Product Description

"[Thorne Smith] created the modern American ghost.   A ghost with style and wit. A ghost that haunts us still."
--The New York Times

Thorne Smith is a master of urbane wit and sophisticated repartee. Topper, his best-known work, is the hilarious, ribald comedy on which the hit television show and movie (starring Cary Grant) were based.

It all begins when Cosmo Topper, a law-abiding, mild-mannered bank manager, decides to buy a secondhand car, only to find it haunted by the ghosts of its previous owners--the reckless, feckless, frivolous couple who met their untimely demise when the car careened into an oak tree. The ghosts, George and Marion Kerby, make it their mission to rescue Topper from the drab "summer of suburban Sundays" that is his life--and they commence a series of madcap adventures that leave Topper, and anyone else who crosses their path, in a whirlwind of discomfiture and delight.

As enchanting today as it was when first published in 1926, Topper has set the standard in American pop culture for such mischievous apparitions as those seen in The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Heaven Can Wait, Beetlejuice, and Bewitched.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #487805 in Books
• Published on: 1999-02-02
• Released on: 1999-02-02
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 8.50" h x .50" w x 5.50" l, .63 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

From AudioFile
The listener with happy childhood memories of both the well-known film (starring Cary Grant) and the early TV show will enjoy hearing the original story of Topper, a man whose world is thrown into confusion by two frivolous, high-society ghosts. Barrett Whitener successfully brings the varied characters to life, from petulant and whiny Topper, to sophisticated Marion. And his George Kerby perfectly fits my image of this debonair and charming character. The supporting characters are well drawn; they include stereotypical police, a self-important judge, and the long suffering Mrs. Topper. Whitener carefully paints the desolate landscape of Topper's life, while hinting at the sensuality of Marion, and the sexual tension between the two. This is a delightful, thought-provoking read. W.L.S. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

About the Author
Thorne Smith was the author of nine novels, including The Night Life of the Gods, Topper Takes a Trip, and The Stray Lamb. He was born in Annapolis, Maryland, in 1892 and died in 1934. Carolyn See is the author of nine books. Her latest novel is The Handyman.