Corto Maltese - Una ballata del mare salato

Corto Maltese #1

by Hugo Pratt

Una ballata del mare salato è un eccezionale romanzo a fumetti, scritto e disegnato da Hugo Pratt nel 1967 in completa libertà espressiva. Affresco del passaggio dell'infanzia all'adolescenza di Pandora e del cugino Cain, si svolge fra il 1913 e il 1915, sullo sfondo di un'insolita Prima Guerra Mondiale combattuta nell'Oceano Pacifico. Nella Ballata debutta il romantico marinaio Corto Maltese, qui in veste di pirata, destinato a divenire una delle più straordinarie icone fumettistiche mondiali.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Bande Dessinée, Adventure, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Italian Literature

255 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

Hugo Pratt, born Ugo Eugenio Prat (1927–1995), was an Italian comic book writer and artist. Internationally known for Corto Maltese, a series of adventure comics first published in Italy and France between 1967 and 1991, Pratt is regarded as a pioneer of the literary graphic novel.

Born in Rimini, Italy, Pratt spent his childhood in Venice in a cosmopolitan family environment. In 1937, ten-years old Hugo moved with his parents to Ethiopia, East Africa, following the Italian occupation of the country. Pratt's father eventually died as a prisoner of war in 1942. Hugo himself and his mother spent some time in a British prison camp in Africa, before being sent back to Venice. This childhood experiences shaped Pratt's fascination with military uniforms, machineries and settings, a visual constant in most of his adult works.
As a young artist in post-war Italy, Pratt was part of the so-called 'Venice Group', which also included cartoonists Alberto Ongaro, Mario Faustinelli. Their magazine Asso di Picche, launched in 1945, mostly featured adventure comics.
In 1949 Pratt moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he worked for various local publishers and interacted with well-known Argentine cartoonists, most notably Alberto Breccia and Solano López, while also teaching at the Escuela Panamericana de Arte. During this period he produced his first notable comic books: Sgt. Kirk and Ernie Pike, written by Héctor Germán Oesterheld; Anna nella jungla, Capitan Cormorant and Wheeling, as a complete author.
From the summer of 1959 to the summer of 1960, Pratt lived in London drawing war comics by British scriptwriters for Fleetway Publications. He returned to Argentina for a couple more years, then moved back to Italy in 1962. Here he started collaborating with the comics magazine Il Corriere dei Piccoli, for which he adapted several classics, including works by Robert Louis Stevenson.
In 1967, Hugo Pratt and entrepreneur Florenzo Ivaldi created the comics magazine Il Sergente Kirk, named after one of Pratt's original characters. Pratt's most famous work, Una ballata del mare salato (1967, The Ballad of the Salty Sea) was serialised in the pages of this magazine. The story can be seen as one of the first modern graphic novels. It also introduced Pratt's best known character, mariner and adventurer Corto Maltese. Corto became the protagonist of its own series three years later in the French comics magazine Pif gadget. Pratt would continue releasing new Corto Maltese books every few years until 1991. Corto's stories are set in various parts of the world, in a given moment in the first three decades of the 20th century. They often tangently deal with real historical events or real historical figures. The series gave Pratt international notoriety, being eventually translated into fifteen languages.
Pratt's other works include Gli scorpioni del deserto (1969-1992), a series of military adventures set in East Africa during WWII, and a few one-shots published for Bonelli's comic magazine Un Uomo Un'Avventura ('One Man One Adventure'), most notably the short story Jesuit Joe (1980, The Man from the Great North). He also scripted a couple of stories for his pupil Milo Manara.
Pratt lived in France from 1970 to 1984, then in Switzerland till his death from bowel cancer in 1995.

Reviews

[Orsodimondo · Rating 5 out of 5]

AVREBBE POTUTO ESSERE TUTTO E PREFERÌ ESSERE NESSUNO



1967: nasce Corto Maltese, un nome che è tutto un programma. Come quello del suo creatore d’altronde: Hugo Pratt.
E con Corto nasce, forse, la graphic novel italiana: questa ballata del mare salato è a tutti gli effetti un romanzo per immagini.
Un mix irresistibile di disincanto, ironia e romanticismo, con disegni pazzeschi per raccontare avventure in luoghi magici.

La prima volta che ho incontrato Corto è diventato per me come una specie di padre. Il modello al quale ispirarsi, che si vorrebbe riuscire a seguire.
Ora che sono cresciuto lo sento piuttosto come un amico. Un amico fedele. Di quelli che non deludono.

Ma, forse, conoscendolo da tanto, quello davvero fedele sono io. 😉

Il vecchio mondo creato dai nostri padri polinesiani è ormai morto. I templi di pietra sono stati distrutti. I loro tamburi e le buccine tacciono da gran tempo: Tane, Turongo , Tangaroa e gli altri figli del padre cielo e della madre terra ci hanno abbandonati. Le grandi piroghe capaci di attraversare l’oceano sono diventate polvere e i capitani che le hanno guidate, i carpentieri che le hanno costruite abitano oggi la terra degli spiriti. Non ti sorprendere se i Maori hanno dimenticato i vecchi nomi, e usano quelli dei bianchi.

