Helpful Score: 2
Cosmo, the title character from Topper, has retired from banking and taken up residence on the French Riviera in order to escape the evils of Prohibition. One day, while bathing, Cosmo finds an unwelcome visitor in the person of George Kirby sharing his tub. And, of course, where goes George, Marion, the sensual seductive almost pagan ghost with the most from the earlier book, is sure to follow, along with assorted friends and boon companions.
It's almost mind boggling that these books are 80 years old. Their blend of Cheech and Chong type substance abuse jokes with ribald but never quite explicit humour has aged not at all in the intervening years. The basic premise of staid stolid banker succumbing to bad influences and learning to enjoy life has quite honestly never been done half as well by anyone else.
These are classics in the tradition of Rabelais or the less respectable days of Twain. Do yourself a favor, read these wonderful books, especially if you love Tom Robbins or Christopher Moore. Just don't expect the storyline to follow the films, Smith was unfilmable at the time because of the prevailing morality and no one seems interested in trying anymore.
It's almost mind boggling that these books are 80 years old. Their blend of Cheech and Chong type substance abuse jokes with ribald but never quite explicit humour has aged not at all in the intervening years. The basic premise of staid stolid banker succumbing to bad influences and learning to enjoy life has quite honestly never been done half as well by anyone else.
These are classics in the tradition of Rabelais or the less respectable days of Twain. Do yourself a favor, read these wonderful books, especially if you love Tom Robbins or Christopher Moore. Just don't expect the storyline to follow the films, Smith was unfilmable at the time because of the prevailing morality and no one seems interested in trying anymore.
