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سروال القس
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 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.
315 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1932
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200 people want to read
About the author
Thorne Smith
55 books78 followersJames Thorne Smith, Jr. was an American writer of humorous supernatural fantasy fiction under the byline Thorne Smith. He is best known today for the two Topper novels, comic fantasy fiction involving sex, much drinking and supernatural transformations. With racy illustrations, these sold millions of copies in the 1930s and were equally popular in paperbacks of the 1950s.
Smith was born in Annapolis, Maryland, the son of a Navy commodore and attended Dartmouth College. Following hungry years in Greenwich Village, working part-time as an advertising agent, Smith achieved meteoric success with the publication of Topper in 1926. He was an early resident of Free Acres, a social experimental community developed by Bolton Hall according to the economic principles of Henry George in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey. He died of a heart attack in 1934 while vacationing in Florida.
Smith was born in Annapolis, Maryland, the son of a Navy commodore and attended Dartmouth College. Following hungry years in Greenwich Village, working part-time as an advertising agent, Smith achieved meteoric success with the publication of Topper in 1926. He was an early resident of Free Acres, a social experimental community developed by Bolton Hall according to the economic principles of Henry George in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey. He died of a heart attack in 1934 while vacationing in Florida.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
August 25, 2023
This was a fun read!
November 7, 2011
With Thorne Smith you must succumb to "temporary
insanity" -- his, of course. The creator of "Topper,"
who launched the line, 'What we need is a drink,' is
too damn funny. He reps the Art Deco '20s-'30s: swank,
civilized, Cary Grant-Constance Bennett froth.
Despite the Depression, when Americans cried for laughter,
Smith kept producing his levitating fancies that mock
buttoned-up behaviour. He was only 42 when he died in 1934.
A NYC ferry starts sinking on the outer banks of New Jersey
and some ditzed urbanites drift into an aggressive nudist
colony. And then? Use your vanilla-flavored imagination.
insanity" -- his, of course. The creator of "Topper,"
who launched the line, 'What we need is a drink,' is
too damn funny. He reps the Art Deco '20s-'30s: swank,
civilized, Cary Grant-Constance Bennett froth.
Despite the Depression, when Americans cried for laughter,
Smith kept producing his levitating fancies that mock
buttoned-up behaviour. He was only 42 when he died in 1934.
A NYC ferry starts sinking on the outer banks of New Jersey
and some ditzed urbanites drift into an aggressive nudist
colony. And then? Use your vanilla-flavored imagination.
July 3, 2019
بعض الكتاب ينبغي أن تقرأ كتبهم اكثر من مرة لتدرك المعنى الكامن خلف كل فقرة من فقرات الكتاب
حسنا لو مسني الجنون و قرأت تلك الرواية مجددا ، فمجددا لن اجد سوى مجموعة من الحمقى يدور بينهم حوار هزلي ركيك غير منطقي في إطار احداث غير منطقية لا تستخلص منها أي حكمة في الحياة .
حسنا لو مسني الجنون و قرأت تلك الرواية مجددا ، فمجددا لن اجد سوى مجموعة من الحمقى يدور بينهم حوار هزلي ركيك غير منطقي في إطار احداث غير منطقية لا تستخلص منها أي حكمة في الحياة .
April 8, 2014
This one is a hoot! Take one part screwball comedy, mix it with bedroom farce, stir in some typical outrageous Thorne Smith situations (such as the seemingly mandatory court appearance and being held prisoner in a nudist camp), and you have a brisk romp that kept me chuckling. Perhaps a better measure is that if you are not in the mood for a Marx Brothers movie, avoid this book at all costs. If you are, then let the madness begin.
This is a fairly late work in the Thorne Smith canon, and he has perfected his formula. Unlike THE RAIN IN THE DOORWAY, which has outrageous characters behaving in all sorts of non-sensical manners, this one grounds the story in the character motives...and I genuinely liked all of them. Consequently, we can laugh with the characters (especially if you like your puns flying fast and furious) instead of being aware that we are supposed to find something funny.