[Michael Finocchiaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

[UPDATED 2024]
One of the greatest graphic novels ever by the Italian Hugo Pratt, Corto Maltese: La ballade de la mer salée is a beautiful black and white inked comic with the swashbuckling dark and handsome mercenary sailor Corto Maltese with his alter-ego Rasputin. The art and text are both Pratt's. I saw an expo here in Paris at the now-defunct Pinacoteque in 2001 where they filled an entire room of the handwritten proofs for the book - total nerdgasm. You can still find the catalogue around (https://www.leslibraires.fr/livre/176...) and it is stunning. This is probably my favorite Corto tale, but use it as a gateway into his mysterious but amazing world. An absolute classic.

Currently, at the Pompidou in Paris on the 2nd floor BPI Library, there is yet another Corto expo that is a must-see. The universe of Corto is poetic and a vague mirror of the life that Hugo Pratt himself lived. We meet the young and seductive Pandora who Corto is smitten with, the brave Captain Slütter, the unpredictable Rasputin, and a host of other beautifully drawn characters in this adventure that takes place in the South Pacific before and during the start of WWI. The artwork borders on abstract at times but is always evocative and conveys both motion and emotion.
Check out this famous video of Hugo drawing Corto with a magic marker, just magic: https://youtu.be/NI7ahtaYbnY?si=MxcaL...

[Algernon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been hearing good things about Hugo Pratt, yet I was still surprised by how much I enjoyed the adventures of his hero, Corto Maltese, in this first album, set in the early years on World War I among the exotic islands of the South Pacific. I have come across a quote by Bill Bryson in a travel book I finished only a couple of weeks ago that seems appropriate her: Bill visits the Maritime Museum in Liverpool, and laments the passing of the age of sail and discovery. "Once there was infinite romance in the sea ..." exclaims Bryson, and here I am, a few days later, falling under the spell of the Mollucas and the Sulawesi and of all the other spice scented Polynesian coves promising adventure and danger and love under a tropical moon.

The year is 1914, and a local catamaran crewed by savages and commanded by a rogue named Rasputin picks up a couple of stray European youngsters from the middle of the ocean. A few miles further on and another marooned sailor is brought onboard : he goes by the name of Corto Maltese and he has been cast overboard by his own crew over some undisclosed trouble about a woman. Soon enough there will be piracy, and warships from Germany, from Japan or from New Zealand; there will be cannibals and headhunters, Maoris and sharks and guns going off in the middle of the night; there will be singing and invocations of Polynesian deities; there will be secrets and an evil mastermind in a hooded cloak who rules the sea lanes from an island that can't be found on any map, called Escondida; there will be betrayals and unexpected friendships and a beautiful girl with a fiery temper.



In the middle of all this stands a tall, dark man with long sideburns, a captains cap on his curly head and a lazy smile around a cigar that seems permanently stuck to the corner of his mouth. Who is he and where does he come from? What does he want from life? Is he a pirate and an outcast like the rest of the wild bunch on Escondida, or is he a secret ally of the two yougsters held for ransom? Corto Maltese is all this and more: a lone wolf, a taciturn man who prefers to keep his own counsel, an opportunist who will strike when he gets the chance for wealth or revenge, a poker player who keeps his cards very close to his chest. Hugo Pratt names among his influences the name of Joseph Conrad, and this first album, "The Ballad of the Salt Sea", is clearly for me a homage paid to Conrad not so much for the exotic locations, as for the independent and aloof nature of its lead character, for the romantic interest in local cultures and the mysticism of the 'savage', ultimately for the sense of tragedy and futility that awaits at the end of the journey.



Hugo Pratt excells in my opinion in both the storytelling and the graphic aspects of the art of writing comic books. I have talked already about the plot, and I would like to add that Pratt finds a good balance between the need for action and for developing strong, memorable secondary characters: Cory and Pandorra, the two heirs of an Australian Shipping empire, a German Lieutenant, the nasked Monk who rules on Escondida, the rascal Rasputin, a young Maori navigator, a savage friend of Corto named Cranio - each have a role to play in the events, and each has a secret or a surprise up his or her sleeve.

I have read the black & white version of the album. I know there is a coloured alternative, but I very much prefer the stark lines and the dramatic potential offered by the monochrome treatment. I believe I can safely say that Hugo Pratt has been a major influence on the work of Frank Miller and that fans of "Sin City" will be in familiar territory as they peruse the Corto Maltese panels. I liked in particular the wide angled vistas of sand dunes, palm trees, seagulls and sails huggind the distant horizon. The close-ups may look from time to time sloppy and rushed (as did some of Frank Miller's), but they never fail to capture emotion, which is the main thing in the end.



