The Little Blue Book by Antoine Buéno, 33, paints the little blue gnomes created by the artist Peyo as "archetype[s] of a totalitarian utopia full of Stalinism and Nazism."

With little regard for the friendly blue world of our youths, Buéno points out that in Peyo's story, The Black Smurfs, fly stings turn gnomes black and take away their speech.

"They lose all trace of intelligence and become completely moronic," Buéno says. "It's roughly the way Africans were viewed by white colonisers in the 19th century."

He points out that the Smurfs' enemy Gargamel suspiciously has a hook nose and a fascination with gold -- and is most likely an anti-Semitic caricature.

Finally, Buéno sees Papa Smurf, dressed in red cap and pants, as a "nod to Stalin" while the single blonde Surfette is a stereotypical Aryan ideal.

Buéno's analysis is provoking venomous criticism from fans of the blue gnomes who label him a "fool," "crook," and "disgrace."

One internet commenter sniffed, "This is typical of the politically correct who see racism everywhere."

And "Shorty MacDropShot'' sputtered at the Daily Mail:

"This buffoon is a sociologist. It is a non-job. What a load of tripe. How about writing about the appalling violence in the nursery rhyme "3 blind mice". NOT!!! What an attention seeking imbicile!" (sic)

Bueno told Agence France Press: "I imagined that this analysis of the small world of the Smurfs as totalitarian utopia might titillate readers. But I did not expect that it will trigger such violent reactions."

He dismisses dismissed the criticism as "a sacrilege, a crime of lese-Schtroumpfitude, as if memories of childhood prevented any critical thinking. In this book, I am simply superimpose adult approach to a childish perception."