The Thorne Smith Reader: Nine Novels by Thorne SmithThis collection includes some of Thorne Smith's greatest works    Topper: The Jovial Ghosts (1926)    The Stray Lamb (1929)    Turnabout (1931)    The Night Life of the Gods (1931)    Topper Takes a Trip (1932)    The Bishop's Jaegers (1932)    Rain in the Doorway (1933)    Skin and Bones (1933)    The Glorious Pool (1934)Thorne Smith was a fantastic fantasy fiction writer who sold millions of paperbacks in the early twentieth century. He wa...

The Jazz Age comedy of manners about a straitlaced banker and two bon vivant ghosts that inspired the classic film starring Cary Grant.Bank manager Cosmo Topper has settled into a stable, respectable, and thoroughly boring life. In need of a little adventure, he decides to buy a secondhand car—a detail he neglects to tell his staid wife, Mary. But Topper's little secret turns into an unexpectedly wild ride when he discovers the automobile is haunted by its previous...

In 'The Night Life of the Gods,' Thorne Smith weaves a fantastical narrative infused with humor and clever social satire. The novel chronicles the escapades of a group of mischievous deities who descend from Mount Olympus to experience the pleasures and vices of 1920s New York City. Smith's literary style is marked by a playful use of language, whimsical dialogue, and a structure that lends itself to both farce and philosophical musing on the nature of humanity. This book stands as a signi...

Topper Takes a Trip is the 1932 follow up to Topper: The Jovial Ghosts. It follows Cosmo Topper and his (mis)adventures with two ghosts. Made into a film and a sitcom, the Topper series is Smith's most famous work.Thorne Smith was a fantastic fantasy fiction writer who sold millions of paperbacks in the early twentieth century. He was famous for his Topper novels as well as the novel that was later adapted to create Bewitched. His witty takes on modern life, sex, and the supernatural makes...

The Night Life of the Gods is another great fantasy adventure from Thorne Smith. Hunter Hawk is an inventor of a device that turns people into to stone and vice versa. He meets 900-year-old Megaera and the two head for the Metropolitan Museum of Art to bring the Greek gods to life.Thorne Smith was a fantastic fantasy fiction writer who sold millions of paperbacks in the early twentieth century. He was famous for his Topper novels as well as the novel that was later adapted to create Bewitc...

Thorne Smith's "Topper" presents a delightful blend of humor and supernatural elements, weaving a narrative that expertly explores themes of social propriety and the pursuit of happiness. Set against the backdrop of the Roaring Twenties, the book follows George and Marian Topper, an ordinary couple whose lives are turned upside down when they encounter the spirited ghosts of a young couple. Smith's witty prose and whimsical characterizations breathe life into a world where the boundaries b...

In 'Topper Takes a Trip,' Thorne Smith masterfully blends humor, fantasy, and a whimsical narrative style, creating a light-hearted exploration of the afterlife and social conventions. This novel continues the adventures of George and Marion Topper, allowing readers to accompany them on a comedic escapade filled with mischief and supernatural encounters. Smith employs a satirical tone, reflecting the 1930s American culture while skillfully juxtaposing the mundane with the fantastical, invi...

Thorne Smith best-remembered for humorous novels, many turning on some fantastic plot device which thrusts the protagonist into grotesque predicaments, often via unwitting transformation. The 1926 publication of „Topper” brought the author immediate acclaim. Elegant, fun-loving George and Marion Kerby are the toast of the town, until they wreck their flashy car and discover they’ve become, well, ghosts. Making the best of a bad situation, they decide that being dead is the perfect opportun...

Another magical, mischievous Thorne Smith classic. Though Thorne Smith’s most popular works involve elements of fantasy and science fiction, the clever novel „Turnabout” takes his penchant for incorporating supernatural and magical themes in his work and puts one such plot twist to use as a comedic tool. A classic battle of the sexes, it was published in 1931 and follows a married couple who fall prey to the tricks of an Egyptian idol who grows weary of the seemingly never-ending spats bet...

Rain in the Doorway, published in 1933, is full of sexual innuendo. Hector Owen is a partner in a department store and we follow his adventures with a salesgirl from the pornographic books department. Ending up in a courtroom, the novel has a surprise ending that will keep you turning pages.Thorne Smith was a fantastic fantasy fiction writer who sold millions of paperbacks in the early twentieth century. He was famous for his Topper novels as well as the novel that was later adapted to cre...

Published by 1929, The Stray Lamb follows mild-mannered investment banker, cuckold, and dipsomaniac T. Lawrence Lamb. He has many adventures and transforms into various animals throughout the novel. As in many Thorne Smith novels, a courtroom scene involving the protagonists and an exasperated judge provides a climax to the characteristically tipsy action. Thorne Smith was a fantastic fantasy fiction writer who sold millions of paperbacks in the early twentieth century. He was famous for h...

In "The Night Life of the Gods," Thorne Smith masterfully weaves a narrative that blurs the boundaries between the mundane and the divine. Set primarily in the vibrant milieu of New York City, the novel explores the escapades of an everyman who unwittingly becomes entangled with the gods of Olympus, who have taken on human forms. Smith employs a rich conversational style laced with humor and satire, characteristic of his signature blend of fantasy and reality. This playful yet poignant nar...