Corto Maltese will go from Escondida to new adventures all around the world, wherever the salt seas and the trade winds will push him, and I am keen to follow in his footsteps. Recommended for fans of realistic, novel-style European comics that appeal equally to a younger and to a more mature audience (no need for parental advisory, in my opinion)

[Warwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you don't know Corto Maltese, imagine something like Tintin reimagined by Conrad. What you're going to get is globetrotting adventure with a seafaring bent, historical hijinks, along with a strange infusion of melancholy, wanderlust and the kind of complex characters not always associated with comics. Though not well known outside Europe, this series is one of the most influential in comic book history, and foundational to what we'd now call the ‘graphic novel’ – and it still stands up well.

This first instalment, Una ballata del mare salato (‘A ballad of the salt sea’, though ineptly translated as The Ballad of the Salty Sea in some English editions) takes place in Melanesia in 1913, where a heated mix of Germans, Russians, English and Pacific islanders interact in the prelude to the First World War. Part of the pleasure, actually, is in seeing this particular slice of time and place – not exactly an over-represented one – brought to life so well.



Lots of things come to mind when you read this. On the one hand it feels a bit like one of those boys'-own adventures (pirates! hooded figures! natives!) of the kind that, in graphic form, would be printed alongside Dan Dare in comics like Eagle. Here, though, the goodies are not that good, the baddies are not that bad, and they don't break down along national lines the way we expect from this kind of thing.

From a literary point of view, the influences are worn openly: Jack London, Melville, Conrad, Robert Louis Stevenson, Coleridge's ‘Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ are all in there, along with a lot of French literature. In terms of the genre, Pratt was obviously hugely influenced by the American cartoonist Milton Caniff; his style in this early volume is still forming, with a constant awareness of perspective, some scrappy faces, and a penchant for stark figures silhouetted against broad landscapes.



Pratt had a fascinating life: born in Italy, he grew up in Abyssinia during the war, later based himself in South America, had long periods in France, and spend the last ten years of his life in Switzerland. The restlessness and the desire to know what's over the horizon is the thing that makes Corto Maltese feel very different from, say, Tintin – he has something of his creator's peripatetic independence.

‘Cuando ero bambino mi accorsi che non avevo la linea della fortuna sulla mano. Così presi il rasoio di mio padre e zac! Me ne feci una come volevo.’

When I was a child, I realised I didn't have a fate line on my palm. So I took my father's razor, and bam! – I made my own, the way I wanted it.’

You can see Pratt's influence on a whole generation of Italian and French comic-book artists. I wish I'd read all of these when I was a kid, but even now I find them very moving in ways I can't entirely articulate.

[George K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Επιτέλους, διάβασα ιστορία με ήρωα τον Κόρτο Μαλτέζε, δια χειρός Ούγκο Πρατ. Τα δυο προηγούμενα κόμικ με πρωταγωνιστή τον Κόρτο Μαλτέζε που είχα την τύχη να απολαύσω, ήταν τα "Εκουατόρια" και "Κάτω από τον Ήλιο του Μεσονυκτίου", αλλά εκείνα ήταν σύγχρονα και έγχρωμα κόμικς άλλων δημιουργών. Τώρα μιλάμε για το αυθεντικό πράγμα. Λοιπόν, με βάση και προηγούμενες δουλειές του Πρατ που έχω διαβάσει, αλλά και με βάση κριτικές, βαθμολογίες και την όλη φήμη που έχει το συγκεκριμένο κόμικ, είχα αρκετά υψηλές προσδοκίες, όπως επίσης και λίγο άγχος γιατί πραγματικά ήλπιζα να βρουν ανταπόκριση αυτές οι προσδοκίες. Αλλά τέλος καλό, όλα καλά: Δηλώνω ενθουσιασμένος. Απόλαυσα μια πραγματικά χορταστική και συναρπαστική περιπέτεια σε εξωτικά τοπία, γνώρισα ένα κάρο ενδιαφέροντες χαρακτήρες, ταξίδεψα σε μέρη μακρινά και εποχές λησμονημένες. Δεν νιώθω ότι διάβασα απλά ένα κόμικ, αλλά ένα μεγάλο βιβλίο γεμάτο δράση, αγωνία και ένταση, με ολοζώνταντους χαρακτήρες και συναρπαστικά ιστορικά στοιχεία. Η ιστορία είναι πολύ καλογραμμένη και η όλη δομή της πλοκής εξαιρετική, ενώ το ασπρόμαυρο σχέδιο είναι φοβερό, από τα τοπία και τα διάφορα σκηνικά, μέχρι τους χαρακτήρες και τις εκφράσεις των προσώπων τους, ο Πρατ έδωσε ρέστα. Τώρα δεν βλέπω την ώρα να απολαύσω και άλλες ιστορίες με ήρωα τον Κόρτο Μαλτέζε: Ευτυχώς έχω κάμποσες.

