Topper

The Topper Series, Book 1

By: Thorne Smith

Narrated by: John Rayburn

Here is a meeting with George and Marion Kerby, a couple of free-wheeling ghosts, who meet up with respectable banker Cosmo Topper. This was noted by the New York Times, claiming:

“Thorne Smith created the modern American ghost story, ghosts with style and wit; ghosts that haunt us still.”

Others pointed out, “Smith was a master of urbane wit and sophisticated repartee.”

The overall mood has a touch of silliness, but it provides lighthearted reading and listening, a matter of nonsensical escapism. For Topper it meant relief from a nagging wife with ongoing indigestion.

Smith himself was a heavy drinker and died of a heart attack at a youthful forty-two. Once, after an unexplained week-long disappearance, he was asked why he hadn’t called in sick. He replied, “The telephone was in the hall and there was a draft.”

Shall we listen to the escapades? Well, why not?

Public Domain (P)2022 John D. Rayburn

Ghostly mayhem

Thorne Smith’s Topper is a lighthearted fantasy tale involving a couple of fun-loving ghosts who instigate mischief with a staid bank manager. Written during the roaring 20’s, it likely pushed the bounds of respectable literature. The bank manager, Cosmos, purchased an automobile that was involved in a crash that killed the couple riding in the car. Not ready to move on, the two become ghosts that ‘haunt’ Cosmos who is susceptible due to his boring work and homelife. They introduce him to other ghosts and go on a series of adventures. He begins to fall in love with the female ghost.

Smith adopted a comedic angle to the story where the ghosts can materialize and then become transparent. The narration is suboptimal with a harsh British accent, limited character distinction, and much to fast.