The Isherwood century : essays on the life and work of Christopher Isherwood

James J. Berg, Chris Freeman, Armistead Maupin

In the absence of a definitive biography of Christopher Isherwood, this rich resource of personal reminiscence and considered critical reflection is the next best thing. It may even become one of the essential books for students of English literature and culture in the 20th century, as well as for those drawn to the rowdy and fertile expatriate communities around Hollywood during and after World War II. Concentrating on Isherwood's life in Southern California, where he settled in 1939, here are essays by younger friends and students, among them the photographer Stathis Orphanos and the writers Carolyn Heilbrun and James P. White; an interview with Isherwood's companion, the artist Don Bachardy; and excerpts from his dairies. Critical essays from Edmund White and others range from discussions of the "long road of understanding" that Isherwood began with Prater Violet (1945) and his explorations of Vedanta to his collaborations with his friend W.H. Auden and the drawings Bachardy made of Isherwood as he lay dying in the winter of 1985-86. The contributions to this book are thoughtful, somewhat modest, and unfailingly entertaining. It is a fitting homage to a writer who devoted many years to trying to curb his ego, the better to see reality behind appearances and the better to write it down.