[Voja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sećam se, kad sam bio klinac, i ljubitelj stripova, svog prvog susreta sa Korto Malteze-om. Ako mi je išta ostalo u sećanju, to je poruka o sudbini. Malteze je, naime, za one koji nisu imali susret sa njim, na dlanu iscrtao crtu svoje sreće, sudbine. Kao klinjo, podrazumeva se, verovao sam u to da je sudbina kreirana, da nismo sami odgovorni za sve - a kako bismo inače u tom dobu prihvatili tako strašnu činjenicu da lažljivi manipulatori sa kompleksom supermena neće biti kažnjeni za svoja (ne)dela, već da isti mogu dogorati do pozicije predsednika - da postoji neka viša sila koja odlučuje. Ali taj čin Korta bio je toliko moćan i upečatljiv da ċu ga pamtiti do smrti - čin koji je, ironije li, izmenio mene, moju "sudbinu". U svetu koji je stvorio Hugo Prat nema sudbine, nego ličnog angažovanja. To može biti teret, ali je ujedno i olakšavajuća spoznaja da sami biramo karte koje će nam "sudbina" dodeliti. Pored toga, u tom svetu koji je stvorio, imamo niz "stvarnih" likova, čitav dijapazon fenomenalno osmišljenih aktera koji idu toliko daleko od obične podele na dobre i zle da je njihova karakterizacija na nivou velikih književnih dela.

Ako bih ljubitelju muzike, bez obzira na njegov ukus, pod pretpostavkom da nije slušao Mejdene, preporučio bih mu da presluša drugi album, isto kao što bih ljubitelju književnosti preporučio da čita Hugo Prata. Jednostavno, neka dela nadilaze žanrovske oblike, postaju delo izvan umetničkog okvira u kom je prvobitno nastalo.

[Albus Eugene Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ehilà Corto … come va? Stai prendendo il sole? …
Ho conosciuto e amato Pratt quando sul “Corriere dei piccoli”, tanto, ma tanto tempo fa …, apparvero le sue storie a puntate. Storie esotiche e immaginifiche dove un marinaio con l’orecchino e la giubba blu, nato il 10 luglio, attraversava la vita con l’ironico disincanto di un Humphrey Bogart a due dimensioni e dove i fucili facevano “crack!”.
Oltre alla storia, bellissima, questo volume contiene tantissimi meravigliosi schizzi e acquerelli che accompagnano gli scritti di alcuni autorevoli scrittori ed artisti. Riflessioni che impreziosiscono questo primo volume della splendida inziativa editoriale di una decina di anni fa dedicata alle opere maggiori di Pratt. Leggeremo “In viaggio con Corto” di Oscar Colsulich; “Geografia imperfetta di Corto Maltese” di Umberto Eco; “Parola d’autore” di Vittorio Giardino; “La lunga storia di una ballata” di Luca Boschi.
«Proprio perché non assomigli a nessuna avrei voluto incontrarti sempre … in qualsiasi posto …»
Arrivederci, Corto Maltese …

[Eliasdgian · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Και πιστεύεις πραγματικά πως θα ΄σαι γουρλής για πάντα;"
"Μα, βέβαια, καλή μου... Όταν ήμουν μικρός, μου είπαν πως δεν είχα τη γραμμή της τύχης στην παλάμη, πήρα λοιπόν το ξυράφι του πατέρα μου και τσακ... έφτιαξα μια όπως την ήθελα..."

Η Πανδώρα ρωτάει, ο Κόρτο Μαλτέζε αποκρίνεται. Διά χειρός Ούγκο Πρατ, το σωτήριον έτος 1967, στην Μπαλάντα της Αλμυρής Θάλασσας, το κόμικ άλμπουμ που σύστησε στο αναγνωστικό κοινό τον μικρό Μαλτέζο (grazie Hugo!) και συμπεριλήφθηκε από την εφημερίδα Le Monde στα 100 (καλύτερα) βιβλία του 20ου αιώνα.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this because Hugo Pratt and his Corto Maltese were and continue to be hugely famous in Europe, and are almost unknown here, not much has been available. So it's classic comics history. And this is a substantial graphic novel, surprisingly long for the kind of tale it is. Corto Maltese is a privateer/pirate in this 1967 introduction to him, set in 1914 in the Pacific, and involves swashbuckling type adventure characters such as a guy named Rasputin, Monk, shipwrecks, kidnapping… its an adventure story! Fun stuff, and pretty darned chaste for a pirate story, I'd say, as a single young girl (shipwrecked, imprisoned by pirates for ransom from her wealthy parents!) makes it through the whole tale without so much as being kissed, though she is the eye candy in this one, no question, and you need that as part of the genre, of course.

You know, I never read books like this and I found it entertaining. As is often the case with translations, this one is suspect, as the dialogue is sometimes a little stilted, and some of that may have to do with it begin older, but some of it is not great writing. The art is fine, expressive, but as others have observed, it looks like a copy of a copy, which makes sense as from time to time you see mistakes in the dialogue, you see shifts in the placements of the dialogue bubbles… occasionally it looks like it was a rush production job…

But you know, none of this fundamentally undermines the quality of the tale itself, millions of world readers were not wrong. These are pirates, but they all have likable, vulnerable qualities. They all seem tough but they are human beings. Compare this to contemporary noir and it is very tame, no really terrible bloodshed. As with any adventure story, our hero survives several obvious crises.

