Christopher Isherwood

Jake Poller author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Reaktion Books

Published:1st Mar '25

Should be back in stock very soon

Christopher Isherwood cover

The year 1939 was pivotal for Christopher Isherwood: he emigrated to the United States and his novel Goodbye to Berlin, which inspired the hit musical Cabaret, was feted by critics for its portrait of a city under the shadow of fascism. During the Second World War, Isherwood became a pacifist and studied in a Hindu monastery, provoking indignation back in Britain. His American novels, most notably A Single Man, both reflected his newfound spiritual interests and blazed a trail for the gay liberation movement.
In this new biography, Jake Poller takes a holistic approach to Isherwood, exploring the development of his innovative autofiction and unpacking the Vedanta philosophy that informed his later work. He provides an incisive account of an iconic figure.

This is the Christopher Isherwood biography we have been missing: informative, readable, and concise. Jake Poller covers both Isherwood’s “monumental life” and his considerable work without producing a doorstop. Poller understands and appreciates both the English and the American Isherwood. He provides enough analysis of the major works to inspire readers to go to (or go back to) the source, without overwhelming them or imposing his interpretation on the audience. Poller provides fresh insight without being dogmatic, offering alternate readings of events and works. This is a book Isherwood fans will learn from and enjoy reading. * James J. Berg, editor of Isherwood on Writing *

ISBN: 9781836390091

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

200 pages