Christopher Isherwood

Christopher Isherwood began writing modernist novels before evolving into a pioneer of autofiction, which mingles fiction and autobiography. His novel Goodbye to Berlin inspired the hit musical Cabaret. Everything changed when Isherwood emigrated to America in 1939. He had become a pacifist and was studying to be a Hindu monk. Although Isherwood resumed his career as a writer, the novels he produced while living in the USA, including A Single Man, 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 his life and innovative autofiction and expertly unpacking Vedanta philosophy, tracing its influence in Isherwood's work. This is a concise yet thorough account of a monumental figure.

This is the Christopher Isherwood biography we have been missing: informative, readable, and concise. Jake Poller covers both Isherwood's "monumental life" and his considerable work without producing a doorstop. Poller understands and appreciates both the English and the American Isherwood. He provides enough analysis of the major works to inspire readers to go to (or go back to) the source, without overwhelming them or imposing his interpretation on the audience. Poller provides fresh insight without being dogmatic, offering alternate readings of events and works. This is a book Isherwood fans will learn from and enjoy reading. — James J. Berg, editor of Isherwood on Writing