Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher Isherwood
This is a fantastic collection of tales set in Berlin between World Wars I and II. Christopher Isherwood, an Anglo-American, is the author. The stories are semi-autobiographical, as far as I can tell. The stories blend Berlin Society’s hedonistic underbelly with the political ascent to Nazism. The tales were beautifully written and I thought them to be fascinating.
Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher Isherwood
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The section on Sally Bowles made it very evident how thoroughly the actor prepared for the role. She may get tired of being called magnificent, but that’s only part of her appeal. On the other hand, the book provides a chilling glimpse into what was about to happen to Germany thanks to several hints of the impending National Socialism and antisemitism. Isherwood has a wonderful talent for capturing the physical characteristics and distinctive voices of his characters. He is a genius at observing people without hiding their flaws or peculiarities.
What a fascinating illustration of how intricate autofiction maybe is Christopher Isherwood. He used elements of his personal life to create a semi-fictionalized account of his experiences—first sexual and home, then political—in Weimar/Nazi Germany in Goodbye to Berlin.
He’s not just writing his diary; he’s trying to capture the essence of what it was like to live at the very beginning of what would later result in a seismic change in the world by drawing on his own highly personal experience. What intrigues me the most about Goodbye to Berlin. It’s more about how fascism may emerge in a typical, everyday society and how it can begin permeating every aspect of existence than it is about his experiences in the KitKatClub.
