Asterix and Obelix meet a new a Corsican chieftain who had been Caesar's prisoner. Together, the trio returns to Corsica to help foil the evil plans of the corrupt Roman, Praetor Perfidius.
René Goscinny (1926 - 1977) was a French author, editor and humorist, who is best known for the comic book Asterix, which he created with illustrator Albert Uderzo, and for his work on the comic series Lucky Luke with Morris (considered the series' golden age).
I've never been to Corsica, and given the land doesn't show up in any other popular culture I know of, a lot of the jokes about its people flew way over my head. But it really does look like a nice place: I hear they made this book because they visited Corsica themselves and found the scenery so great they just had to draw it a lot.
Maybe I should visit it too.
Oh, and the story's still fine. I don't get why that one traitor legionnaire suddenly switched back, though. Did the helmet addle his mind?
It is the anniversary of the Gaelic victory at the Battle of Gergovia, and our favorite village of Gauls are hosting a banquet, and have invited all of their friends from the nearby provinces and villages. Meanwhile, at the Roman camp, a prisoner from Corsica 'Boneywasawarriorwayayix' is being held. Now one can imagine that a Gaelic celebration is not complete without bashing up some roman legionnaires.
So the Gauls, along with their allies, all powered up drinking the magic potion, attack the Roman camp, pulverize the garrison, and free Boneywasawarriorwayayix. Asterix & Obelix then decide to accompany them to his village in Corsica, to see how the locals there are dealing with their roman problems. And as expected, chaos ensues.
This has got to be the most niche Asterix story that I've read. Me, who much less knows where Corsica is, or what references are being made. But there are quite a lot of gags, mainly centered around the Corsicans laziness, and their penchant for taking extended siestas. Along with some Mexican soap operatic levels of blood feuds, disagreements, conflicts, constant demanding duels, sense of overwrought pride and misplaced nobility. The writers leave no stone unturned in hammering home the point, as Corsicans as a bunch of caricatures (that is, even more caricaturist than usual).
The story is pretty straight forward, as the gang get to Corsica, beat up a bunch of romans and recover some stolen goods. As evidenced by this, there are a super train worth of puns to go through this time around. Such as Ø Jellibabix Ø Drinlikafix Ø Seniorservix Ø Winesanspirix Ø Petitsuix Ø Mykingdomforanos Ø Mcanix Ø Overoptimistix Ø Instantmix Ø Hippopotamus Ø Boneywasawarriorwayayix Ø Courtingdisastus Ø Lethargix Ø Olabellamargaritix
An OK story, heavy on gags, I'd give it a reluctant 4 out of 5
-Η ΚΟΡΣΙΚΗ ΕΙΝΑΙ Ο ΕΦΙΑΛΤΗΣ ΤΩΝ ΡΩΜΑΙΩΝ, ΚΑΤΑΛΑΒΕΣ ΧΟΝΤΡΕ; -ΔΕΝ ΕΙΜΑΙ ΧΟΝΤΡΟΣ ΑΛΛΑ ΕΙΜΑΙ ΚΙ ΕΓΩ ΕΦΙΑΛΤΗΣ ΤΩΝ ΡΩΜΑΙΩΝ! -Είσαι ευέξαπτος εσύ...μ'αρέσεις.
-Μίλησες στην αδελφή μου. -Α;...δεν ήξερα πως... -Δε μ'αρέσει να μιλούν στην αδελφή μου. -Μα...μα εμένα δεν μ'ενδιαφέρει η αδελφή σας. Ήθελα μόνο να... -Δεν σ'αρέσει η αδελφή μου; -Μα ναι, και βέβαια, μου αρέσει... -Α, ΩΣΤΕ ΣΟΥ ΑΡΕΣΕΙ Η ΑΔΕΛΦΗ ΜΟΥ!!! ΚΡΑΤΑΤΕ ΜΕ ΓΙΑΤΙ ΘΑ ΤΟΝ ΣΚΟΤΩΣΩ ΚΑΙ ΑΥΤΟΝ ΚΑΙ ΤΟΥΣ ΚΡΕΤΙΝΟΥΣ ΤΟΥ!
Αν υπήρχε 6/5, θα το έβαζα. Και 10. Γιατί εδώ σκάει σε κάθε σελίδα και ατάκα που αφήνει εποχή. Εύκολα μπαίνει στο top5 των Αστερίξ, σε επίπεδο ατάκας είναι πρώτο. Κωμωδία σε κόμιξ στα καλύτερα της εδώ και ένας Γκοσινί σε τεράστια κέφια.
