Asterix and the Chariot Race

ISBN: 978-1-5101-0500-3

First published 2017

46 pages

Publisher: http://www.hachettechildrens.co.uk

Cover by Didier Conrad

Translation by Adriana Hunter

5 / 5 Stars

A really great Asterix book, with a new country (Italy) to explore, a mission, great escapades, friends and enemies and suspense. The suspense is not who will win – the reader expects Asterix and Obelix to win – but how many ways will the Romans try and defeat the indomitable Gauls?

And it is great to see our Gaulish friends visit the Italic peninsula, where Umbrian tribes still fight the Romans. The Gauls had visited most parts of the Roman Empire in previous adventures, except Italy!

As always a map is to hand to guide the reader.

But the real joy here is the lovely word play, use of puns and the development of long running jokes that echo almost exactly anything that Goscinny could have written.

For example, the Lusitanians always trying to fix their chariot.

Or for example, when the pirates, entering the chariot race, stumble and take a wrong turn at Venetia (Venice), and end up in the lagoon.

Captain: Our hopes are drowned my boy!

Deckhand: At least we’re in our element!

And the villain of the story? The all-conquering charioteer………………CORONAVIRUS!!

Note to the reader: This book was reviewed previously, check out https://eclecticbookreview.blog/2018/07/09/asterix-and-the-chariot-race/ !!!