How ridiculous is it? Well, all of the major characters are introduced to the Reader by the type of underwear they are sporting. This attachment becomes a silly, yet delightfully risqué theme as the story develops...seemingly equating the demonstration of good morals with the ability to keep one's drawers on!
It is hard to be certain whether or not the writer actually believed in the morality preached during the brief, more serious portions of the book. If he does, it is interesting because he will have other characters present conflicting beliefs that are just as sound.
In a world beset with too much worry and the judging of others, THE BISHOP'S JAEGERS is a delightful escape into a light-hearted, carefree world that is surprisingly moral in its indecency, every so slightly titillating, and fun to view from a safe distance. It's just the ticket if life has "got you down."
This is a fairly late work in the Thorne Smith canon, and he has perfected his formula. Unlike THE RAIN IN THE DOORWAY, which has outrageous characters behaving in all sorts of non-sensical manners, this one grounds the story in the character motives...and I genuinely liked all of them. Consequently, we can laugh with the characters (especially if you like your puns flying fast and furious) instead of being aware that we are supposed to find something funny.
How ridiculous is it? Well, all of the major characters are introduced to the Reader by the type of underwear they are sporting. This attachment becomes a silly, yet delightfully risqué theme as the story develops...seemingly equating the demonstration of good morals with the ability to keep one's drawers on!
It is hard to be certain whether or not the writer actually believed in the morality preached during the brief, more serious portions of the book. If he does, it is interesting because he will have other characters present conflicting beliefs that are just as sound.
In a world beset with too much worry and the judging of others, THE BISHOP'S JAEGERS is a delightful escape into a light-hearted, carefree world that is surprisingly moral in its indecency, every so slightly titillating, and fun to view from a safe distance. It's just the ticket if life has "got you down."
November 28, 2011
Started slow but then took off and was hilarious! This was another recommendation from my dad and Thorne Smith is now one of my fav authors. My grandmother took it away from one of my older cousins in the 1970s b/c she thought it was some sort of "porn" judging by the title. My grandmother was born in 1900 so I am sure "jaegers" was scandalous!
August 16, 2017
قد تكون روايه ممله وسخيفه
إلا أنها تصلح للقرائه عندما تصاب بفتور تجاه الكتب الدسمه
فيمكن للأفكار الساخره التي يحويها الكتاب أن تضيع فيها وقتك
إلا أن ترجمة ثروت عكاشه الثريه بمحتواها اللغوي تضبف الكثير لهذا الكتاب
إلا أنها تصلح للقرائه عندما تصاب بفتور تجاه الكتب الدسمه
فيمكن للأفكار الساخره التي يحويها الكتاب أن تضيع فيها وقتك
إلا أن ترجمة ثروت عكاشه الثريه بمحتواها اللغوي تضبف الكثير لهذا الكتاب
June 30, 2012
من أكثر الروايات طرافةً ..
تصلح أن تكون فاصلا ً بين الكتب الدسمة ..
..
وتساءلت هل توجد رواية مشابهة ؟
أعجبتني ،،
March 19, 2011
Riyadh book fair 1432~
◤
لأنه قس مكانته سمحت له بالإبقاء على سرواله,بينما بقية رفاقه ارغموا على التعري عندما قادهم حظهم السيئ إلى مستعمرة العُراة.
أدب ساخر.ذا فكر فلسفي.
القصد:بقدر ماتكون قريباً,تكون قادراً على البعد!"نحنُ نصرّف الأمور هنا بطريقة
أفظل,فنخلع ملابسنا لننسى أجسادنا" اا
◣
◤
لأنه قس مكانته سمحت له بالإبقاء على سرواله,بينما بقية رفاقه ارغموا على التعري عندما قادهم حظهم السيئ إلى مستعمرة العُراة.
أدب ساخر.ذا فكر فلسفي.
