Asterix and the Great Divide

Astérix #25

by Albert Uderzo

The path of true love never did run smoothly—especially when the sweethearts’ fathers have split their town in half. That’s the problem for Histrionix and the beautiful Melodrama, son and daughter of two rival chieftains. So the star-crossed lovers call in Asterix, Obelix, and Getafix to sort everything out. Can the trusty trio persuade the village to reunite? Maybe some magic will help.

Genres: Comics, Bande Dessinée, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Humor, Historical Fiction, France

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Albert Uderzo (1928 - 2020) was a legendary French comic book artist and scriptwriter. The son of Italian immigrants, he is best known as the co-founder and illustrator of the Asterix series in collaboration with René Goscinny. He also drew other comics such as Oumpah-pah, again with Goscinny.

Reviews

[Belinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 sterren - luisterboek 🌹🌹🌹
Weer heerlijk kunnen lachen tijdens het koken om de avonturen van de twee vrienden. 🦋🦋🦋

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah ja, der Romeo-und-Julia/BRD-DDR Asterix. Ich verstehe, dass das internationale Publikum ihn eher schlecht fand und ja, auch ich muss zugeben, dass er objektiv betrachtet Schund ist, aber der Alman in mir hat dennoch eine Schwäche für diesen Asterix-Band. Außerdem sind ein paar echt lustige Jokes dabei.





Ein Teil der Geschichte, den ich jedoch weder als Kind noch als Erwachsene verstanden habe, ist die Figur des Greulix. Soll das ein Mensch sein? Ist das ein sprechender Fisch? Ist das eine Parodie auf eine reale Figur? Hä? #verdammtfischigderfalschevogel

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Συμπαθητικό τευχάκι μόνο από το χέρι του Ουντερζό στο οποίο ξεκάθαρα λείπει η σπιρτάδα και το μυστικό συστατικό του ζωμού του Γκοσινί, με αποτέλεσμα να πέφτει πάνω του μεγάλη η σκιά των κολοσσών της σειράς.

[Nicolo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always preferred my Asterix to be done by both Goscinny and Uderzo but seeing this volume on clearance was just too hard to ignore, so I bought it. This volume was the second Uderzo did solo after Goscinny passed away and there isn't any noticeable difference. I've only read a handful of the books and I feel need to read more but I guess I could say that it still feels like Asteriz. Uderzo didn't try too much to deviate from what made Asteriz beloved to generations of readers.

It wasn't a bad deal for me and I didn't regret it.

[Juho Pohjalainen · Rating 2 out of 5]

If this one had come out in the past few years, I'd have accused it of being a bit politically heavy-handed. Since it came out forty years ago, I can only shake my head in shame and think about how humans never change. I don't even know any specifics of what went down in 1981, but maybe I should look into it.

Anyway, apart from the politics, it wasn't that much. Goscinny's passing is felt heavily: this one's more of a retread, taking a bunch of earlier comics and mixing them up together, rather than creating a genuinely new story of its own. It had a few good jokes but it ultimately didn't land all that well.

[Kimberley doruyter · Rating 4 out of 5]

kinda like shakespeare but less tragic.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Asterix and the Great Divide opens the post-Goscinny chapter—and it's surprisingly bold. The plot mirrors the Berlin Wall: a village split in two by a literal ditch and two rival chiefs, Cleverdix and Majestix, both vying for power and the hand of the same woman’s daughter. Asterix and Obelix arrive to help resolve the conflict before Caesar exploits the situation. There’s romance, political satire, and a Romeo-and-Juliet-esque love story that’s heartfelt if slightly clunky. Uderzo’s art is vibrant, and while the writing lacks Goscinny’s razor-sharp edge, it shows ambition and narrative confidence.

I read this during a divided time in my own life—trying to balance work, personal dreams, and the new adult pressures of my late 20s. The village’s split felt like a metaphor for me, too. It wasn’t perfect, but it spoke to conflict and reconciliation, and I admired Uderzo for not playing it safe. It said: even after the greats leave, stories must go on.

