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Asterix: Is there a "Complete Companion" for Asterix?

number1fan
Member
#1 · Posted: 16 Nov 2010 11:19
Is there anything similar to the Tintin complete companion but focuses on Asterix I have done my research and really could find nothing.Anyone came across a book like this?.
george
Member
#2 · Posted: 16 Nov 2010 13:07
There's not as much in English but try "Asterix Complete Guide" on amazon.
number1fan
Member
#3 · Posted: 16 Nov 2010 13:18
Brilliant this sort of the thing I was looking for.Out of print its going for about £30 which isn't to bad at all.
george
Member
#4 · Posted: 17 Nov 2010 08:25
It is a nice little book and a shame it is out-of-print. Asterix doesn't seem to have quite the weight of critical analysis behind him as Tintin, at least not in English.

Have a look for "Asterix La Ricetta Della Pozione Magica, Omaggio A Uderzo e Goscinny". As the title indicates it's more about the creative partnership than Asterix per se, but the main focus eventually becomes the two Gauls. The title may lead you to think the book is in Italian but it is actually in both Italian and English throughout, with only the artwork remaining untranslated (and that's in French anyway)

George
Tintinrulz
Member
#5 · Posted: 17 Nov 2010 09:30
I've also read The Complete Guide to Asterix. I don't have the same love for the series as I do Herge's work, but they're still good fun. The guide is rather short though. Not even 150 pages long.
jock123
Moderator
#6 · Posted: 17 Nov 2010 14:56
george:
Asterix doesn't seem to have quite the weight of critical analysis behind him as Tintin, at least not in English.

Given that people are always bemoaning the lack of Tintin reference books, that doesn't sound to good then, does it? ;-)

I got my copy in a charity shop, so well worth keeping your eyes peeled for it!

george:
Have a look for "Asterix La Ricetta Della Pozione Magica, Omaggio A Uderzo e Goscinny".

Yes, I agree, well worth getting if you can find it, and good to point out the English text, which was a real bonus, as I have no knowledge of Italian!
number1fan
Member
#7 · Posted: 17 Nov 2010 18:51
jock123:
I got my copy in a charity shop, so well worth keeping your eyes peeled for it!

How much did you get yours for was it a bargain?
jock123
Moderator
#8 · Posted: 17 Nov 2010 20:09
number1fan:
How much did you get yours for was it a bargain?

I think I got it for a couple of pounds, so yes, I was lucky!
number1fan
Member
#9 · Posted: 17 Nov 2010 22:25
A Couple of pounds that's good ill have to keep a sharp eye out.By the way can you give me a brief review of the book and what you think of it. Is it insightful?
jock123
Moderator
#10 · Posted: 21 Nov 2010 18:11
Having just taken my copy down off the self, I find that I paid 99p for it, so it was even more of a bargain than I remembered!

It was published in 1995 by Hodder Children’s Books, and written by Peter Kessler, with an ISBN of 0340 653 4 69, and my copy is a first edition (there may never have been a second one, so not much in that) which proclaims on the cover that there should be details in side about getting a free child ticket for Parc Astèrix (if there was, they aren’t there now…).

It’s broken down into four fairly long chapters, and there are sub-sections and features in all of these.

First there is a nice biographical section, about Gossicny and Uderzo, their lives before Astèrix, and the foundation of Pilote magazine. This is supplemented by a reproduction of a letter from a very young Emma Thompson to the translators, saying what a fan she is, and a guide to the appearances of G&U cameos in the series, in much the same way as Hergé put himself into the Tintin books.

Then there is a section which outlines the books from 1 to 29, and gives the author’s thoughts on each story, along with comments from Uderzo for some of them.

There’s a nice bit about the translators Anthea Bell and Derek Hockridge, followed by an illuminating section on the perils and pitfalls of trying to match the original joke for joke, especially the puns.

It’s then topped off with a look at how a book is put together, not in terms of a specific volume, but an overview of the way in which the characters interact, gags are selected, puns visual and verbal are looked for etc., which is also illuminating.

If the book has a problem it is in that, apart from a limited section at the back, the art is reproduced in shades of grey. It cries out for more colour, and a bit better design, as some sections are very busy, while others seem a bit lost on the page.

That’s quite a minor point though in an otherwise interesting and detailed book, and if you see a copy, I’d easily recommend that you buy it.

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