Read by Barrett Whitener

It all begins when Cosmo Topper, a law-abiding, mild-mannered bank manager, decides
to buy a secondhand car, only to find it haunted by the ghosts of its previous owners
the reckless, feckless, frivolous couple who met their untimely demise when the car
careened into an oak tree. The ghosts, George and Marion Kerby, make it their mission
to rescue Topper from the drab "summer of suburban Sundays" that is his life and they
commence a series of madcap adventures that leave Topper, and anyone else who crosses
their path, in a whirlwind of discomfiture and delight.

As enchanting today as it was when first published in 1926, Topper has set the standard
in American pop culture for such mischievous apparitions as those seen in The Ghost and
Mrs. Muir, Heaven Can Wait, Beetlejuice, and Bewitched.

The listener with happy childhood memories of both the well-known film (starring Cary
Grant) and the early TV show will enjoy hearing the original story of Topper, a man
whose world is thrown into confusion by two frivolous, high-society ghosts. Barrett
Whitener successfully brings the varied characters to life, from petulant and whiny
Topper, to sophisticated Marion. And his George Kerby perfectly fits my image of this
debonair and charming character. The supporting characters are well drawn; they include
stereotypical police, a self-important judge, and the long suffering Mrs. Topper.
Whitener carefully paints the desolate landscape of Topper's life, while hinting at the
sensuality of Marion, and the sexual tension between the two. This is a delightful,
thought-provoking read.

Download File Size:165.2 MB

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