[Gary · Rating 2 out of 5]

First published in French in 1980 as `Le Grand Fosse', this album was first published in English in 1981.
Chief Cleverdix sends his son Histrionix to the village by the sea, to call on the aid of Chief Vitalstatistix, to settle a dispute with his rival , Chief Majestix..
Asterix, Obelix and Getafix are as a result sent to the divided village.
This was the first book written by Uderzo alone, and is not one of the best. Much of the humour is recycled from earlier Astérix books, and the attempts at political satire are weak, unlike the superb political satire of `Asterix and Caesar's Gift' for example. Uderzo would later prove that he could however, write, good Asterix comics, with such gems as `Asterix and the Black Gold' and `Asterix and The Magic Carpet'.

[Ευθυμία Δεσποτάκη · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Διαισθάνομαι πως θα μου τη δώσει, ναι, ναι, θα μου τη δώσει... Μου την έδωσε!"


Το τεύχος με το καλύτερο σχέδιο. Απλά το καλύτερο. Τόσο η Φανζίνα με τον Κομίξ όσο κι ο αξιολάτρευτα σάπιος Βιτριολίξ είναι από τους καλύτερα σχεδιασμένους χαρακτήρες του Υντερζό που έχω δει ποτέ.

[Matti Karjalainen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vuonna 1980 ilmestynyt "Asterix ja syvä kuilu" oli järjestyksessään sarjan 25. albumi ja samalla ensimmäinen, jonka Albert Uderzo laati ilman pitkäaikaista käsikirjoittajatoveriaan Rene Goscinnya. Lopputulos on ihan kelpo seikkailu, jossa Romeo ja Julia -henkinen tarina yhdistyy allegoriaan Berliinin muurista.

[Illiterate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Goscinny’s light touch is missing, and the political satire is weak, but this Asterix has fun moments, eg. riff on Romeo and Juliet, surreal effects of magic potion.

[Biondatina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Shakespearian comic - parody of the "Romeo and Juliet" story. Ours friends with the Druid Panoramix come to a Gallic village which is divided left and right part by a deep ditch. Each part is ruled by a different competitor chief while his daughter Melodrama and his son Histionix are in love!!! The two rival chiefs have to be convinced to see the great good and stop the "Great Divide"... but before the solution....the Roman Army is involved, the pirates are involved and a very "fishy" guy...

[itchy · Rating 4 out of 5]

codfix: i'm from majestix, rightful chief of the right side of our village. i'm his alter ego and right hand.
centurion umbrageous cumulonimbus: and this is my left foot! be off, or it'll alter your ego.

we'll miss you, rené

[Vigneswara Prabhu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhere in Armorica, there is a small Gaelic village much like our own, but one that is divided into two parts, each ruled by a separate chief Cleverdix & Majestix. And we are talking about Berlin wall level of separation, with instead a ditch. When the fishy conniving aptly named schemer Codfix, manipulates Majestix to side with the Romans, Cleverdix seeks assistance from his old friend Vitalstatistix.



So Asterix, Obelix, Getafix & Dogmatix set out to reunite the warring village, mend some bridges, and of course mess with some Romans along the way.

The magic potion & Getafix's other concoctions, after being in the background the last few chapters, are presented in full glory here. As both the Gauls and Romans manage to get their hands one some leading to some magic fueled absurdity.


Gaelic problems require Gaelic Solutions



The Hurricane of Puns:

Ø Cleverdix
Ø Majestix
Ø Histrionix
Ø Codfix
Ø Altruistix
Ø Alcaponix
Ø Melodrama
Ø Schizophrenix
Ø Infectius Virus
Ø Umbrageous Cumulonimbus
Ø Congenitalidiotix

[Elessar · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5/5

No está mal para tratarse de la primera historia de Uderzo tras la muerte de Goscinny. Un pueblo queda dividido en dos por una enorme zanja en el terreno, una referencia evidente al Muro de Berlín con una historia de amor de por medio. Creo que lo mejor del cómic es cómo resuelve la trama el dibujante. Se nota, empero, que el ritmo no es tan bueno como en los anteriores. Buena continuación de todas maneras.

[Belinda Vlasbaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 sterren - Nederlandstalige strip

[Joost Brokamp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mooie les over verdeeldheid.

[Niklas Rott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beim Teutates. Ganz solide. Gibt aber deutlich bessere Bände.

[Singapore_progods123 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked reading this book

[Suketus]

Paluu lapsuuden suosikkien pariin lukuhaasteen innoittamana. Asterix on mainio!

