3.5
The Berlin Stories
ByPublisher Description
A classic of 20th-century fiction, The Berlin Stories inspired the Broadway musical and Oscar-winning film Cabaret.
First published in the 1930s, The Berlin Stories contains two astonishing related novels, The Last of Mr. Norris and Goodbye to Berlin, which are recognized today as classics of modern fiction. Isherwood magnificently captures 1931 Berlin: charming, with its avenues and cafés; marvelously grotesque, with its nightlife and dreamers; dangerous, with its vice and intrigue; powerful and seedy, with its mobs and millionaires—this is the period when Hitler was beginning his move to power. The Berlin Stories is inhabited by a wealth of characters: the unforgettable Sally Bowles, whose misadventures in the demimonde were popularized on the American stage and screen by Julie Harris in I Am A Camera and Liza Minnelli in Cabaret; Mr. Norris, the improbable old debauchee mysteriously caught between the Nazis and the Communists; plump Fräulein Schroeder, who thinks an operation to reduce the scale of her Büste might relieve her heart palpitations; and the distinguished and doomed Jewish family, the Landauers.Download the free Fable app
Stay organized
Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.
Build a better TBR
Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building tool
Rate and review
Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tags
Curate your feed
Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesStay organized
Keep track of what you’re reading, what you’ve finished, and what’s next.Build a better TBR
Swipe, skip, and save with our smart list-building toolRate and review
Share your take with other readers with half stars, emojis, and tagsCurate your feed
Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesThe Berlin Stories Reviews
3.5
“A fascinating look at life during the eve of a new Berlin. The characters are specific and in both stories, Isherwood locks in on the perspective of someone watching the life around them.
I enjoyed Mr Norris Changes Trains and its more straight forward narrative. I loved trying to decipher Mr. Norris himself and the nature of his relationship with Bradshaw. It reminded me of Gatsby and I kept wondering what would happen and if Bradshaw was about to be caught in a scheme. And at times, it felt close to happening. But I was instead surprised with a quieter ending that also felt inevitable. The characters around Bradshaw all felt layered and multifaceted and I kept wondering what would happen.
Goodbye to Berlin was a different story. It took me a second to really adjust to the more anthology nature of this story, but the minute Sally Bowles appeared, I was enamored. I loved the pathos of the characters and how Isherwood really dove into them. Sally is such a huge character, it was a wonder Isherwood was able to develop his other characters.
The looming shadow of Nazi Germany found its way slowly creeping into the narrative that by the end, it really did hit the same note Cabaret does in that it leaves you almost breathless with its conclusion. It’s dark and contemplative and leaves you mourning the characters who may not see past their own chapter.
Overall, a prescient read that still resonates today.”
“Interesting… now to watch Caberet”
About Christopher Isherwood
Christopher Isherwood (1904-1986), perhaps the first major openly gay writer to be read extensively by a wider audience, was one of the most distinguished authors of the twentieth century. His literary friendships encompassed such writers as W. H. Auden, E. M. Forster, Stephen Spender, Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote, and Somerset Maugham.
Other books by Christopher Isherwood
Start a Book Club
Start a public or private book club with this book on the Fable app today!FAQ
Do I have to buy the ebook to participate in a book club?
Why can’t I buy the ebook on the app?
How is Fable’s reader different from Kindle?
Do you sell physical books too?
Are book clubs free to join on Fable?
How do I start a book club with this book on Fable?