Zum Jahrestag von Gergovia laden Majestix und seine Untertanen alle ihre Freunde aus früheren Abenteuern zu sich ins gallische Dorf ein – und diesen wird ein unterhaltsames Programm geboten: Neben einem Festmahl steht der Angriff auf die umgebenden Römerlager auf der Tagesordnung. Dabei treffen die Gallier auf Osolemirnix, einen Korsen, der von den Römern verschleppt wurde.
Nachdem dieser seine Geschichte von den korsischen Problemen mit den römischen Besatzern erzählt, ist Asterix und Obelix klar, dass sie ihn nach Korsika begleiten müssen. Und so begeben sich unsere Gallier auf ganz neues Terrain: eine bergige Insel mit etwas kauzigen Bewohnern…
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Ach heftig, ich hatte vergessen, wie lustig dieser Band ist. Hat mir total gut gefallen diesmal, wirklich sehr geschicktes Spiel mit Klischees und den Eigenheiten eines interessanten Volkes.
Ich erhöhe die Bewertung auf 5 Sterne, Asterix auf Korsika steigt auf in die Riege der ganz großen Asterix-Bände.
This is one of my favourite Asterix books. It never fails to amuse, from the exploding Corsican cheese to the "corsican"/course 'e can" pun to the joke about stoning a donkey with ripe figs, this one's particularly funny. Uderzo's art is in especially fine form.
Sono stato per diversi anni in Corsica in vacanza d'estate. Purtroppo ne ho visto solo la parte costiera, con solo una puntata verso l'interno ma senza poter apprezzare appieno le sue foreste e i suoi villaggi in costa (montana). Però Aleria l'ho vista, ho visto da vicino (da dentro un'auto per fortuna) i "maiali selvatici". Il che mi permette di gustarmi ancora di più questo volumetto, perché molte delle caratterizzazioni del popolo corso le capisco avendone "un vissuto". Discorso che vale anche per gli altri volumi in cui il geniale duo di fumettisti ritrae paesi e stereotipi che conosco personalmente.
La storia in sè sarebbe anche molto banale, Asterix e Obelix riaccompagnano in Corsica un prigioniero corso che per qualche imprecisato motivo si trova a essere ospitato nella guarnigione di Babaorum (uno dei campi che circondano il Villaggio) e quindi ad essere liberato dai Galli in occasione dell'anniversario di Gergovia. Il viaggio è scanzonato come al solito, e finiranno per aiutare la rivolta corsa in un turbinio di gag e di citazioni assolutamente geniali.
An diesen Band habe ich noch sehr gute Erinnerungen, es hat mir damals wohl sehr gefallen. Nicht so sehr die Handlung, dafür die Figuren und zeichnerischen Einfälle. Die Korsen, die natürlich überzeihnetes Gegenwartsklischee sind. Die Schnapp-Waffen (ja, nicht nur Messer). Die verwilderten Hausschweine (oder domestizierten Wildschweine?) Der Ausspruch des korsischen Hauptlings, als er dem geschlagenen römischen Gouverneur gegenübersteht. "Wenn wir einen Imperator akzeptieren, dann muss er Korse sein!" Ein Asterix-Band, der für mich zur Spitzengruppe gehört.
نسبت به قسمتهای یک و دو و سه، کمتر جالب بود. البته ممکنه به ترجمه مربوط باشه چون ترجمه اون سه قسمت با این یکی متفاوت بود و این یکی از کیفیت چاپ کمتری هم برخوردار بود.
البته اون سه قسمت رو هم در کودکی خوندم که قطعن در داوریم بیتاثیر نیست!
Nog ’n heerlike maltrapreis deur ons Galliese helde, hierdie keer na Korsika. Die vertaling deur Sonya van Schalkwyk-Barrois laat reg daaraan geskied. Keer op keer geniet ek haar oorspronklike naamkeuses, maar in hierdie aflewering oortref sy haarself. En daar is soveel name in die storie: al die Korsikane (soos Distipix en Speccenbonapartix), Romeine (soos Opsysenuvius en Vanteccislus) en al die Romeinse kampe. Lees gerus kloksgewys om en raai waar ek eers die boek moes neersit om klaar te lag! Daar is nou al 20 van Goscinny en Uderzo se boeke vertaal, asook twee boeke van die nuwe era. Die tien of so wat oorbly, sal sekerlik net so prettig en vermaaklik wees.