[anANAs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Čisto simpatična prigoda. Motil me je edino sluzasti ribak, pa ne zaradi svoje vloge negativca, pač pa čudnega videza, ki ni ne človeški ne živalski. Enostavno mi ne spada v zgodbo.

[Fugo Feedback · Rating 3 out of 5]

Último tomo de asterix que se puede leer de principio a fin sin esa melancólica sensación de "Ya no es lo mismo". Miento: el final es bastante pelotudo. Pero aun así, una aventura muy entertenida y con varios chistes graciosos.

[Stephen Rötzsch Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

For some reason I remembered this as one of the lesser Asterix books, but with fresh eyes I can't understand why. Uderzo rams so much story into the 48 pages, as well as everything you want from a classic Asterix story - stupid names, familiar cameos and a wealth of fish puns.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best retelling of Romeo and Juliet ever!

[Liawèn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ich gebe nur vier Sterne, weil die Story einigermaßen originell ist. Ansonsten ist Romeo&Julia ziemlich ausgelutscht für mich 🙈

[Mónica Cordero Thomson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me ha gustado esta interpretación de Romeo y Julieta, versión gala, por supuesto.
Como siempre divertido y entretenido.

[Simbasible Comics · Rating 3 out of 5]

Asterix and the Great Divide is the 25th volume of the Asterix comic strip series that was written and illustrated by Albert Uderzo. It was published in 1980 and it was the first volume that Uderzo wrote after Goscinny’s passing.

I did expect the quality of the series to significantly drop after the passing of Goscinny as his writing was crucial in making Asterix as funny and as sophisticated as it was. And it did happen unquestionably, but at least this story was still perfectly solid, though obviously far from great. What I noticed with Uderzo is that he overexplains stuff too much, resulting in way too many balloons that are overstuffed with dozens of words. It felt rough to look at.

But he still did create an original, full story that undeniably mostly worked. It was a different than usual story as we got the chance to visit another village in Gaul that was just as stubborn and prone to fights as our other favorite Gaulish village. This new village is divided in two due to leadership differences, which was an obvious reference to the Berlin Wall. The couple that dates from both sides was also very obviously influenced by Romeo and Juliet.

These two characters were forgettable and animated in an overly pretty and human manner, but Majestix and Cleverdix as the rival chiefs of the village were quite memorable and fun. I also really liked Codfix as this slimy, manipulative villain. He was admittedly too cartoonish in his amphibian design, but he still proved to be a perfectly competent villain.

How the pirates factored into the story was a lot of fun and it fitted the narrative quite well. The Romans were also solidly used, though how they were beaten was ridiculous with the potion that made them too small. This resulted in that very cool image of Dogmatix being massive in context, but it was still too fantastical. These comics work best with the magic potion as the sole fantasy element.

Asterix and Obelix got some fun moments and so did Getafix, but too often this volume was hurt by an overreliance on coincidences to advance the plot. Uderzo’s illustrations, on the other hand, are just as polished, detailed and beautiful as always with the darker hued panels being particularly memorable. The visual gags of the village being split in two were also wonderful.

Overall, Asterix and the Great Divide has a very good premise, excellent illustrations and some memorable moments, but it also featured too many coincidences to advance its plot and an overabundance of fantastical elements.

[Lucian Bogdan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprinzător de bun!

Într-un sat din Galia, lupta pentru funcția de conducere a dus la o ruptură între locuitorii din partea stângă și cei din partea dreaptă. Ruptură la propriu, deoarece pe mijlocul așezării a fost săpat un șanț. Dar fiecare dintre cei doi candidați visează să devină șeful întregului sat. Pentru asta, unul dintre ei apelează la legiunile romane cantonate în castrul din vecinătate, iar celălalt cere ajutorul galilor nesupuși.

Mă așteptam ca decesul lui Goscinny să ducă la un album mai slab decât cele cu care eram obișnuit. Mai ales că premisa părea că încearcă să copieze tema unui album mai vechi, „Bătălia dintre șefi”. Nici vorbă de asta, însă. Rămas singur la cârma aventurilor lui Asterix, Uderzo a realizat un album aproape perfect, în opinia mea.

