Christopher Isherwood

A fresh and approachable critical biography of the twentieth-century Anglo-American writer.

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

Author: Jake Poller
Publisher: Reaktion Books
Published: 05/07/2025
Pages: 208
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.65lbs
Size: 7.80h x 5.10w x 0.60d
ISBN13: 9781836390091
ISBN10: 1836390092
BISAC Categories:
- Biography & Autobiography | Literary Figures
- Literary Criticism | American | General
- Literary Criticism | English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh

About the Author
Jake Poller teaches in the English department at Queen Mary University of London. His books include Aldous Huxley, also in Reaktion's Critical Lives series.