventure. Definitely, one of the best Tintin stories, great for all ages and very entertaining!!!

Stunning, stunning, stunning

Probably the greatest example of the Herge studios ART, 'Flight 714' is a great book. The illustrations, now with the benefit of an airbrush (see the final pages in the caldera) are SUPERB and thrill me everytime I see them. Apart from the Erik von Daniken references, which seem to date the book somewhat, this is a classic. The comic highlight is the grotesque encounter between Rastapopolous and the hideous Carreidas in the prison on the island. They battle to out-do each other, in terms of evil deeds. And it's an absolute masterstroke. But the whole book has an immense 'atmosphere' to it, helped, I think, by the beautifully rendered depiction of the island, the eerie subterranean passages, the presence of an older civilisation and the thrilling 'caldera' finale. BUY it. READ it. And then read it again. It's a genuine classic that will be read for many generations to come.

Tintin vs. Rastopopulos!

Flight 714 is the best Tintin volume ever! Not only does this album contain a rather odd alien encounter, but it also features the final showdown between Tintin and Rastapopulos! If you like confrontation or science fiction, this book is for you!

One of Herge's best, IMHO

From early childhood, I discovered Herge's Tintin books in the local library. In my humble opinion, "Flight 714" is one of his best works and remains my all-time favorite to this day. Tintin and Co. are faced with insurmountable odds as they're skyjacked and taken to a remote island. As always, Herge instantly imprints upon the reader's mind with the unique chemistry of the characters, the stunning artwork and the attention to detail. The book is chock full of action and the ending is mysterious and unique. This is a MUST READ for any Tintin fan.