Sunday 28 April 2019

Book Review: A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood (Modern Classic)

Title: A Single Man
Author: Christopher Isherwood
Publisher:
Vintage

Publication Date: 2010 (1964)
Pages:
152
Format:
Paperback
Genre:
Modern Classic
Source:
Bought Copy




Celebrated as a masterpiece from its first publication, A Single Man is the story of George, an English professor in suburban California left heartbroken after the death of his lover, Jim. With devastating clarity and humour, Christopher Isherwood shows George's determination to carry on, evoking the unexpected pleasures of life as well as the soul's ability to triumph over loneliness and alienation.


A Single Man was a compelling read from start to finish. I was already familiar with the film version, but this is my first time reading Isherwood, and I loved it. His prose is simple in form and yet utterly engaging, not a word wasted or in excess. We get an amazing sense of George and his emotions, seeing both his good traits and his flaws, and you cannot help but feel for him. Though dark and sad at times, there is an optimistic tinge to the end of the book, which left me buoyant as I turned the final page. I have another Isherwood book waiting in my TBR pile and I cannot wait to get to it!


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