Topper
#10053.70 adjusted 3.80 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 2 books Status Complete 1926–1932 Reading commitment Low Thorne Smith Last reviewed 2026-10-29
Overview
Thorne Smith’s two comic fantasies, Topper (1926) and Topper Takes a Trip (1932), follow Cosmo Topper, a staid suburban bank manager whose dull life is turned upside down by the ghosts of George and Marion Kerby, a glamorous, hard-drinking couple killed in the car he later buys. A sophisticated spoof of middle-class manners and morals of the Jazz Age, the first book was an immediate success and became the 1937 film starring Cary Grant and Constance Bennett, which in turn led to film sequels and a 1950s television series.
Comic fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (2 works) counts toward ranking
Topper Thorne Smith
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topper; First published 1926; also published as The Jovial Ghosts. No ISBN: it predates the system. | 1926 | 1 | core | 3.69 (1,194 ratings) | |
| Topper Takes a Trip; No ISBN: it predates the system. | 1932 | 2 | core | 3.75 (310 ratings) |
Two comic novels, 1926 and 1932.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Topper? Topper's Core Canon is 2 books.
- What is the reading order for Topper? Publication order, starting with Topper. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Topper finished? Complete (1926–1932).
- How much reading does Topper take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 2 Core Canon books).
- How is Topper ranked? #1005 in this site's official ranking, based on 1,504 reader ratings across 2 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #1005?
Ranked #1005 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.70 across 2 core books.
- A smaller readership (1,504 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Remarkably consistent across the whole series: all 2 rated core books rate within 0.06 of each other.
- 0.10 behind #1004, The Tales of Alvin Maker.
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Modestly rated · 2 books · Complete · 2k ratings · Ranks #1005 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment comic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (2 Core Canon books)
- Topper (1926)
- Topper Takes a Trip (1932)
Documented internal/story chronology is recorded for every Core Canon book here, and matches publication order exactly, with no divergence to show separately.
Awards (verified)
- No awards found for this universe.
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.70 across 1,504 ratings on 2 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon Extension: Topper (Thorne Smith), Trinity (Fiona McIntosh) accepted 2026-10-29
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Wikipedia: Thorne Smith Tier 2
- Wikipedia: Topper (film) Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-10-29
Rule: Core Canon = the two novels: Topper (1926) and Topper Takes a Trip (1932). The film and television adaptations are not included.