The gilded House of Samarkand

the gilded House of Samarkand (in Italian put It dorata di Samarcanda ) is a cartoon of Hugo Pratt, 26e ventures Corto Maltese. She succeeds Fable of Venice .

This account begins in December 1921 with Rhodos and finishes in September 1922 at the border which separates the Afghanistan from the the Indies. Corto crosses through three incipient states: the Republic Turkey, the Soviet Union and the Iran of Reza Pahlavi. It is with the research of the treasure of the Persian king, Cyrus - hidden by Alexandre Large the -, pretext to release Raspoutine of the “gilded House”.

History

In December 1921, Corto Maltese is with Rhodos. He discovered in the notes of the Baron Corvo that Edward John Trelawnay would have hidden the memories of his/her friend Lord Byron “under the moon on the Kawakly mosque”. He embarks to go in Asia Mineure. After having succeeded in finding the manuscript, it is challenged by an individual who takes it for certain Timur Chevket. Its denials are useless, because the resemblance is such, that it does not resist any denial. It is thus led to a meeting of a nationalist movement where this Chevket is awaited. The general Enver Pasha, évincé by Kemal, become president of Turkey, it wants to take his revenge. To conquer the capacity, it broke with the Bolcheviks and joined the Musulman S anticommunists. Chevket/Corto must leave to find it with the Turkestan. Of leaving the meeting, Corto thinks only of one thing: to disappear as fast as possible.

It turns over in its hostess and friend, Cassandre, tell him her mishap. The evening, he studies the found chart and the manuscript. The following day, it crosses the the Mediterranean to go in Asia Mineure. When it unloads on the coasts of the gulf of Adalia, corto is located by a patrol which recognizes in him Chevket. It is taken along in a camp of deserters Turkish where it makes to the knowledge of one their prisoners: a named actress Marianne.

It arrives at Adana, in Cilicie, in January 1922 and is introduced into a school Derviche where it thinks of being able to be helped to release his friend Raspoutine of the prison called the “gilded House of Samarkand”. Corto is on the point of leaving Adana when it finds Marianne énamourée which wants to leave with him. It involves it in a Shadow theater S where a representation of Karagöz is played. Intrigued by a puppet with the effigy of Raspoutine, it finds nose with nose with an old knowledge which seeks also the famous treasure. Struck, stripped, it is thrown in a military truck led by Kurdish soldiers who roll to join the commander Chevket with Van.

Arrived in the city in March 1922, Corto fears the meeting with its double. It becomes acquainted with old the iman, Zorah which intercedes in its favor near the priests so that it can cross the Azerbaïdjan. Before crossing the border the Zorah old man wants to entrust to him 11 years a Armenian young girl. She is the only survivor of the massacre of her parents. It would be necessary that it helps it to join its family in Russian Arménie. A car awaits Corto. Inside the “old knowledge”, accompanied by Marianne, invites it to go up to cross the border. Its true identity is now recognized by the nationalists Turkish, thanks to the papers found on him after its aggression. As for small Armenian, it is retained as an hostage by their chief, in exchange of the treasure. The trio crossed the border, enters in Perse and moves towards the fortress of Alamüth.

At the same time, in the “gilded House”, Raspoutine is trailed in front of the Chevket general whom it takes for Maltese and is astonished to see it in uniform of Turkish officer. After having succeeds in convincing it that it is not that which it believes, the general proposes to him to release it if it accepts his offer. Within sight of its file, it found all “qualities to him” to become instructor of the army of Enver Pasha. On their side, Corto and its two accompanying are hailed by soldiers of the Red Army shortly after their arrival with the fortress with Alamüth. Threatened to be shot, Corto utilizes his/her old comrade, Joseph Djougachvili, which it did not re-examine since the year 1907, when they were with Ancône. Thanks to this support, Corto Maltese obtains without difficulty them allowed to embark with its assistants with Baku and to cross in June 1922 the Caspian Sea until Krasnovodsk.

During this time, in the citadel of Enver Pasha, close to Baldzhuan, to Turkestan (current Tadjikistan), Timur Chevket, introduces the new military instructor to the general. Meanwhile, it was informed of the existence of that which one takes for him; that it is in the search of a fabulous treasure whose Armenian gamine is the currency of exchange. He entrusted the guard besides of it to Raspoutine. The attitude of the young girl in her connection, displeases already in Raspoutine and it continues it to correct it. Driven back at the edge of a ravine, it has of another recourse only of him to launch a stone adjusted well to defend oneself. Struck it falls into the chasm.