I thought it was really great. It's not a "ballad" as it says in the subtitle. It's kind of a rambling ride on the high seas, in an "exotic" environment like Bora Bora and New Guinea. The international relations are interesting. There's a war on as the pirates scheme a ransom plot so we see the Brits at odds with the Germans. The racial politics are interesting as the indigenous Pacific Islanders have to deal with all these white people trying to make profits on their land.

Why should an adult read this? Listen: this is my Year of Reading Proust and there is almost NO plot in In Search of Lost Time, so Corto Maltese is the anti-Proust, it's a page turner. They're antidotes for each other!

[Murat Dural · Rating 4 out of 5]

İlk defa Corto Maltese okudum. Çok etkilendiğimi söyleyemeyeceğim. Belki de çocukluk döneminde tanıyasdım benim için daha fazla anlamlı olurdu. Buna rağmen yorumumu yapmadan önce Corto Maltese'yi çok iyi bilen, okuyan dostlarımla konuştum. Kültürü, tarihsel geçmişi ile gerçekten önemli bir eser, kabul ediyorum. O yüzden 3.5'ten 4 veriyorum. Kimse yanlış anlamasın; belki de okumak için doğru yer ve zaman değildi benim adıma. :)

[Valentin Derevlean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greu de explicat cum am ratat până acum aventurile lui Corto Maltese. Probabil vârsta e de vină, în anii copilăriei citind alte benzi desenate decât celebrele Pif.

Un roman grafic excelent desenat şi cu o poveste splendidă. Suntem în preajma Primului Război Mondial, undeva în Pacific, locul unde germanii încearcă să-şi facă baze militare şi britanicii să-i împiedice. Germanii recurg la orice ajutor, aşa că personajul Călugărul, şeful unei insule secrete dar şi al unei bande ciudate de piraţi, se oferă să îi ajute. Alături de Călugăr, un personaj cu faţa necunoscută şi cu un trecut tot atât de misterios, se află băştinaşi, canibali, Corto şi nebunul violent Rasputin.

Corto Maltese e un aventurier taciturn, construit după modelul personajelor jucate de Clint Eastwood. Călugărul are ceva din patosul violent şi puterea unui personaj celebru din romanul Inima întunericului de Joseph Conrad. Iar Rasputin e Rasputin, un tip plin de remuşcări şi îndoieli, care poate ucide şi râde în acelaşi moment. Un tip care caută în zadar prietenia, lăsând doar cadavre în urma sa.

Ah, şi mai e şi inocenta (sau nu) Pandora! Dar chiar trebuie citit volumul :)

[Noel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these comics and their dashing, rakishly handsome protagonist.

[Max Nemtsov · Rating 5 out of 5]

утомившись от истории и вдохновившись стимпанком сериала "наутилус", я все-таки решил закрыть пробел в своем графически-романном образовании вот этим без преувеличения шедевром - традиционными и красиво нарисованными приключениями, отдыхом для глаз. давно пора было, на самом деле. на русском из всей серии существует, я понимаю, два тома - этот и тот, что про сибирь. остальные, видать, слишком хороши для русского читателя

ну а безжалостный и циничный убийца и пират тут с первых же страниц - конечно, русский по фамилии распутин и с соответствующей внешностью. так что некоторые культурные стереотипы остаются верны на века.

непонятно одно: почему все называют Корто Мальтезе немногословным. всю первую серию он пиздит, не затыкаясь.

[Helmut · Rating 5 out of 5]

La isla bonita?
Mein größter Kritikpunkt an der Fassung, die ich früher schon gelesen hatte, war die Übersetzung, die aus dem Comic ein sprachdebiles Kuriosum machte. Da muss man dann halt auch mal die französische Originalfassung lesen, dachte ich. Falsch gedacht - auch die französische Fassung ist eine Übersetzung, nämlich die des italienischen Originals. Bei Hugo Pratt ist es einfach manchmal schwer herauszufinden, ob das Original in italienisch oder französisch geschrieben wurde. Letztlich ist aber die vorliegende französischsprachige Ausgabe deutlich besser gelungen als die deutsche - und, neben der besseren Übersetzung ist natürlich auch das Format mitbestimmend. Die FAZ-Ausgabe in ihrem winzigen Format bringt die Südseestimmung nie so rüber wie die großen Panels dieser Ausgabe.

Witzig ist das Vorwort von Umberto Eco, der die Zeit- und Ortsangaben der Erzählung mit scharfer Analytik auseinandernimmt, und zeigt, dass die Protagonisten eigentlich selbst nie wissen, wo sie herkommen und hinfahren - und sich daran aber gar nicht stören.

