Christopher Isherwood

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

Christopher Isherwood wrote modernist novels before he evolved into a pioneer of autofiction; his novel Goodbye to Berlin inspired the hit musical Cabaret. Everything changed when Isherwood emigrated to America in 1939. His newfound pacifism and studies as a Hindu monk led to new kinds of novels, including A Single Man, that reflected his evolving spiritual interests and blazed a trail for the gay liberation movement. In this new biography, Jake Poller takes a holistic approach to Isherwood, exploring his life and writing as well as the impact of Vedanta philosophy on Isherwood’s work. This book offers a concise yet thorough account of a monumental figure.

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.