Ten Days after, the wrapped head of a bandage, Raspoutine leave its coma. Marianne is with its bedside. It did without much things in ten days. Corto teaches him that it has appointment with Chevket in Kafiristan, that it will be with the Armenian young person to exchange it against its indications to find the treasure. Crammed by the treasure, Raspoutine wants to go there with him.

Suddenly, the citadel is attacked by a Armenian battalion of the Red Army. The combat makes rage. Corto and Raspoutine try to be withdrawn from it… Soon the Armenians are folded up. Believer who he is the project superintendent of this retreat, Enver Pasha comes to horse, to congratulate it Raspoutine does not contradict it. This truce is only one deferment, the general knows it, because its men give up it. Knowing its lost cause, it returns in Raspoutine its freedom and, saber with light, springs with the gallop towards the enemy infantrymen. The occasion is too beautiful for the Armenians. This August 4th 1922, they finally will be avenged for their torturer.

It is necessary to find the women and to flee this hell. But one of them is pregnant and cannot follow them. They will remain together while they in order to will discover “Large Gold to the front of Chevket”, treasure of Alexandre. September 5th 1922, close to the Kafirnagamjour river, place of the appointment fixed with Chevket, the night falls already on the Afghan border.

Corto Maltese : “My mother says that to meet its double door misfortune…”

Protagonists

historical characters

the president of the new Turkish republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
the Turkish general Enver Bey or Enver Pasha, one of the persons in charge of the Genocide of the Armenians in 1915.

principal characters of fiction

Corto Maltese
Raspoutine
the general Timur Chevket, double of Corto, chief of the Pantourien movement, friend of Enver Pasha.
Cassandre, friend of Corto to Rhodos.
Marianne, actress.
Venexiana Stevenson, adventurous.

Analyzes

the gilded House of Samarkand accumulates the adventures of the cartoons of traditional adventure all in their removing their conventional character, all the mysteries generally being solved at once. The scenario is in its broad outlines him also déceptif: the sought treasure is never found, Corto never meets its double in reality. Corto there is lost than in the preceding albums, and is more the object of multiple ironic loads on behalf of Pratt, which it dépeind full with incomprehension vis-a-vis the myriad of supporting characters that it crosses. It is that this album, between drugs and memories, grants a paramount place to the dream, in a succession of “pieces of anthologies” (the memory met when Corto smokes, dance with Raspoutine, the exchange in the latter and the princess) which confirm the importance of Pratt in the cartoon. It confirms the increasingly marked slip of Corto Maltese towards the oneiric one, which finds its completion in 1992 Mû .

Posterity

Critical reception

As for all the albums of Corto Maltese , the gilded House of Samarkand is particularly well accommodated by criticism, in spite of the difficulties of publications. the Books of the cartoon devote their heading thus to him “Essential” the in November 1986.

Adaptations

the gilded House of Samarkand was adapted in 2003 by Henri Colomer in a means-measuring of animation carried out by Richard Danto and Liam Saury for the Studio Canal. Corto Maltese is doubled by Richard Berry, Raspoutine by Patrick Bouchitey and Marianne by Catherine Jacob.

Publications

the gilded House of Samarkand is the only adventure of Corto Maltese has to be published simultaneously in Italian and in the French translation, as from September 1980. However, (TO BE FOLLOWED) stops the in January 1981 publication of it, and it is necessary to await the creation of the magazine Corto in 1985 to see the end of the history published. The following year, the album is published.

Reviews

the gilded House of Samarkan , in (TO BE FOLLOWED) n°31-32 at 37, Casterman, August-September 1980 - January 1981.
Put It dorada di Samarkand , in Linus n°9/1980 to 1/1981, editor of the magazine, September 1980 - January 1981
the gilded House of Samarkan , in Corto n°1 at 7, Casterman, May 1985 - January 1986

Albums (in French)

the gilded House of Samarkand , stitched edition, black and white, Casterman, 1986.
the gilded House of Samarkand , edition connected, colors, 1992.

Appendices

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