Ansonsten gilt immer noch für mich: Man muss ein bisschen Geduld mitbringen, sich dem langsamen Rhythmus und der von Eco diskutierten allgegenwärtigen Unsicherheit anpassen. Die Moderne verlangt einen Ruhepuls von 120 von uns - da kommt Corto Maltese eigentlich genau richtig, und zeigt uns, dass es auch anders ging. Die endlose Weite des Ozeans, die versprengten Inseln, die Zeit, die in einem ganz anderen Tempo wahrgenommen wurde, und ein Tag nicht bis zum Bersten mit Aufgaben gefüllt war. Man beneidet die Protagonisten, die tagelang am Strand entlangschlurfen können, ohne Uhr und Smartphone, und ohne das Wissen, dass der Urlaub irgendwann endet.

Wenn man sich aber darauf einlässt, und das habe ich in meiner aktuellen Neulektüre versucht, ist die Ruhe sehr angenehm, und man entdeckt Seiten an dieser Ballade, die man beim ersten Durchhetzen, getrieben von der Suche nach Plot, der nicht vorhanden ist, leicht übersieht. Die Lichteffekte, die Pratt fantastisch zeichnen kann, die aus Personen Strichmännchen und Streichhölzer machen, die Meeres- und Luftspiegelungen, die Schattenwürfe, das Glitzern der Südsee - all dies verortet das Buch in einer einmaligen Tiefe.

Insgesamt also ein Buch, das man mindestens zweimal lesen muss, um es würdigen zu können.

[Γιώργος Γεωργόπουλος · Rating 2 out of 5]

Δεν με παρέσυρε το συγκεκριμένο. Απουσιάζει ενα σαφές ψυχογράφημα των χαρακτήρων, και εξαιτίας αυτής της απουσίας η ιστορία παρουσιάζει νοητικά κενά και άλματα. Όπως πληροφορήθηκα ειναι το πρωτο κόμικ στο οποίο πρωτοεμφανίζεται ο Κορτο Μαλτεζε και προφανώς ο Hugo δεν ειχε καταλήξει με σαφήνεια στο ποιος χαρακτήρας θα πρωταγωνιστήσει, και αυτό φαίνεται. Πολλές φορές οι διάλογοι κουράζουν και σε μερικά σημεία υπάρχει πολυλογία. Για κάποιο λόγο ομως σε κάνει να θέλεις να διαβάσεις και αλλες ιστορίες του ήρωα.

[Bob Fish · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you don’t know this one, do yourself a favor and get one !

1 minute flip through :
https://youtu.be/iczehHFIssA
Hugo Pratt video :
https://youtu.be/8obYxOKjOww

[Bruno Carriço · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING!
I was forced by a friend to read this... i though that a book released between 1913–1915 was going be to very outdated and boring, but how wrong was I! Is terrific, with very "grey" and interesting characters, really good storyline and an amazing "villain".

Will read more for sure.

[Francesco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una storia affascinante, un disegno impeccabile e dei personaggi disegnati con maestria.
Una lettura da fare assolutamente!

[Μιχάλης Παπαχατζάκης · Rating 5 out of 5]

Το κόμικ που απογείωσε την συγκεκριμένη τέχνη και θεμελίωσε μια ειδική κατηγορία, το graphic novel ή μυθιστόρημα σε εικόνες. Επιπροσθέτως, ανέδειξε τον καλύτερο σύγχρονο κομίστα της Ιταλίας -από τους καλύτερους του κόσμου, τον Ούγκο Πραττ, ο οποίος συνέχισε με εξαιρετική επιτυχία την τέχνη του μέχρι το θάνατό του το το 1995, η "Μπαλαντα της Αλμυρής Θάλασσας". Έχω την τύχη να διαθέτω την ιταλική έκδοση που είναι σε ασπρόμαυρο, δηλαδή την κανονική βερσιόν του έργου. Το χρώμα προστέθηκε αργότερα.

Η "Μπαλάντα της Αλμυρής Θάλασσας" καταρχήν μας εισάγει στην κεντρική προσωπικότητα των ιστοριών του Ούγκο Πραττ, τον Κόρτο Μαλτέζε. Είναι η πρώτη ιστορία που εμφανίζεται και μαζί του εμφανίζεται και ο άσπονδος φίλος του ο Ράσπουτιν, με τον οποίον έγραψαν μέρες (ιστορίες) μεγάλων περιπετειών. Το σκηνικό τοποθετείται στο διάστημα Ιουλίου 1914-Γενάρη 1915, δηλαδή λίγο πριν την κήρυξη του Α' Παγκοσμίου Πολέμου σε ένα εξωτικό μέρος, στα νησιά του Αρχιπελάγους Μπίσμαρκ στον Ειρηνικό Ωκεανό. Ο Ράσπουτιν εκτελεί διαταγές μιας μυστηριώδους φυσιογνωμίας, του "Μοναχού", ο οποίος έχει κλείσει συμφωνία με το γερμανικό αυτοκρατορικό ναυτικό να χορηγεί κάρβουνο στις δυο κανονιοφόρους και στο υποβρύχιο του στόλου που προορίζεται να δραστηριοποιηθεί στην περιοχή όταν ξεσπάσει ο πόλεμος. Το κάρβουνο αυτό το προμηθεύεται ο Ράσπουτιν κουρσεύοντας πλοία. Είναι εκπληκτική η ιστορική τοποθέτηση που κάνει ο Πραττ σε αυτό και σε όλα τα έργα του. Και πάντα ακριβής.

