Christopher Isherwood

James Berg (College of the Desert)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.08: English Writing and Culture of the early Twentieth Century , 1900-1945.
Vol. editors: Chris Baldick (Goldsmiths College, University of London), Peter Childs (Birmingham Newman University), Louise McDonald (Birmingham Newman University), Andrew Radford (University of Glasgow)

Dates

Born 26 Aug 1904
Died 4 Jan 1986
Activity 1928-1980

Places

Born in England
Active in England; United States; Germany

Cultural Identities

LGBTQ

Activities

Primary

Film/TV Script-writer/ Screenwriter
Novelist

Other

Autobiographer
Lecturer
Letter-writer/ Diarist
Playwright / Dramatist
Religious writer
Translator
Travel writer

Resources

Isherwood's Works

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Christopher Isherwood’s life and writing are often seen in two conveniently defined halves: one English, the other American. The early, English part of Isherwood’s

oeuvre

forms the basis for conventional appraisals of his work. The novel

Goodbye to Berlin

(1939), a loose collection of stories and sketches, provided the source material for

Cabaret

, the musical play (1966) and film (1972). The later, American, half is gaining recognition for its groundbreaking openness in the treatment of homosexuality. The novel

A Single Man

(1964) is seen by many, especially in the United States, as a masterpiece of characterization, style and precision. As with all convenient categorizations, the story is more complicated than this; however, this method of looking at Isherwood’s career is useful…

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2170 words

Citation: Berg, James . "Christopher Isherwood". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 02 May 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2317, accessed 21 November 2024.]

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