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Astérix #21

Asterix and Caesar's Gift

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¡La Gran Colección sigue creciendo! En este álbum, por azares del destino, la aldea de Astérix y Obélix acaba en manos de un romano, su mujer y su hija. El padre de familia intenta hacer valer sus derechos y convertirse en jefe, pero desconoce a quiénes se enfrenta...

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

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About the author

René Goscinny

2,026 books1,234 followers
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).

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5 stars
3,003 (38%)
4 stars
3,062 (39%)
3 stars
1,540 (19%)
2 stars
169 (2%)
1 star
20 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews
Profile Image for Vigneswara Prabhu.
465 reviews40 followers
June 11, 2022
It is time for the soldiers of Rome, who have served her well, and completed 20 years in service, to be honorably discharged, with plots of land corresponding to their service. On this occasion, Caeser himself decides to grant a special gift to the Legionary Tremensdelirious, who had in a drunk disorderly rank insulted the dictator.

He was given a fertile patch of land, right next to the sea, with lush vegetation and chances of good business prospect. A plot of land, which unfortunately happens to be the same village of superpowered Gaul which Rome has been trying to conquer for a while. A land which Caesar has no stake in, and has no business giving away to someone. That precisely being the point.

Through another night of drinking, Tremensdelirious pawns away the marble plaque with Caesar's edict and the deed of land ownership, to the hapless innkeeper 'Orthopaedix', who unbeknownst to the reality on ground, travels to Armorica to inherit their new plot of land.

One has to wonder what chance a poor innkeeper has when entire roman legions have failed. There is the point, and this leads to a bunch of potion less chaotic shenanigans, as Orthopaedix inadvertently finds himself campaigning for position of chief against Vitalstatistix. The roman soldiers, are also mixed in there somewhere, their ultimate fate to be the poor punching bags to the Gauls.

Not much satirical humor for this iteration, as the jokes are mostly focused on the hijinks that the chief election kicks up. But a fun ride nonetheless, and I give it a cautious 4 out of 5

Lean pickings for puns this chapter around

Tremensdelirious
Egganlettus
Influenza
Orthopaedix
Profile Image for Rebecca.
708 reviews48 followers
May 19, 2023
Zwanzig Jahre müssen die Legionäre dem römischen Reich dienen, bevor die Übriggebliebenen von Cäsar ehrenhaft entlassen und mit einem Stückchen Land in den eroberten Gebieten beschenkt werden. Einer von ihnen ist der Trunkenbold Keinentschlus, der so wenig geleistet hat, dass Julius Cäsar ihm eine Lektion erteilen will: Als Geschenk erhält der nichtsnutzige Legionär ein kleines Dorf in Gallien… in dem zufällig ein paar unbeugsame Gallier wohnen.

Bevor Keinentschlus das Dorf auch nur jemals zu Gesicht bekommen hat, tauscht er es gegen mehr Wein in einem gallischen Wirtshaus ein. Der Wirt macht sich also kurzerhand mit Frau und Tochter auf den Weg, sein neues Dorf zu besichtigen. Doch welch Überraschung! Es ist tatsächlich bewohnt. Und einen Chef gibt es auch schon! Und neuen Mitbürgern stehen die meisten Gallier eher skeptisch gegenüber.


Orthopädix, der Wirt, eröffnet erst einmal ein Gasthaus, versucht jedoch schon bald, angetrieben von seiner ehrgeizigen Gattin, Majestix abzulösen. Es beginnt ein Wahlkampf im Dorf, der dreckiger und populistischer kaum sein könnte. Während sich die beiden Streithähne um die Herrschaft streiten, denkt nur Asterix darüber nach, was eigentlich die Römer gerade so treiben…

____________________

Vielleicht habe ich vergessen, dass es diesen Asterix gibt (?). Aber ich fand ihn echt gut! Keine Ahnung, welcher Wahlkampf da zum Zeitpunkt der Veröffentlichung in Frankreich gerade lief, aber ich bin mir sicher, dass dieser Band eine Parodie auf irgendein reales Ereignis ist. Hat Spaß gemacht, das zu lesen.

Ich fand es auch einfach witzig, dass Majestix‘ Herrschaftslegitimation mal angezweifelt wurde. Warum ist der eigentlich Chef? Weil er in Gergovia gekämpft hat? Weil sein Vatter schon Chef war? Wahrscheinlich wussten die Gallier nicht mal, dass es auch Alternativen gibt. Am Ende ist dann ja doch alles wieder gut ausgegangen 😉.

Insgesamt ein toller Band, auch wenn mir die Charakterisierung der Frauenfiguren mal wieder nicht so gut gefallen hat (sehr stereotyp).

Profile Image for Coenraad.
807 reviews43 followers
September 21, 2019
Die storie is soveel pret soos altyd, en die vertaling, weer met skitterende name soos Romeomontagus en Corenza, laat die verhaal tuiskom in Afrikaans. Kyk mooi uit vir die verwysing na Cyrano de Bergerac!

