Topper

By Thorne Smith

Book Overview

"Topper" is a whimsical and hilarious exploration of the supernatural, blending sharp social satire with ribald humor. The story follows Cosmo Topper, a law-abiding and somewhat repressed banker whose mundane existence is turned upside down when he encounters the ghosts of the glamorous, hard-living George and Marion Kerby. Having died in a reckless car accident, the Kerbys are stuck in a spectral limbo and decide that their ticket to the afterlife involves performing a "good deed"-which, in their view, means liberating the stuffy Mr. Topper from his joyless routine.

As the mischievous spirits lead Topper on a series of madcap adventures, the boundaries between the living and the dead blur in a whirlwind of invisible antics and scandalous situations. Thorne Smith's masterpiece of urban fantasy skewers the rigid social conventions of the 1920s while celebrating the spirit of rebellion and the pursuit of pleasure. A foundational work of screwball comedy, "Topper" remains a delightful romp that questions what it truly means to be alive. With its clever dialogue and fantastical premise, the novel continues to charm readers looking for a sophisticated yet irreverent escape into the world of the paranormal.

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• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1025332296
• ISBN13: 9781025332291
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Tradd Street Press
• Length: 316 Pages
• Weight: 0.98 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

better than the TV show

and i very liked the show too !!. i remember seeing this book in the private collection of a professor at the university i worked at. so i took it home without his knowledge and read it. it was a very good read. light hearted but with a pleasant sadness.

Great escapist fare from the jazz age

Having never heard of the movie, my initial attraction to this book was actually the cover art. Though there really isn't a date given, I pictured it perhaps in the early 1920's, though the depiction of the automobile as some kind of strange novelty probably sets it in the early 1910's. Perhaps it's a reflection on myself, but I enjoy stories about ordinary people who are stuck in a rut or who have lived their lives having never followed their dreams and who are given one last chance to shine. The characters and antics are outrageous, yet likable in a strange way. And the story reads pretty quickly.While reading this book, I pictured elements of the 20's, 50's, and 80's. In fact, I think they should re-make a movie of this book and set it in a "timeless" setting. Overall, if you're not prejudiced against reading a book written in the 1920's, I'd recommend it.

A Humour Standard

'Topper' is best known perhaps from the Cary Grant movie version. It's a good movie but I like the book even better. The characters delight, particularly in terms of Cosmo's retaining his decorum, in the warmth of Marion's dead-but-still-sexy presence. Anyone who enjoys humourous novels has to put this one on their reading list. Few recent humour novels are as funny as this classic from decades past, but there is one I know of, entitled 'Rastus Reilly', and I recommend that book as well.

Terrific Jazz-era story, funny and thoughtful

Who hasn't fallen in love with a ghost at least once in their life? Topper is absolutely delightful. While in some ways it was considered scandalous at the time, it certainly seems innocent today. It has a lightness and freshness lacking in his later works. Some contemporary readers may be unused to fiction that lacks violence and overt sex, but the appeal of this story is Cosmo's mid-life crisis and its sucessful resolution with the supernatural assistance of a carful of hard-drinking, carefree spirits.Whoever coined the phrase 'witty repartee' probably had this book in mind. It's a fun read that kept me entertained all the way from Seattle to Virginia.One word of advice before you start. Smith uses an interesting motif in this book over and over again. Keep your eyes open for it.

How a staid banker learns to really live from two ghosts.

Topper is the delightfully riotious story of a staid, quietly frustrated banker who buys a fancy sports car haunted by it's previous owners, who died when they crashed it on their way home from a party. Since death did NOT part them, the two gang up on poor "Toppy", turning a good man bad the right way. He learns to drink to excess, lie to his wife, and blow his staid, "pillar of the community" reputation all to hell. Thorne Smith creates delightful characters with great depth and longing, and writes about them in a witty, incredibly insightful, and downright hilarious fashion. I've read all his books, and recommend them all highly, with "Night Life of the Gods" being my all-time favorite book. When you read Thorne Smith, you WILL laugh out loud! I highly recommend "Topper" to anyone who enjoys a good laugh, and a flock of cocktails!