Customer Reviews

Asterix and the Magic Carpet (Asterix (Orion Paperback))

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is one of the later Asterix adventures, and though not in the same league as the earlier ones, this still packs a punch. Cacofonix sings, it rains. Not very good. Though this time his singing, er... raining skills are in demand. And that too in India. Otherwise a princess will be sacrificed by an evil vizier (are there any other kind :).
This is not the first adventure where Cacofonix saves the day - remember 'Mansion of the Gods'?
Well worth a read. I def recommend it.

A flying fakir from India falls into the Gaulish village, having been unbalanced by the sudden downpour caused by our bard's terrible singing. He's however delighted since the bard is who he came looking for, from distant India. Asterix, Obelix and Cacofonix accompany the fakir back to India where they help rescue the princess from two scheming crooks. Its hilarious!

I am a great fan of Asterix & Co. But this is one of the worst among the 30 odd Asterix books. This book was both written and illustrated by Uderzo. May be if Goscinny was there it might have turned out better. The drawings are drab and the jokes more stereo-typed than funny. It starts well, but after few pages the author doesn't know how to proceed. I am surprised that the author didn't do the usual research about the theme, here about India. Remember how the Asterix and Cleopatra turned out to be a master piece. Total lack of knowledge about India and its environments and relying solely on stereo-type based jokes ruined the storey.

I grew up with Asterix in French when I lived overseas. The English translations are very good and capture the double-entendre names, puns and funny references quite deftly. Always a treat to see what mischief the Gauls are causing. Good reading for children and adults with a healthy sense of humor!

You just have to like Asterix and Obelix! These guys could conquer the world in their sleep, but as long as their village is safe, there is no need to!

In Asterix and the Magic Carpet, an Indian fakir seeks out their bard, Cacofonix, to return with him to to the Ganges and jump start the monsoon season. They agree, and the adventures begin.

I didn't realize how much I enjoy the banter and interactions of the Gauls and the Romans. This is what defines the daily lives of Asterix and company, and is absent from this book. Asterix and Obelix with no Romans to harass? Say it ain't so!

Albert Uderzo, Asterix and the Magic Carpet (Dargaud, 1987)

This is one of the three Asterix books I know I've already read during this marathon, but can't find any evidence I ever actually reviewed. Oops. In any case, a fakir has heard of Cacofonix's newfound ability to make rain fall with his singing, and heads off to the indomitable Gaulish village to seek his assistance. Along with Asterix and Obelix, Cacofonix accompanies the fair, Whatsisnehm, to India, passing a number of sites of their earlier exploits along the way. This is one to read after you've read the previous books in the series, otherwise there are a number of panels that won't make any sense. In any case, it's a pretty good entry in the series (and "pretty good" got more and more rare as Uderzo continued on, which makes this one something special). ***