Το πράγμα περιπλέκεται όταν ο Ράσπουτιν (που στο μεταξύ έχει περισυλλέξει τον Κόρτο Μαλτέζε που έχασε το καράβι του από ανταρσία), περισυλλέγει και δυο έφηβους, τα ξαδέρφια Γκροβεσνορ, τον Κάιν και την Πανδώρα. (η συγκεκριμένη Πανδώρα ως όνομα-άπιαστο αντικείμενο του πόθου θα εμφανιστεί και σε άλλες ιστορίες). Τα δυο παιδιά αυτά είναι μέλη μιας ισχυρής νεοζηλανδικής οικογένειας και τούτο κάνει το βρετανο-νεοζηλανδικό ναυτικό να επιδείξει ιδιαίτερο ζήλο στο να ξεκαθαρίσει η περιοχή από πειρατεία και γερμανική ανάμιξη.

Τα εκπληκτικά σκίτσα του Πράττ που είναι σαν να χρησιμοποιεί κινηματογραφική κάμερα, συνοδεύονται από πανέμορφους διαλόγους. Το έργο εναλλάσσει δράση και περισυλλογή των πρωταγωνιστών. Μυστήριο και ιστορία. Και συνοδεύεται όπως θα δούμε και σε άλλα έργα με ένα συναίσθημα αμέριστης συμπάθειας στην αυτοδιάθεση των λαών και την αποτίναξη της αποικιοκρατίας και ως σύστημα και ως νοοτροπία. Φορέας αυτού είναι ο Κόρτο Μαλτέζε. Μιλάμε για ένα αριστούργημα.

[Pierre Kilmister · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Como el blanco albatros, sobre la monótona respiración del Pacífico, así, vagando por vagar, va el velero del verdadero marino, ayer como hoy, un día cualquiera de este Enero-Febrero de 1915 que ve el fin de "La balada del mar salado"...". Me ha encantado, sin duda me pillaré más obras, de las aventuras de Corto Maltés. Aunque en ocasiones el coloreado no me ha parecido acertado. Es de esas obras que tienes si te gusta el comic clásico.

[Antonio Fanelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

E' passato talmente tanto tempo da che leggevo Corto Maltese!
Questa è la prima storia e non la ricordavo affatto.
Così come non ricordo le altre, tranne qualcosa di Samba di Tito Fisso ( forse perché richiama il film Cangaceiro con Thomas Miliam?)
Eppure il fascino del tratto e della storia è vivo ancora adesso a tanti decenni dalla scrittura!
Forse le ho lette troppo giovane per apprezzarle appieno all'epoca?
Comunque: questa storia è molto bella e, a parte il dialetto veneto di alcuni che toglie pathos, perfetta.

[Jenika Ioffreda · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
The good: I really enjoyed the world building and the drawings, also the characters had some dept in them. Corto Maltese himself may be a likeable hero (or anti-hero, I still have to understand that)
The bad: the story dragged a bit too long for my taste, everybody was betraying everybody else, I lost interest after a while, I continued reading it until the end but I wouldn't put this volume in the list of my "best comics I have ever read".
Anyway still I want to continue the series, I heard very nice things on Corto Maltese so I want to give it one more chance.

[Victor Dixen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Si Tolkien nous parle avec poésie du désenchantement du monde, Hugo Pratt montre que le réenchantement est toujours possible. L'errance et l'aventure, les mythes du passé qui resurgissent à tout instant à la surface de la réalité moderne, l'élégance du hasard… Avec Corto Maltese, Hugo Pratt invente un héros romantique total en plein XXe siècle. Sans conteste, celui que je rêvais de devenir à 17 ans ! ;-)

[Nacho Fregossi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aprovechando las nuevas y hermosas ediciones de Norma Editorial, decidí empezar a saldar mi cuenta pendiente con Hugo Pratt y su Corto Maltés. Mi primer contacto había sido hace varios años a través de una nefasta edición argentina de Clarín, que para nada le hacía justicia a una de las obras máximas del noveno arte. Era el equivalente a ver "El Padrino" en un VHS rayado y doblada por un brasilero.

Como sucede con los clásicos, la vigencia de "La Balada del Mar Salado" es indiscutible. Publicada hace más de 50 años, cualquier lector desprevenido podría llegar a pensar que fue creada ayer.

La historia atrapa desde el arranque, por su espíritu aventurero y de exploración de lugares exóticos y escondidos. Como si con eso no fuera suficiente, Pratt se dedica a hacer una construcción muy cuidada y detallada de los personajes (dedicando tiempo a sus historias personales y motivaciones) al punto que, por momentos, el propio Corto parece ser un jugador secundario dentro de su propio libro. Es imposible no encariñarse con el Corto. Aventurero, irónico, leal, verborrágico pero al mismo tiempo enigmático; un espíritu libre al que le sobra onda, como si se tratara de un Don Draper de los siete mares.