القصد:بقدر ماتكون قريباً,تكون قادراً على البعد!"نحنُ نصرّف الأمور هنا بطريقة
أفظل,فنخلع ملابسنا لننسى أجسادنا" اا
◣
February 28, 2012
حقيقة لا يستهويني الأدب الساخر لكن هذه الرواية راائعة جدا
أسلوب الراوي ملىء بالنكتة والطرافة
والرواية مليئة بالسراويل :)
قرأتها إلكترونيا قبل سنة وأكثر ربما
April 30, 2022
You know it's odd. I haven't read a book for a while and I knew that at some point I'd get the itch and pick one up from my huge unread pile, but I never thought it'd be this.
Why? Well because I was underwhelmed by Turnabout and Rain in the Doorway. I wonder if it helped that I didn't really know much about this book and what I thought I knew was wrong. As I said in my review of Turnabout, I'd bought a 9 book collection and I thought that his books were all comedic fantasies. Turnabout is about a husband and wife who body swap, Rain in the Doorway is... hard to describe but definitely has fantasy elements. Topper and Topper Takes a Trip are about ghosts, and so on.
But I just started reading this and kept going. Believe me that hasn't happened for a while - and it may, in the end have affected my rating.
Jaegers it turns out, is an old-fashioned word for underwear. This is a farce/sex comedy about nudism. The plot involves a odd-ball collection of people ending up in a nudist colony where they've had their clothes stolen. The Bishop in the group is allowed to keep his jaegers, hence the title.
The reason I was sucked into this book so easily was at the beginning we're introduced to Peter, an executive (owner) of a coffee-importing business, who is engaged to the very proper society-minded Yolanda and whose secretary Josephine (or Jo) has designs on him. I would say this plot, or this setup really, by itself engaged me. That's how much of a sucker I am for romantic comedy tropes. There was in reality, as much need to overlook and forgive as there was in the other books. But having flipped that switch in my head that made me pre-disposed to it, it would have had to work hard to lose it.
There was a lot in there that would either have been racy or cute in the 1930s that is now tame, disturbing or decidedly un-PC. But once you get your mind in the right space you can see it for the gentle farce it is. It's essentially good-hearted. Which is not to say there weren't sections I enjoyed less. There was a lot of running around. A lot of stuff about the shocking, "unmoral" nature of nakedness, some of which would be seen as body-shaming today. I was fine with it but it was tedious how much there was on that theme. And a lot of the time spent with characters other than Peter or Jo wasn't that interesting to me.
Even a lot of the Peter/Jo stuff felt a little clunky or off. I had to mentally adjust it, or just recognise it as banter between sparring lovers-to-be. A lot of the dialogue in general had a sub-Marx Brothers feel to it. That said, enough was there to be still funny and charming. And there were a few scenes that were genuinely moving and romantic. There's a scene where they stand side by side looking out to sea and Peter is thinking about what his life will be, that's beautifully described.
Anyway, I enjoyed it. But more than ever I want to repeat my usual mantra, as a warning this time, that my ratings, and even this review, reflect my experience of reading this book. They do not necessary reflect an objective measure of quality, or provide a guide to whether you, dear reader, would enjoy this book. I suspect that I myself, at a different point in my life, or even in a different mood at this one, might not have.
Edit: I should have remembered, but of course the first thing GoodReads does when I save the review is ask who of my friends would enjoy this book. Ha!
15-may-2021: My reading this year has fallen off a cliff. I managed to read one book so far. A few weeks back I picked this up again and re-read it slowly. All of the above is still true. Because I knew what was coming I think some of the bits I found tedious before were easier to bear.
Also, I think I'm going to start calling out when books of this sort of era don't contain casually sexist or racist moments rather than when they do. I think anyone reading a book of this vintage probably expects them no?
29-apr-2022: Re-read was fun up until about half-way. Once Peter and Jo make their initial connection my interest wanes a little. I will say this about it this time - that the section after that went by quicker and more painlessly than I expected, and there were some nice moments in it that I had forgotten about. Every now and then Smith surprises you with a beautifully written sentence.
