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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
A memorable read, August 19, 2004
During a career that spanned more than twenty years, Frenchman Joseph Pujol--Le Petomane--captivated fin-de-siecle Parisian audiences and brought international crowds to tears of laughter with his unusual performances. Alone on stage and elegantly attired, Pujol demonstrated his peculiar ability to take in copious quantities of air or water at will through his rectum and to expel either when convenient, a skill which allowed him to perform a number of spectacular feats. Pujol used his disciplined flatulence, for example, to blow out candles (from a distance of 12 inches) or to shoot jets of water--sucked in immediately beforehand--as far as four or five yards. He could imitate various animals with his emissions and could play recognizable tunes. (A newspaper of the day reports: "In reality he produced only four notes, the do, mi, sol, and do of the octave. I cannot guarantee that each of these notes was tonally true.") And in a coup de grace that would have left Howard Stern screaming for more, Le Petomane would insert a rubber hose into his anus and, thrusting a cigarette into the hose's free end, would enjoy a rectal smoke, his sphincter alternately breathing in and exhaling. (Pujol played the flute using the same apparatus.)
In his very brief (95 pages in my edition, with photographs) biography, author Jean Nohain tells the bizarre story of Le Petomane, an evidently kindly baker, and a father of ten, who was determined to use his talent for flatulence for good. It is an arresting story, of course, but there is unfortunately much to fault in the writing and translation into English of the book itself: References that demand explanation (caf' conc', Kam-Hill) but go unremarked, an off-putting introductory chapter that relies almost exclusively on quoted material, a general lack of cohesion throughout. But if you do read Le Petomane you will very likely never forget it, and you will almost certainly mention it to at least one friend--which is more than can be said about many better books.
Reviewed by Debra Hamel, author of Trying Neaira: The True Story of a Courtesan's Scandalous Life in Ancient Greece
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
From the Bottom of my Heart, I love Le Petomane., May 2, 2003
Although the translation from French is sometimes a little awkward and stiff, this is an excellent, informative and entertaining little volume. I was astonished to learn of the *existence* of Le Petomane, so you can imagine my bewildered delight as I read the story of his life. What I particularly like about this story is that a clear picture emerges of a devoted family man who, in the end, set aside his showbiz career to provide the kind of steady, reliable support to his children and grandchildren that a humorous farting artist can't guarantee. The deadpan, absurd humour of this book is particularly wonderful. If you're familiar with the 'My Word' stories that Frank Muir used to tell about fin de siecle Paris ('There's Manet, asleep, twixt the carp and the Leap') it's hard not to think that this must be a similar invention... but apparently it's all true, or at least presented in good faith. I'm glad I live in a world that supports petomanie.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Get Right To The Source Of All The Stories., March 1, 2002
...The book gives you a first hand, blow by blow account of the life and times of the Great 19th Century Fartiste Joseph Pujol ( Le Petomane ). The web is riddled with second hand stories about this famous performer and other books profess to have all the facts but in reality the truth is that their is only one true account of Pujol, his history and his life and this is it. This is the book everyone else is quoting from, even if they don't realise it. Le Petomane is THE BOOK about Le Petomane from which the tales and legends have grown, A "Right Ripping Read" with "Genuine Photographs" this book is a timeless memorial to Pujol and his work.
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by Jim Dawson