This madcap travel to Corsica is another joy in the Asterix series, and yet again the Afrikaans translation is up to scratch. Sonya van Schalkwyk-Barrois has always impressed me with her name choices, but in this adventure she opens all the stops and creates wonderful and sparkling humour.
Asterix en Obelix lees ik al van in mijn jeugdjaren. Altijd lachen met de Romeinen, Obelix zijn eetlust en afkeer als hij niet mag proeven van de toverdrank. Altijd goeie strips.
Astérix y Obélix liberan a un corso de los romanos y deciden acompañarle de vuelta a Córcega. Allí conocen al peculiar pueblo al que pertenece y plantan cara nuevamente a los romanos. El nivel de detalle de los dibujos de este álbum me ha parecido superior al de otros. Muy buen número.
It’s been a while since I have written a review on an Asterix book, but that may have something to do with not getting my hands on any new Asterix books in quite a while. Then again, after piling through a heap of them I sort of found that them seem to all end up being the same – you know drinking magic potions, beating up Romans, Obelix trying to get in on some magic potion action despite the fact that he doesn’t need any (namely because he fell into the cauldron when he was a baby), oh and finishing everything off with a feast, a feast to which poor Cacophonix is generally not invited, namely because Fullyautomatix has beat him up and tied him to a tree, namely because he really doesn’t want the Bard to play any music.
So, thus we begin a new adventure, this one set in Sunny Corsica, a place where if you happen to be a stranger you are definitely not welcome, and like a certain small section of Gaul, the Romans have established armed camps around the coast (with some rather interesting names), but have basically not managed to penetrate the interior. Does that mean that the Corsicans happen to have a magic potion of their own? Nah, but rather because they tend to be pretty tribal, and the interior is so untamed that even seasoned Roman troops have a lot of difficulty navigating it.
I guess this is one of those books that poke fun at the Corsicans, much in the way that all of Asterix’s adventures away from the village that we know so well, has a way of poking fun at the places that they visit. Mind you, we still need to remember that even though Asterix goes to Belgium at one stage, Belgium didn’t even exist during the Roman period. Corsica did though, namely because it is an island, but I’m not all that sure if the inhabitants did manage to hold off the Romans.
However, I suspect that it is more of a modern day look at the island, though the lens of the Roman empire. In a way the culture felt a lot more of what I would have expected to see in Sicily, though I’m not sure if the Sicilians are as big on their siestas as the Corsicans are suggested to be in this book. Oh, and the good old clan, or family, rivalries, particularly when the initial cause of this rivial dates back decades to an incident that nobody is actually sure about, but they hate each other nonetheless because, well, that is what they have always done. Oh, and then there is the suggestion that the Corsicans can simply scare the pants off of you simply by standing there and looking at you – this is why I felt it may have been of Sicilian as opposed to Corsican, but then again I know very little about Corsica so I really can’t comment. Oh, yeah, and the switch blades that seem to magically appear in their hands.
In the end, this is just another Asterix book, one of the many that have steadily been produced over the years. In my mind this is still one of the originals, namely because I remember reading it when I was a kid, and in fact was rather delighted when it appeared at the school library because, well, that was one that I hadn’t read, and was really keen on reading one that I hadn’t read something like 100 times already. Though, I still remember being so insanely jealous of all those kids who could read a whole Asterix, or Tintin, album in the five minutes quiet reading we would have after lunch, though a part of me wonders whether they actually ‘read’ the book, or just looked at the pretty pictures.
First published in French in 1973 as Ast'rix en Corse, Asterix in Corsica was first published in English in 1979.
Asterix and friends free a Corsican chieftain, exiled by the Romans, at the camp of Totorum, and he asks them to accompany him to Corsica, to see how they deal with the Romans there.
There they help the Corsicans to defeat their Roman oppressors, through adventures in the marquis, and get to grips with the proud and touchy Corsicans, and their complicated clan feuds, while experiencing the wonderful sights, sounds, scents and tastes of Corsica.
Particularly amusing are the names of the Roman camps around Corsica on the map at the front of the book, and the culinary names of the Corsican clan chiefs!
It’s stretching a point to say that I ’read’ this. It is the middle episode in Papercutz’ omnibus collection of 19, 20 and 21. As I went along I wondered why it was so flat compared to the witty text of the early omnibus I first read a couple of years ago. It turns out my library bought new omnibus editions published by Papercutz, with translations by someone named Joe Johnson. ‘ Pedestrian’ would be a very generous description. What I was missing were the sparkling translations by Anthea Bell. And the font is very small. Hard to read.