This story of politics and mayhem is as much fun as always, and the translation ensures wit in Afrikaans, which enhances the joy.
Profile Image for Gary.
1,021 reviews251 followers
November 2, 2020
After a drunken Legionnaire is heard making insulting remarks about Julius Caesar, Caesar decides to give him a present-which he in turn sells to a Gaullish Innkeeper for a meal and some drinks.
The innkeeper, Orthopaedix, comes to the village, we know so well, with his wife and daughter, setting in chain a breakdown of cohesion there, as a dispute over the Chieftainship of the village, Obelix falling in love, and the refusal of Druid Getafix to make magic potion makes for another rollicking Asterix adventure.
Once more, a lot of fun.
Profile Image for Preetam Chatterjee.
6,310 reviews314 followers
June 26, 2025
Now this one’s wildly political—Caesar rewards a retired legionary, Tremensdelirious, with... the village of the indomitable Gauls. Chaos follows, as a slick-talking opportunist named Orthopaedix arrives, tries to claim chiefdom, and splits the village down the middle. This is pure electoral satire: manipulation, mob mentality, populism, and the fragile nature of leadership. The potion hardly appears. Instead, the story is powered by speeches, slogans, and backroom drama.

I read this while watching a local election unfold in my hometown, and let me tell you—this book was terrifyingly real. The vote-buying, the slander, the way even Getafix gets swayed—it all felt like Goscinny had peeked into our future. Obelix refusing to vote “because no one asked nicely” made me laugh till I cried. That year, I understood just how grown-up Asterix could be—and how easily our little villages can turn into battlegrounds.
Profile Image for Judith Johnson.
Author 1 book98 followers
November 2, 2018
Great fun reading this again for first time in nearly 40 years! A perfect light reading accompaniment to Lindsey Davis’s Didius Falco series, and I love the way the Asterix books have a really international following, as the reviews show.
Profile Image for Illiterate.
2,756 reviews55 followers
June 7, 2024
In which our villagers try to assert their democratic rights but get distracted by Romans.
238 reviews3 followers
August 11, 2020
Me fliparia tomarme algo en la posada esa
Profile Image for Helmut.
1,056 reviews65 followers
January 11, 2016
Einem geschenkten Gaul...
...sollte man schon ins Maul schauen, besonders, wenn das Pferd einem von jemandem geschenkt wird, der einem nicht so ganz wohlgesonnen ist. Zwei Beispiele dafür: Das Holzpferd der Griechen. Und das Geschenk, das Julius Cäsar einem suffkopfigen Legionär zur Armeeentlassung übergibt. Beide Beschenkten hatten nicht viel Freude an dem Präsent.

Die Idee ist hervorragend und witzig, an der Ausführung mangelt es etwas. Streitereien innerhalb des Dorfs sind inzwischen etwas abgenutzt, der Römer, der Zwietracht bei den Galliern sät, auch, den Streit zwischen Asterix und Obelix hatten wir auch schon. Für mich persönlich einer der schwächeren Bände der Reihe.
Profile Image for Cassandra.
1,068 reviews55 followers
November 29, 2021
Contains Some Latin:

vinum et musica laetificant cor, wine and music please the heart
de mortuis nil nisi bonum, [say] nothing about the dead unless it is good
legio expedita, at ease (to the legionaries)
qui habet aures audiendi, audiat, he who has hearing ears, let him hear

and one of my favourite Geriatrix quotes: "I don't mind foreigners, some of my best friends are foreigners, but I don't like foreigners who aren't from this village!" 😆🙄

Profile Image for Ella.
235 reviews1 follower
April 9, 2017
I LOVE the Asterix books!! There's simply nothing else to say, everything about them is amazing! This one is no exception. What I love about them is every time you read them you discover some new hidden message or appreciate a witty reference.
Profile Image for Stratos.
979 reviews124 followers
October 23, 2018
Ενα κόμικ που έρχεται από παλιά, άντεξε στον χρόνο με αποτέλεσμα μέχρι και σήμερα να μας προσφέρει πινελιές γέλιου....
Profile Image for Anya.
843 reviews47 followers
December 4, 2019
Re-read the comic that I found at the thrift shop for 50 cents. This brings back memories, but I do have to say I enjoy reading them in German better than in English. Mostly because of the names.
Profile Image for Elessar.
294 reviews65 followers
January 18, 2023
3/5

Este ha sido uno de los álbumes cuya trama me ha parecido más rebuscada. Un posadero acaba creyendo que cuenta con el derecho de gobernar al irreductible pueblo galo, lo que llevará a unas elecciones cargadas de críticas sociales. La parte que más me ha gustado ha sido la de las armas de asedio. La brevedad de estos cómics hace que sea prácticamente imposible aburrirse incluso con aquellos que menos convencen.
Profile Image for Gijs Grob.
Author 1 book52 followers
January 21, 2023
Een ijzersterk album waarin een misplaatst geschenk van Caesar een hoop ruzie veroorzaakt in het Gallische dorp, tot een gemeenschappelijke vijand de dorpelingen weer verenigt. Goscinny en Uderzo in topvorm.
Profile Image for Tuatara.
281 reviews4 followers
June 7, 2019
Hillitöntä. Ja myös hyvä muistutus siitä, miten helposti ihmiset muuttavat poliittisia mielipiteitään. Ihan ajankohtaiselta tuntui vieläkin.
Profile Image for Cheryl.
12.8k reviews483 followers
Read
July 17, 2019
Ok, no matter that this is #21 as there is an introduction.
But also no matter that this is the only one my library has. If they had more I'd probably read them because it was kinda cute & clever and I do tend to explore my inclinations more deeply than just one 15 min. episode. But since I'd have to actually hunt for more, I won't, as it wasn't that engaging. To me.
Profile Image for tośka.
63 reviews4 followers
June 18, 2022
"Ale głupi ci rzymianie"
Profile Image for Caitlin ⛸.
49 reviews
October 21, 2024
A fav - I prefer the one’s that go into the lives of the village folk and their worries / conflicts and this album definitely delivered that
Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews

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