The Castafiore Emerald is a story in which — essentially — nothing happens. Captain Haddock’s mansion, Marlinspike Hall, can be considered a theater; key characters in the story are the actors in a play. Various outsiders, including a doctor and some gypsies, mingle with the residents. An opera singer invites herself to stay, with her entourage in tow. A builder is forever promising to fix a hazardous problem, and paparazzi skulk in the grounds. Additional “guests” include a television crew, a brass band and two hapless policemen.
The story revolves around a number of supposed thefts and a missing emerald. It seems like almost everyone is a suspect. A cheeky magpie appears at the beginning and right at the end of the story. Could it have something to do with the drama that plagues Marlinspike Hall?
With a great sense of humor and the ability to tell a story without an exotic locale, Hergé takes his readers on a unique Tintin “adventure”…in which the heroes stay at home.