Sunt mai multe povești urmărite în paralel - a problemelor și intrigilor din așezarea „ruptă-n două”, a romanilor din castru și a galilor nesupuși. Fiecărei povești i se acordă suficient timp pentru a prezenta atât subiectele majore, cât și tot felul de detalii conexe, ce par a avea doar rol de amuzament, dar care, spre marea mea bucurie, produc efecte ulterior în cadrul intrigii (superbă faza cu Theorix!)

Gagurile obișnuite sunt acolo unde trebuie, dar Uderzo are grijă să insereze periodic efecte comice neașteptate și profită de fiecare conjunctură care-i permite să mai introducă o glumă, ori un joc de cuvinte. Nu se sfiește nici să folosească povestea clasică a fiicei și fiului celor doi adversari, care se amorezează unul de celălalt - dar scoate maximul din ea, atât pentru intrigă, cât și ca rezultat sentimental și comic, respectiv a desenelor. Pirații apucă să-și facă și ei numărul într-o secțiune finală în care Uderzo ridică miza constant, reușind să ofere poveștii un punct culminant și chiar să pătrundă într-o zonă riscantă, pe care o tratează magistral (ce se întâmplă dacă, din greșeală, înainte de bătălia finală, poțiunea magică a lui Panoramix ajunge să fie băută nu de către gali, ci de romani).

Un album realizat cu extrem de multă atenție la toate detaliile intrigii și cu desene superbe. În opinia mea, nu s-a simți lipsa lui Goscinny, volumul ridicându-se la înălțimea celor mai bune albume ale seriei.

[Tristan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have the original 1980 hardback in French from Editions Albert Rene, a new imprint specifically for Asterix. Quite poignantly, the image on the back cover, which usually shows the titles of the various episodes inscribed on Obelix’s menhir, now shows a blank menhir. There must have been quite a break up with the original publisher, Dargaud.

This is the first episode written by Uderzo alone since the death of Goscinny, and it’s rather good. There is a Romeo and Juliet inspired love story at the core of the plot, quite a departure for this male-dominated series, and a profound meditation on divisive politics. The story is set in a village divided in left and right halves which loathe each other, with corrupt politicians, dubious elections, and a slimy advisor who is not above seeking outside help from the Romans to seize power over the whole village. Gosh, this is current affairs! A kid’s cartoon predicts the liberal / conservative culture wars forty years ago.

This episode has a very tight plot, one of the best in the series, with events happening in a specific order to give rise to a happy ending which had seemed impossible from the protagonists’ perspective, highlighting their bravery in the face of true jeopardy. The pieces fall nicely into place without seeming forced.

On the art side, Uderzo shows some self indulgence by drawing the good looking Romeo character (and to an extent the equally good looking Juliet character) in the realistic style he used for other series he authored during Asterix’s run (such as Tanguy et Laverdure) as well as other series which existed before Asterix, and which involved muscle-bound he-men heroes. Again, maybe this symbolises his creative independence. However, this realism clashes uncomfortably with the Asterix universe in my view.

Nevertheless, this is one of the best episodes of the series.

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Asterix and the Great Divide (Asterix #25) by Alberto Uderzo (Orion 2001)
(741.5944)(3587).

I finally sampled an “Asterix the Gaul” book. Asterix looked like a good match for me. I like humor; I like comic books (I can’t bring myself to call them ‘graphic novels’); and I knew of Asterix’ fame.

Asterix and the Great Divide (Asterix #25) is beautifully rendered. The bold hues and tones of the illustrations make these pages pop. I quickly caught on to the fact that the core reading audience and the author genuinely adore these characters and the world they inhabit.

While I appreciate everything about Asterix, I found that I am not in his audience nor do I expect to be. Alas, Asterix and I are unsuited simply because the Asterix series is so much like my favorite comic strip “Doonesbury” by Gary Trudeau. Doonesbury, like Asterix, has dozens of recurring characters and a complex history and lore. Doonesbury has been a daily comic strip for almost fifty years; these strips have regularly been compiled and published in book form. I can’t imagine the number of hours that a new reader would have to invest in reading the books or strips to get up to speed - whether in the worlds of Doonesbury or of Asterix the Gaul.

While reading Asterix and the Great Divide I sensed that I was missing inside jokes on practically every page. You can’t tell the players without a scorecard, so to speak, unless you learn the backstory.

I have been a faithful reader of Doonesbury for well over forty years. I don’t plan to put in the time to get up to speed with Asterix.

My rating: 7/10, finished 11/10/21 (3587).