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vigneswara_prabhu's review against another edition
5.0
It's Asterix time, once more. Boy, feels like It's been a while since I picked up one of these. But 'Asterix & the Black Gold' is the just the right kind of story to get back into the mayhem.
The magic potion which gives the Gauls indomitable strength to keep the Roman legions at bay. Getafix the druid is worried over the same potion; a key ingredient required for making the potion has run out. Without it, no potion, and no super strength.
Now Asterix & Obelix need to travel of Mesopotamia, in search of the ingredient; the common rock oil, which the Romans have come to call 'Ptreo Oleum'. But unbeknownst to them, Caesar has dispatched a secret agent to discover the recipe of the potion, and thwart their efforts to making them. The suave and sinister Dubbelosix.
Now the duo have to face Roman legions, Spies, some hapless pirates and other challenges, traverse the great desert all to fulfill their quest, and ensure the survival of their village. Will they succeed in their mission? Read the book to find out.
It's all fun and games until you consider the Boar-ateral damage of the Gaul's explosive appetites.
Our favorite Roman soldiers are back with a bang. So many puns per frame. Must not Laugh. Must.Not.Laugh! Failing.
You get distracted by all the cartoonish caricatures, and out of the left field get smacked by this crisp and awe inspiring portrait of a cityscape. Bravo Uderzo.
Puns for this bout include:
Ø M.Devius Surreptitius
Ø Dubbelosix
Ø Ekonomikrisis
Ø Rosenblumenthalovitch
Erm, hmm, the Latin phrase for this week includes:
ave caesar lucratoni te salutant, and
"Non omnia possumus omnes means 'we can't all do everything'.
The magic potion which gives the Gauls indomitable strength to keep the Roman legions at bay. Getafix the druid is worried over the same potion; a key ingredient required for making the potion has run out. Without it, no potion, and no super strength.
Now Asterix & Obelix need to travel of Mesopotamia, in search of the ingredient; the common rock oil, which the Romans have come to call 'Ptreo Oleum'. But unbeknownst to them, Caesar has dispatched a secret agent to discover the recipe of the potion, and thwart their efforts to making them. The suave and sinister Dubbelosix.
Now the duo have to face Roman legions, Spies, some hapless pirates and other challenges, traverse the great desert all to fulfill their quest, and ensure the survival of their village. Will they succeed in their mission? Read the book to find out.
It's all fun and games until you consider the Boar-ateral damage of the Gaul's explosive appetites.
Our favorite Roman soldiers are back with a bang. So many puns per frame. Must not Laugh. Must.Not.Laugh! Failing.
You get distracted by all the cartoonish caricatures, and out of the left field get smacked by this crisp and awe inspiring portrait of a cityscape. Bravo Uderzo.
Puns for this bout include:
Ø M.Devius Surreptitius
Ø Dubbelosix
Ø Ekonomikrisis
Ø Rosenblumenthalovitch
Erm, hmm, the Latin phrase for this week includes:
ave caesar lucratoni te salutant, and
"Non omnia possumus omnes means 'we can't all do everything'.
ladyfie's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
4.25
„Pardon, meine Herren. Wir sind medische Krieger und haben uns in der Wüste verirrt.“
jadejade's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Full disclosure, I grew up on this series so my opinion is necessarily biased.
I'm of the view that there is no such thing as a bad Asterix book ... but some volumes, like this one, are are pretty good. Uderzo was quoted as saying that this was the one adventure that was easier for him to write than his friend Goscinny, as Goscinny had a complicated relationship with his Jewish identity.
As a child, I often borrowed this one from the library, possibly in part because I was starving for anything positive set in the middle east ... but also because I loved the spy fly. As an adult, I still enjoy it but I don't reach for this volume very often.
I'm of the view that there is no such thing as a bad Asterix book ... but some volumes, like this one, are are pretty good. Uderzo was quoted as saying that this was the one adventure that was easier for him to write than his friend Goscinny, as Goscinny had a complicated relationship with his Jewish identity.
As a child, I often borrowed this one from the library, possibly in part because I was starving for anything positive set in the middle east ... but also because I loved the spy fly. As an adult, I still enjoy it but I don't reach for this volume very often.
Content Warnings
Minor: Slavery
worldlibraries's review against another edition
3.0
Kids aren't reading Asterix these days so I read one to see why. I found it a better read than I expected. I'm not sure kids today would get the jokes and the stereotypes, but to me as an adult, it all brought a smile. The characters all had terrific silly names that showed their nature.
The most brilliant part of the book was its dead-on accurate take-down of Western problem solving. The rock oil (petra oleum) helped create the magic elixir (a thriving economy). When Asterix and Obelix's society ran out of it, the solution was to go invade, occupy, and take the oil from the originating land. When the occupiers return, they discover someone had finally tried to come up with an alternative to rock oil (innovate) and had actually done so.
"Why didn't you do that before we left?" Asterix and Obelix asked. GREAT QUESTION!
The most brilliant part of the book was its dead-on accurate take-down of Western problem solving. The rock oil (petra oleum) helped create the magic elixir (a thriving economy). When Asterix and Obelix's society ran out of it, the solution was to go invade, occupy, and take the oil from the originating land. When the occupiers return, they discover someone had finally tried to come up with an alternative to rock oil (innovate) and had actually done so.
"Why didn't you do that before we left?" Asterix and Obelix asked. GREAT QUESTION!
wyrmbergmalcolm's review against another edition
5.0
Another adventure to find an ingredient for the magic potion, our Gaulish heros travel to northern Africa accompanied by a Druidish spy and Sean Connery lookalike Doubleohsix. One of the first Asterix books I ever read, this is simply wonderful.
These books are full of bright, fun and delightful characters who go on various adventures and get to beat up a bunch of Roman soldiers. Accompanying the story and the characters is a plethora of clever puns and word play that the translators should get a medal for. There are always a few gags or phrases in Latin that may mean nothing to the non-Latin speakers (such as myself) but Google can lend a helping hand there.
These books are full of bright, fun and delightful characters who go on various adventures and get to beat up a bunch of Roman soldiers. Accompanying the story and the characters is a plethora of clever puns and word play that the translators should get a medal for. There are always a few gags or phrases in Latin that may mean nothing to the non-Latin speakers (such as myself) but Google can lend a helping hand there.
bloodravenlib's review against another edition
4.0
Quick impressions: Another nice entry in this series. This time, when Druid Getafix runs low on rock oil, an essential ingredient to make that potion that gives Gauls superhuman strength, it falls to our heroes to go to the Middle East to find some. Light humor, a nice history lesson here or there (authors now and then do put in a footnote to real history in the text), and a few cute pop culture references. One of my favorite series.
(Full review on my blog later)
(Full review on my blog later)