Es común que en los primeros capítulos de cualquier obra la consolidación de un tono y un estilo no suceda de inmediato. Esa búsqueda por parte de Pratt queda en evidencia particularmente en el primer tramo del libro, con algunos pasajes un tanto apresurados o inconexos. Hasta incluso a la imagen física clásica e icónica del Corto que todos tenemos marcada a fuego en las retinas, pareciera le falta un par de minutos de cocción.

Un librazo que está a la altura de su fama, y al que ni siquiera esos pequeños detalles logran opacar su disfrute.

[Giorgio Gabrieli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finale che ci consegna una solidissima documentazione monografica sulla sindrome di Stoccolma.
Battute ad effetto e dialoghi sprezzanti.
Interessante come sempre la figura del pirata, moderno e non, presentata in tutte le sue sfaccettature dai diversi personaggi.
(Simbolo di anarchia e ribellione, libertà, navigatore, avido saccheggiatore).

Come sempre i miei personaggi preferiti muoiono male.

[Elettra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sono veramente contenta di aver ripreso in mano un libro di Hugo Pratt e di avere letto la prima grande avventura di Corto Maltese, di questo moderno antieroe, che ho già conosciuto nella mia giovinezza, di questo marinaio, pirata, vagabondo che ama prima di tutto la libertà ma non dimentica mai la sua integrità morale. È una grande epopea questa Ballata del mare salato in tutti i sensi e nella quale convergono le ispirazioni più pure dei grandi romanzieri di avventure; come non riscontrarci, per esempio: Conrad, Melville, London, Stevenson, Poe stesso e anche Hammet con quel riferimento al “maltese(!)” e i personaggi che presi in coppia rappresentano gli aspetti contrapposti dell’animo umano: la ferocia e l’umanità, la razionalità e l’impulsività……Ma Pratt ha aggiunto alla storia dei particolari storici ben precisi. Oltre a quelli relativi alla guerra e alle imbarcazioni, ha introdotto sulla scena i nativi delle isole del Pacifico con i loro problemi procurati dalla selvaggia colonizzazione occidentale. La vicenda è complessa con colpi di scena, salvataggi, uccisioni, ma anche con particolari “misteri” di cui “Il Monaco” è l’esempio più eclatante. Ma il protagonista per eccellenza rimane comunque l’Oceano Pacifico che fa sentire la sua voce non solo all’inizio, come narratore ma come Natura sovrana e padrona della sorte dei naviganti. Lo sfondo è magnifico; la vera e propria essenza dell’avventura che va dalle sinuose ali degli albatri, alle minacciose pinne dei pescecani, all’irrompere dell’uragano, alla terribile onda anomala, ma anche agli splendidi tramonti o alle spiagge sabbiose delle isole. È una grande avventura che ci invita a riflettere su noi stessi, sulle nostre paure, sul coraggio di affrontarle, magari con quel pizzico di ironia che tanto mi piace in Corto Maltese.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Corto Maltese is the iconic character created by Italian comic legend Hugo Pratt. While not the first in the series, 'The Ballad of the Salt Sea' was the debut story, released in 1967, and has since become a beloved classic in France. This pirate adventure introduces Corto, a rogue, enigmatic pirate reminiscent of DC's John Constantine, though far more compelling despite his initial unlikability.

While some aspects, like outdated dialogue and overused plot devices, show the book’s age, its charm is undeniable. The art by Pratt is stunning, capturing both the humour and emotional depth in a way that makes it stand out from typical 1960s comics. The subtle, offbeat humour adds an unexpected layer of enjoyment, revealing Pratt’s unique imagination.

The story itself is entertaining but not without flaws. While the protagonist's character development is strong, the secondary characters, particularly the children Corto rescues, remain annoying and underdeveloped. Still, it’s a fun adventure with memorable moments. While it might not reach the iconic status of Tintin or Asterix, 'The Ballad of the Salt Sea' shows promise that Corto Maltese could eventually stand among them.

[Milley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok I’ll say it: this is both cartoonish( and not in a skilled or artistic way) and comical ( and not in a humourous or enjoyable way).

The childish one dimensional characters.. was this competing with the super hero comics of the day? The machismo of them tickles the fancies of ye olde 13 year old boy.? ...was this a childhood treasure for some? The swashbuckling! All I did was read a discussion in things you might like if you like Tintin. And this was suggested. As a start, where is the humour of Tintin? Etc.

[AurelioZen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had read a lot of european comics before I bought this, but this was the first graphic novel. I was captivated from the start.

One out of four books I consider as essential for the person I have become. The other three are George Orwell's "Homage to Catalunia", John Fowles' "The Magus" and Michael Dibdin's "Cabal".

[Frédéric · Rating 5 out of 5]

The quintessential tenebrous seafaring adventurer who hides his romanticism and indestructible sense of honour behind a good-natured cynicism.

Action, adventure, virile comradeship, entrancing women, exoticism, mysticism and melancholic poetry as in a dream enveloped in sea mists.

A masterpiece.