James Thorne Smith Jr. (1892-1934), was an American writer of humorous supernaturnal fantasy fiction. Best known today for his creation of Topper, Smith's comic fantasy fiction (most of it involving sex, lots of drinking, and supernatural transformations, and aided by racy illustrations) sold millions of copies in the early 1930s. Smith drank as steadily as his characters; his appearance in James Thurber's The Years With Ross involves an unexplained week-long disappearance. Smith was born in Annapolis, Maryland the son of a Navy commodore, attended Dartmouth College, and after hungry years in Greenwich Village working part-time as an advertising agent, Smith achieved meteoric success with the publication of Topper in 1926. His other works include: 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) and The Glorious Pool (1934). He died of a heart attack while vacationing in Florida.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I first read The Night Life of The Gods, and just about everything else Thorne Smith ever wrote some thirty odd years ago when in theory I was studying biochemistry at university. It's back in print, and just as much a delight now as it was then. I suppose the genre is eccentric humour. Think Spike Milligan, but much more cheerful, or maybe Flan O'Brien, but less ponderous. Thorne Smith has a very light hand on the tiller, and this outrageous story just trips along. It's as easy to read as you could wish. All the more credit to the author since it's also extremely well written. If you've a taste for Robert Rankin, or Tom Holt, or maybe Robert Asprin, you would feel right at home with this type of suave, sophisticated lunacy. It's hard to believe this was written close to 90 years ago, it feels so fresh. Froth and bubble? Granted. Much like champagne really. Oh and did I say, its very, very funny. Read it in public at your own peril.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I first read this novel forty or fifty years ago. I wanted to find out if I still found it funny. I do.
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I love Thorne Smith's works as they are usually very funny and farcical. This book is certainly the latter, but its funny moments are far less frequent than in, for example, "Topper". The author uses many one-liners that, perhaps in the 1920s would have been regarded as rather witty, however I found them to be rather strange. That said, the situation the hero finds himself in (being able to turn people into statues and statues into flesh and blood, particularly those of the gods of Olympia), is very funny and if Mr Smith had not tried to insert so many witty comments into the story, it would have made for really good reading. Instead, I found myself glossing over certain parts of the book (because I found them irrelevant to the story), looking for more interesting antics. Nevertheless, I still admire Thorne Smith's books and find much of the humour within the book to be still relevant today.
By Don Davis
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I first came across this book many years ago as a teenager, and I recall being highly amused by it, so when I stumbled across it on Amazon I decided to order it and relive the amusement. I was a bit disappointed, it now seems a bit creaky and somewhat dated (though of course my taste will have changed over 50 years). There are some lovely bits of writing in it, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to revisit it, but my copy will be going to the charity shop.
By Henry Walsh
Format:Paperback
first read this book as a teenager and loved it.reading it many times.i forget what happened to the original and i have been looking for a new copy for fifty years.so imigine my delight to find it at last.
the plot being the hero invents a ray that turns people to stone and he meets a a female leprechaun who shows him how to turn statues in to people. this they do with statues from greek mythology ( but with roman names ) and anarchy ensues.
after fifty years i wondered if i would find it as funny.no.it's funnier. i am now a happy pensioner.
the plot being the hero invents a ray that turns people to stone and he meets a a female leprechaun who shows him how to turn statues in to people. this they do with statues from greek mythology ( but with roman names ) and anarchy ensues.
after fifty years i wondered if i would find it as funny.no.it's funnier. i am now a happy pensioner.
Format:Paperback
I first read this book in the nintey's and found it great fun, however it fell from my memory like many other things do with age, until one day I saw a similar title which brought back sweet memory's, but I could'nt quite remember what it was I found so funny, until I read it again and my oh my, it is more fun the second time round. It's a great pick you up, I would recomment to anybody.
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