Christopher Isherwood draws on his time in Berlin from 1929 to 1933 and tells it through six linked sketches narrated by a young English writer who shares his name and lives in a rented room. He portrays his landlady Fraulein Schroeder, the cabaret singer Sally Bowles, the wealthy Natalia Landauer, and the unstable Peter and Otto. Around them, the Weimar Republic collapses and the Nazis rise. Isherwood writes in a deliberately flat style, saying he is "a camera."
It inspired the musical Cabaret. Readers who want a close, lively look at ordinary lives in a city on the edge of history will find it a quick, rewarding read.
Deep, contemplative and thought-provoking; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Wisdom Collector. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1939
- Language
- EN
