Asterix in Switzerland (Asterix (Orion Paperback)) (No. 16) [Paperback]

Rene Goscinny (Author), Albert Uderzo (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2004 | Series: Asterix (Orion Paperback)

The governor of Gaul has always been a “creative” accountant. Now he’s under investigation by Vexatius Sinusititis—or he was, until someone poisons the investigator. In order to heal Vexatius, Asterix and Obelix set off to locate a special flower that grows only in Helvetia.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Rene Goscinny was born in Paris in 1926, and spent most of his childhood in Argentina, before eventually moving to Paris in 1951. He died in 1977. Albert Uderzo was born in 1927 in a small village in Marne, France. He met Rene Goscinny in 1951 and on 29 October 1959 their most famous creation, Asterix, made his first appearance on page 20 of Pilote. Asterix the Gaul, their first album, was published in 1961 and there have now been 33 Asterix albums.

Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Orion; Export ed edition (September 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0752866354
• ISBN-13: 978-0752866352
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.6 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #62,171 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #8 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Series > Humorous > Asterix
  • #17 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > History & Historical Fiction > Fiction > Europe
  • #72 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Entertainment > Humor > General

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Asterix and the Silver Star, June 22, 2002

By 

Gary Selikow (Great Kush) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Asterix in Switzerland (Adventures of Asterix) (Paperback)

First published in French in 1970 as Astérix chez les Helvêtes,
Asterix in Switzerland was first published in English in 1973.

A visitor from Rome interrupts Varius Flavus, the Roman Governor of Condatum (Rennes), from one of his depraved and revolting orgies.
Quaestor Vexatius Sinusitus has been sent by Julius Caesar, as a Treasurer for the Provinces, to audit the Governor's accounts.
As Flavus has been rather freely crooking the accounts, he poisons the Quaestor to get him out the way.

An ill Sinusitus secretly sends for the Getafix who is a famous healer, and Getafix of course takes with Asterix and Obelix, and our two heroes are sent to Helvetia (Switzerland) to fetch the one thing that can save his charge, the Silver Star (Edelweiss).
Varius Flavus is desperate to ensure that the Quaestor is not saved and sends word to his friend, the equally corrupt Governor of Genava (Geneva) that Asterix and Obelix are to be stopped at all costs.

Once more the author Goscinny writes a witty and satirical adventure, poking gentle fun at the customs of Switzerland, their punctuality and clocks, fondues and Swiss Cheese, yodeling and banks. We get to observe an ancient `International Conference of Tribal Chiefs', almost as useless and hypocritical as the United
Nations of today and even get to meet the famous Michelin man when our friends stop off at a repair station to mend a broken wheel.
Once more a fantastic classic, from the famous Goscinny and Uderzo.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A review from Mr. Entertainment Lover, August 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Asterix in Switzerland (Adventures of Asterix) (Paperback)

A wonderfully done book in which Asterix, Obelix, and Getafix, must save a roman inspector that has been poisened by an evil roman governor. To save the inspectors life they must travel to the mountains in Switzerland to get a flower that can heal him.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cleaning mania, holes in cheese and big Cuckoo!, September 19, 2007

By 

Graves (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Asterix in Switzerland Hb (Classic Asterix hardbacks) (Hardcover)

Originally done as a comic in a french childrens' magazine, the Adventures of Asterix the Gaul have grown beyond that small framework and can be enjoyed by peoples around the world. The idea is that in the world of 55BC all Gaul has been conquored by the Romans, except for one small village which holds out against the invaders. The source of their survival is a magic potion brewed by the village Druid which gives the drinker superhuman strength. The Gauls are not waging a war with the Romans, they just go about their lives and after being thumped a few times, the local Romans are more than happy to let them do it.

This is one of my favorites in the Asterix series. In a rare case of helping a Roman, Gettafix is asked to aid a Roman investogator who has been poisoned by the corrupt officials he is auditing. To save his life Asterix must recover a tiny flower known only to grow in Helivita.

The rest is a fun romp through Switzerland pushing all the steroetypes of banks and neutrality and above all cleanliness. This is a particular point of horror to the Romans who like dirty orgies. There are comments on cooking, medical health and depravity, just for good measure.

Along the way potions are drunk, Romans as bashed and friends are made.