Charles "Chic" Sale (1885–1936)

I first read this wonderful book in the mid-1960s and have re-read it on countless occasions in the intervening years. A recent review of it on the Nudge website reminded me that it was time to re-read it yet again, and I wasn’t disappointed! I never tire of it’s delightful quirkiness and homespun wisdom, all the insights into the thought which the narrator, Lem Putt, gave to designing “privies” and the pride he felt when surveying his subsequent creations. Over the past five decades I have enjoyed buying copies for friends, all of whom have found it equally delightful, not only for the amusing narrative but also for William Kermodes’s wonderful illustrations. The Times Literary Supplement described it as ".... innocently Rabelaisian”, a succinctly apt description.… (mehr)

This quirky little book is one that should be read aloud, maybe even on a stage. Laced with humor and written tongue-in-cheek, this homespun tale should be savored slowly. In a time long past, this specialist would have been highly sought after. But nowadays, there is not much call for a man who specializes in building outhouses! Still, it is a skill that should not be laughed at or taken lightly. Perhaps some of the expertise of this specialist could be applied to other ventures. Regardless, it is a shallow person indeed will will not learn something from reading this tale.… (mehr)