Topper
core novel 1926 Topper
Record
| First published | 1926 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 3.69 (1,194 ratings, collected 2026-10-29) |
| Internal chronology | 1 |
Synopsis
George and Marion Kerby, elegant, rich and fun-loving, are the toast of the town until George wrecks their flashy car and they discover that they have become ghosts. Making the best of a bad situation, they decide that being dead is the perfect opportunity to liven up Cosmo Topper, a mild-mannered, middle-aged bank manager trapped in a drab routine of suburban Sundays with a dyspeptic wife, who has bought their repaired car. Their escapades lead Topper into drinking, scandal and arrest, and threaten to estrange him from his wife. Also published as The Jovial Ghosts, the novel is a sophisticated spoof of the manners and morals of its day.
Where it sits
- Universe: Topper
- Series: Topper core; position 1 of 2 in the series' recorded order
- Author: Thorne Smith
Notes
- First published 1926; also published as The Jovial Ghosts. No ISBN: it predates the system.
- From the series record (Topper): Two comic novels, 1926 and 1932.
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings, but they resolve to the exact same sequence for this book, so one combined line is shown instead of two identical ones.
- Reading order, within the series Topper: position 1 of 2: next Topper Takes a Trip (1932)
Sources
← Topper dossier · All universes
Part of the Library. Fields without an identified source are omitted, never guessed.