*3.5 c'est plus aussi léger et rigolo que quand j'étais petite. je comprends plus de jeux de mots maintenant, mais je me rends aussi compte du sexisme et du rassisme. je suis en corse maintenant et j'ai donc pu apprécier la scénérie et les clichés. je ne sais pas s'il fallait lire les autres volumes aussi, de nouveau, avec ma meilleure connaissance de l'histoire et des cultures différentes visitées; ou s'il est mieux de le laisser dans mon enfance quand c'était juste rigolo quand astérix et obélix battaient les romains.
Another fine Asterix in foreign country addition, at #20.
The traditional Wiki summary:
"The story begins with a banquet celebrating the anniversary of Vercingetorix's victory at the Battle of Gergovia. As part of the celebrations, the indomitable Gauls attack the local Roman camps. As a result, most of the Roman soldiers go on special manoeuvres to avoid the punch-up...
The proud Boneywasawarriorwayayix attends the Gaulish banquet and leaves the next day for Corsica with Asterix, Obelix and Dogmatix accompanying him. At Massalia, he hires a ship crewed by none other than Captain Redbeard and his motley muddle of pirates. Although the pirates agree to transport Boneywasawarriorwayayix, Asterix, Obelix, and Dogmatix, their real plan is to strip them of wealth and make them walk the plank halfway to Corsica.
When the passengers go aboard it is too dark for the captain and the Gauls to recognise each other. As the pirates are about to carry out their plan, the African lookout recognizes "The Gau... The Gaugau..." and, even though the subjects of their fear are still asleep, the pirates vacate the ship in a rowboat.
The following morning the passengers awake to find to their astonishment that the ship is deserted. Boneywasawarriorwayayix then invites the Gauls to share a pungent Corsican cheese. Not used to the strong smell, they feel unwell, but then the Corsican realises that they are on the very coast of his native island, abandons the cheese and excitedly swims ashore."
Other points:
" -Throughout the album the stereotypical laziness of the Corsicans is satirized, often in combination with their well known siesta. This, however, has much to do with the hot climate on the island.
-The Corsican feeling of honor and respect is satirized several times, just like the cliché that they are easily vexed.
-The sentence about "the urns filled before the elections" (page 25) is a reference to the political scandals in Corsica due to election frauds.
-The vendetta, feuds and fights between different Corsican clans become more apparent from page 26 onwards. The knives they use are authentic vendetta knives.
-Wild boars, chestnuts, and old people sitting on benches commenting on things happening in their environment and the notorious smell of Corsican cheese are referenced.
-The famous bushes (maquis) where in past centuries many highwaymen and Corsican nationalists hid are referenced. It is also notorious as a place where tourists easily get lost. -The Corsican emperor Napoleon Bonaparte is referenced"
Following are the reasons why I give this 4 stars!
This books shows why somebody must read these comics in the correct order. The story opens with a feast to which past friends are invited. This re-union includes characters from previous books such as "Asterix in Spain", "Asterix in Switzerland" "Asterix and the Chieftain's shield" "Asterix in Britain" etc.
Names: longest name for a character in Asterix: Boneywasawarriorwayayix (A Corsican chief whose name inspires Cacofonix to compose an epic ballad.)
Corsican names with a pasta twist: Potatognocchix, Spaghettix, Raviolix, Tagliatellix, Cannellonix, Lasagnix, Tortellinix, Rigatonix.
First story to show (I think ) Gaulish children role-playing Gauls v. Romans
Pleasing portrayal of lazy Corsican society and their slow work-rate: Corsican Druid, Lethargix gathers mistletoe by lying under tree and waiting for it to fall off :D
Why not 5 stars? Well, the jokes of the others books such as "Asterix in Britain" and "Asterix in Switzerland" are of a better standard.
La migliore fra le caratterizzazioni “etniche” della serie. E non migliore perché fedele al modello, ma perché estrema e in sé coerente. I corsi immaginari di questa storia sono un personaggio in se stessi, tutti insieme. Alcune scene hanno letteralmente come “protagonisti” il loro maschilismo o la loro suscettibilità. Genio puro!
A nivel de trama y ritmo, uno de los mejores álbumes. Ha envejecido un tanto regular, eso es cierto, y les ha faltado frescura en los clichés y parodias. Y ha vuelto a salir Pepe!