A Single Man

A Single Man, Christopher Isherwood

It is official. I love Christopher Isherwood. A lot.

Does this suffice for a review? Maybe not, but its definitely going to be the main theme of mine. Writing so beautiful it makes your heart break. I did this the wrong way though, and did see A Single Man at the cinema when it came out, which has obviously left a big gap in between seeing and reading. But my interest was re-ignited after watching the BBC film Christopher and His Kind.

He writes very human characters, they are completely believable even when you only see snap shots of them. The narrative does create a cinematic feel – it is a very sense oriented film, even though the underlying tones of grief are almost existential. And I much prefer the more enigmatic ending the book provides. An excellent read, will be picking up more.

Stunning.

A few times in my life I’ve had moments of absolute clarity. When for a few brief seconds the silence drowns out the noise and I can feel rather than think… And things seem so sharp and the world seems so fresh. I can never make these moments last. I cling to them, but like everything they fade. I have lived my life on these moments. They pull me back to the present and I realise that everything is exactly the way it was meant to be.
Christopher Isherwood, A Single Man