The Berlin Stories

Christopher Isherwood

Some parts fiction, some parts autobiographical, this is a description of life in Berlin in the early 30's as the Nazi party is gaining strength. Isherwood is living in Berlin, doing some writing and living the artists life (meeting people, going on vacation with them, getting involved in lives). What I find most fascinating about these stories is the political development. Isherwood is not writing as a political writer, but since the political scene is so dominant, it infiltrates every aspect of life. And, from this perspective, in the early 30's in democratic Germany, there was a legitimate struggle between the Nazi and Communist parties for control of the elections, and at least in Isherwood's circles, no one thought the Nazi's would come to power. So while these are stories of people, an actress, a business man, a professional sponge, they are also stories of time and events. And together these stories offer another insight to how we can get so far down a road that it is hard to come back.
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