Why? Well because I was underwhelmed by Turnabout and Rain in the Doorway. I wonder if it helped that I didn't really know much about this book and what I thought I knew was wrong. As I said in my review of Turnabout, I'd bought a 9 book collection and I thought that his books were all comedic fantasies. Turnabout is about a husband and wife who body swap, Rain in the Doorway is... hard to describe but definitely has fantasy elements. Topper and Topper Takes a Trip are about ghosts, and so on.
But I just started reading this and kept going. Believe me that hasn't happened for a while - and it may, in the end have affected my rating.
Jaegers it turns out, is an old-fashioned word for underwear. This is a farce/sex comedy about nudism. The plot involves a odd-ball collection of people ending up in a nudist colony where they've had their clothes stolen. The Bishop in the group is allowed to keep his jaegers, hence the title.
The reason I was sucked into this book so easily was at the beginning we're introduced to Peter, an executive (owner) of a coffee-importing business, who is engaged to the very proper society-minded Yolanda and whose secretary Josephine (or Jo) has designs on him. I would say this plot, or this setup really, by itself engaged me. That's how much of a sucker I am for romantic comedy tropes. There was in reality, as much need to overlook and forgive as there was in the other books. But having flipped that switch in my head that made me pre-disposed to it, it would have had to work hard to lose it.
There was a lot in there that would either have been racy or cute in the 1930s that is now tame, disturbing or decidedly un-PC. But once you get your mind in the right space you can see it for the gentle farce it is. It's essentially good-hearted. Which is not to say there weren't sections I enjoyed less. There was a lot of running around. A lot of stuff about the shocking, "unmoral" nature of nakedness, some of which would be seen as body-shaming today. I was fine with it but it was tedious how much there was on that theme. And a lot of the time spent with characters other than Peter or Jo wasn't that interesting to me.
Even a lot of the Peter/Jo stuff felt a little clunky or off. I had to mentally adjust it, or just recognise it as banter between sparring lovers-to-be. A lot of the dialogue in general had a sub-Marx Brothers feel to it. That said, enough was there to be still funny and charming. And there were a few scenes that were genuinely moving and romantic. There's a scene where they stand side by side looking out to sea and Peter is thinking about what his life will be, that's beautifully described.
Anyway, I enjoyed it. But more than ever I want to repeat my usual mantra, as a warning this time, that my ratings, and even this review, reflect my experience of reading this book. They do not necessary reflect an objective measure of quality, or provide a guide to whether you, dear reader, would enjoy this book. I suspect that I myself, at a different point in my life, or even in a different mood at this one, might not have.
Edit: I should have remembered, but of course the first thing GoodReads does when I save the review is ask who of my friends would enjoy this book. Ha!
15-may-2021: My reading this year has fallen off a cliff. I managed to read one book so far. A few weeks back I picked this up again and re-read it slowly. All of the above is still true. Because I knew what was coming I think some of the bits I found tedious before were easier to bear.
Also, I think I'm going to start calling out when books of this sort of era don't contain casually sexist or racist moments rather than when they do. I think anyone reading a book of this vintage probably expects them no?
29-apr-2022: Re-read was fun up until about half-way. Once Peter and Jo make their initial connection my interest wanes a little. I will say this about it this time - that the section after that went by quicker and more painlessly than I expected, and there were some nice moments in it that I had forgotten about. Every now and then Smith surprises you with a beautifully written sentence.
June 24, 2016
I thought this was one of the silliest books I ever tried to read. I assume that the young lady was trying to win her boss over, but the plot was so daft & disconnected that it wasn't worth bothering about. Since this book was published in 1932 and seems to be one of a series, I can only assume that this is a case of chronological differences. Whatever the cause, I couldn't force myself to read beyond page 130.
June 12, 2017
Thorne Smith is a much-underrated humorist (tending to include nudity and seduction in pretty much everything he wrote), best known for creating "Topper". "The Bishop's Jaegers" is one of his lesser-known (and hard to find) books (mine is a 1945 paperback). It is, perhaps, a trifle overlong for the jokes it carries, but his wordplay is brilliant, and his characters are quite delightful.
