38 pages • 1 hour read
Goodbye To Berlin
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Summary and Study Guide
Overview
Christopher Isherwood’s novel, Goodbye to Berlin, was first published in 1939. The novel’s narrator, who is also named Christopher Isherwood, recounts his experiences living in Berlin, Germany from 1929 to 1933. Isherwood focuses the novel on the relationships he has with his friends and acquaintances and explores both the beautiful and unseemly parts of the city he calls home, all while the rise of Nazi influence grows steadily in the background.
Goodbye to Berlin’s chapters are divided episodically, rather than strictly chronologically. Each chapter tends to focus on a main character, a particular location, or a certain family, and each chapter is connected to the rest. As a whole, the novel presents Berlin itself as a character, with its own personality and evolutions. Christopher Isherwood, our narrator, has moved to Germany to work on his novel. We meet Frl. Schroeder, Isherwood’s comical landlady, and we get to know the various eccentricities of the other tenants Isherwood shares a flat with in Berlin. Chapter 1, “A Berlin Diary: Autumn 1930,” details life at Frl. Schroeder’s as a comedy of errors. Frl. Schroeder and Frl. Mayr gossip about the neighbors and consult fortunetellers. Unlock all 38 pages of this Study Guide Plus, gain access to 8,900+ more expert-written Study Guides. Including features:
Related Titles
By Christopher Isherwood