October 8, 2012
سخيييييييييييييييييف أوي لدرجة أني مقدرتش أكمله
November 15, 2012
I don't know. Maybe in the 30's this was good, but a friend lent it to me telling me it was sooo funny. Felt like an assignment to me.
November 21, 2015
Very funny
I read a 1960 copy Orange Penguin number 1428
I read a 1960 copy Orange Penguin number 1428
September 3, 2017
رواية سطحية وغير متماسكة برغم محاولة الكاتب دس بعض الخيوط الفلسفية التي تجاوزها الزمن.
لا تضيع وقتك في قراءتها!
لا تضيع وقتك في قراءتها!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2018
رواية تتكلم عن الملابس الداخليه
( او هكذا تظهر)
ولكنها علي عكس الكثير من الادب الامريكي روايه رائعه
( او هكذا تظهر)
ولكنها علي عكس الكثير من الادب الامريكي روايه رائعه
December 29, 2018
Very entertaining screwball comedy novel from 1932. Smith is in top form.
October 25, 2023
This message is on the cover, "Unexpurgated, condensed from the best-selling edition." I can only imagine this means that all the naughty bits are intact but other parts of the story are abridged. I cannot really evaluate this edition because there are obviously bits of the story that are missing, such as the woman Jo not having access to her clothes in one chapter but wearing them in the next. I do know that this book is a mess and not only for that reason. After a brilliant beginning and lots of wonderful writing the story becomes bogged down in improbabilities, inaction when action is expected, and out of date debates. Too much of the story makes no sense, and in ways that are not explained by it being condensed. If you must read this book, read a different edition.
May 8, 2021
After the very disappointing The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes I decided to go back and re-read old favorites as a palate cleanser. Any Thorne Smith would have done, but this particular one, while not my favorite story, holds a special place in my heart, as the only book a teacher ever confiscated from me.
The writing is crisp, the "naughty" bits aren't terribly risque but are funny, and the plot is light and fun. Most characters are likeable (even Yolanda grows on one eventually), and the human nature sketches are all too human. Some of the language is iffy for the present day; the book was written in the 1930s after all.
The writing is crisp, the "naughty" bits aren't terribly risque but are funny, and the plot is light and fun. Most characters are likeable (even Yolanda grows on one eventually), and the human nature sketches are all too human. Some of the language is iffy for the present day; the book was written in the 1930s after all.
January 26, 2025
The sitcom equivalent experience of the 1930s. An amusing read in part for the intended humor but also for the cultural time capsule Smith has captured while skewering it.
At a few points Smith can’t help but include some incisive commentary on the human condition worth the read.
On the other hand the dated humor often falls flat and the ridiculousness is a bit much.
At a few points Smith can’t help but include some incisive commentary on the human condition worth the read.
On the other hand the dated humor often falls flat and the ridiculousness is a bit much.
March 8, 2021
رواية تُقرأ للمتعة، تحمل في طياتها بعض الإحتمالات الغير معقولة لصورة من واقع يناقض واقعنا القائم،
لن تخرج منها بالكثير، لكن أثناء القراءة فقط ستستمتع حيث أسلوب الكاتب يسمح لك بالتخمين والتوقع الذي يجعل آفاق الرواية واسعة جدًا، وهي ساخرة بامتياز ومضحكة أحيانًا
لن تخرج منها بالكثير، لكن أثناء القراءة فقط ستستمتع حيث أسلوب الكاتب يسمح لك بالتخمين والتوقع الذي يجعل آفاق الرواية واسعة جدًا، وهي ساخرة بامتياز ومضحكة أحيانًا
February 27, 2021
I am still laughing over this one and I learned a new word that I will never forget! The characters, situations and descriptions are just right to tickle my funny bone on every page.
April 24, 2012
من أكثر الروايات سخرية قرأتها ثم أعدت قراءتها بنفس المتعة والضحك الأسود
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews