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Used - Acceptable: All pages and the cover are intact but shrink wrap dust covers or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may include limited notes highlighting or minor water damage but the text is readable. Item may but the dust cover may be missing. This could possibly be an ex-library book. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting but the text cannot be obscured or unreadable. It is possible that this is an ex-library book. Used - Acceptable: All pages and the cover are intact but shrink wrap dust covers or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may include limited notes highlighting or minor water damage but the text is readable. Item may but the dust cover may be missing. This could possibly be an ex-library book. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting but the text cannot be obscured or unreadable. It is possible that this is an ex-library book. See less

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The Berlin Stories Paperback – September 17, 2008

by Christopher Isherwood (Author), Armistead Maupin (Introduction)

678 ratings

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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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In Isherwood's work, a magic potion of history and invention, the voice is clear, and, no matter how many times we hear it, it always seems to be speaking for the first time."
― Howard Moss, The New York Times

"The best prose writer in English."
― Gore Vidal

"The line between fiction and memoir is often thin in Isherwood’s writing, but that’s what gives this book its special insight: He had a front-row seat to life in Berlin in this dark historical moment, and he reveals it to us on a human scale."
― Pamela Newton, The Atlantic

Review

In Isherwood's work, a magic portion of history and invention, the voice is clear, and, no matter how many times we hear it, it always seems to be speaking for the first time.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ New Directions; Reissue edition (September 17, 2008)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 081121804X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0811218047
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.2 x 1.1 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #316,243 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #316 in LGBTQ+ Literary Fiction (Books)
- #3,035 in Classic Literature & Fiction
- #12,496 in Literary Fiction (Books)

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678 ratings

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Christopher Isherwood

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Christopher Isherwood (1904–1986) was one of the most prominent writers of his generation. He is the author of many works of fiction, including All the Conspirators, The Memorial, Mr. Norris Changes Trains, and Goodbye to Berlin, on which the musical Cabaret was based, as well as works of nonfiction and biography.

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Customers find this book to be a classic semi-autobiographical fiction that offers fascinating insights into life in Berlin. The writing is praised for its lovely turns of phrase and clear literary style, while the characters are wonderfully developed and the book is entertaining. They appreciate the historical context, with one review highlighting its portrayal of Berlin and the Nazis, and another noting its intriguing look into the dark seedy vastness.

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Story quality Writing quality Readability Writing style Character development Humor Atmosphere Historical context

42 customers mention "Story quality"42 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's stories fascinating and insightful, describing it as a classic of semi-autobiographical fiction.

"...This book is a masterpiece of style and great story-telling." Read more

"...And they're fun to be with -- never a dull moment! Decadence has its own charm, but ultimately it self destructs...." Read more

"Mmmmmm ... an all time classic, and finally available for Kindle. This is a book that I keep handy, because I use it for reference often...." Read more

"...The action certainly seems to be authentic. This is a great story and Goodbye to Berlin I remember as being just as good...." Read more

38 customers mention "Writing quality"29 positive9 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, noting its lovely turns of phrase and excellent sentence structure, with one customer describing it as outstanding as an example of literature.

"...Diary" (the second novel in this book) is one of the most finely crafted paragraphs I've ever read: "I am a camera with its shutter open,..." Read more

"...so-likeable were portrayed as multifaceted, complex human beings -- real people -- living in an amoral, hedonistic culture where pretty much..." Read more

"...That said, Isherwood, of course was a first-rate wordsmith and a total master of the English (British in this case) language...." Read more

"Christopher Isherwood is at the very top of the writing profession. His vocabulary, sentence structure, and turn of a phrase are second to none...." Read more

37 customers mention "Readability"31 positive6 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as fantastic and worth rereading, with one customer noting it's a quick pleasant read.

"...His ability to focus on everyday life while merely implying the terror that is about to engulf their society gives that threat of terror even..." Read more

"It's a good book but quirky, and a little disjointed in places. Two different works joined together but not perfectly blended...." Read more

"...Mr.Norris is an entertaining, rather light novel that centers around a character Isherwood(here called Bradshaw) meets on a train to Berlin in the..." Read more

"...interested in the origins of the musical "Cabaret" then this is must-reading...." Read more

12 customers mention "Writing style"12 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, describing it as beautiful and perfect, with one customer noting how it captures characters with vivid complexity.

"...This book is a masterpiece of style and great story-telling." Read more

"...The characters in these stories (Isherwood aside) are beautifully and fully drawn, leaving very few details to wish more of...." Read more

"...What he did instead has been published as The Berlin Stories. The result is charming and mostly satisfactory...." Read more

"The Eve of World War Two in Berlin, captured with vivid complexity, subtlety and nuance...." Read more

10 customers mention "Character development"10 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, noting the wonderful and colorful personalities.

"...The characters are wonderfully developed...." Read more

"...and even the not-so-likeable were portrayed as multifaceted, complex human beings -- real people -- living in an amoral, hedonistic culture where..." Read more

"...There is a plot, simple, but intriguing none the less. The characters seem life like and real. The action certainly seems to be authentic...." Read more

"...Berlin is full of discordant forces and colorful characters. I really felt I got to know what Berlin was like during this time period...." Read more

6 customers mention "Humor"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book entertaining and funny.

"...And they're fun to be with -- never a dull moment! Decadence has its own charm, but ultimately it self destructs...." Read more

"...Mr.Norris is an entertaining, rather light novel that centers around a character Isherwood(here called Bradshaw) meets on a train to Berlin in the..." Read more

"...are funny moments, a cute line or two here and there, and little humorous episodes now and then, but, perhaps on purpose to show the ominous period..." Read more

"...The characters are well-drawn, both funny and pathetic...." Read more

5 customers mention "Atmosphere"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the atmosphere of the book, with one review noting how it provides an intriguing look into dark and seedy spaces, while another mentions how it captures the eerie mood.

"...It's an intriguing look into the dark seedy vast and complicated politicaly and money fueled underworld that was 1930's Berlin...." Read more

"Isherwood's prose and gleaming of light into dark spaces is beautiful...." Read more

"Two great novellas capturing the eerie, bawdy and dangerous atmosphere of Berlin at the end of the Weimar Republic, as Hitler gains control...." Read more

"Dark and romantic, the Berlin Stories is a poignant portrait of a bygone city. Read the book, go see Berlin!" Read more

5 customers mention "Historical context"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the historical context of the book, with one review highlighting its portrayal of Berlin between the two World Wars.

"...They are about Berlin between the two World Wars. Michael York is excellent as a narrator...." Read more

"...dialogue between the young men was tedious.....portrayal of Berlin and the Nazis was interesting...." Read more

"...You really get a feel of the absurdity and tragedy of early Nazi-Germany. It's a moving, very personal story...." Read more

"Incredible book, a small glimpse into Berlin pre nazi." Read more

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Aspame
This book is a masterpiece of style and great story-telling.
Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2016
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Having seen Cabaret, I was certainly aware of Christopher Isherwood. After reading a biography of Joel Grey, my interest was further piqued and I decided to buy Isherwood's "The Berlin Stories," upon which "I Am a Camera" and "Cabaret" were based. Isherwood is a wonderful writer and stylist. The second paragraph in his novel, "A Berlin Diary" (the second novel in this book) is one of the most finely crafted paragraphs I've ever read: "I am a camera with its shutter open, quite passive, recording, not thinking. Recording the man shaving at the window opposite and the woman in the kimono washing her hair. Some day, all this will have to be developed, carefully printed, fixed."

The characters are wonderfully developed. Isherwood does a masterful job of describing their everyday lives against a background in which the Nazi presence is at first only fleetingly acknowledged and then steadily becomes a larger and more menacing presence as the stories progress. His ability to focus on everyday life while merely implying the terror that is about to engulf their society gives that threat of terror even greater impact. This book is a masterpiece of style and great story-telling.

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Ted Johnston
It's a good book but quirky--but worth the ride
Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2016
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It's a good book but quirky, and a little disjointed in places. Two different works joined together but not perfectly blended. We read it in our LGBT book group and some really liked it, while others didn't get or got but didn't get into the subtle nuances of the book, that which is not said but which is essential to fully appreciate this collection of "stories." The protagonist is basically an observer, and the reader has to really go under the surface to infer things about him Bradshaw (in the first half)/Isherwood (in the second). There are clues, so the reader must look closely. But I liked all the vignettes of wide variety of individuals living back then in free-wheeling Berlin on the eve of the Nazi rise to power. Many characters are in moral decline living in a society in moral decline, sensing that something horrible is coming but not quite knowing what or being able to fully admit it. Everyone seems to be hiding behind a mask, usually in an effort to deny reality or to make money. Norris is the prime example. His mask is so extensive that he doesn't seem to have any integrity at all. He uses everyone for his own advantage and isn't above putting people in extreme danger if he can make a profit, even if it means setting up his only real friend Bradshaw. If his true nature were revealed, he wouldn't be that different from Schmidt. In the second half of the book, the character who uses others the most is none other than Sally Bowles. Despite their complete lack of ethics, however, I also liked both characters. They seemed like their lives were somehow shipwrecked and that they were trying to make the best of it. And they're fun to be with -- never a dull moment! Decadence has its own charm, but ultimately it self destructs. And in the end, the character of Isherwood (not to be confused with the writer himself) takes off his mask and reveals himself rather than simply passively observing.

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JP78
Good book
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2013
Verified Purchase
I'm acting in a production of "Cabaret" and decided to read the book on which it is loosely based, just for a little background. I wasn't at all familiar with Christopher Isherwood, so I had no idea what to expect.

I'm a bit of a pre-WWII German history nerd so I knew a fair amount about the politics of the period, but knew nothing about the cabaret culture and the people who inhabited that world. I was immediately drawn in, and didn't want to put the book down when it ended. The characters are well-drawn, and even the not-so-likeable were portrayed as multifaceted, complex human beings -- real people -- living in an amoral, hedonistic culture where pretty much everything was permissible. Most chose not to see what was going on outside their own little part of Berlin, and were indifferent to it if they did see. And why not? They moved in a time and place that were somehow outside reality. Few of them were rich, but many were capable of living as if they were, simply by telling a few lies and acting the part. One could get money, one way or another. Pleasure was the goal, and if one stayed in the right circle, life was a party.

There was, as there always is, another side of the story. In this case, it was the poor who lived outside the charmed circle, scraping by any way they could. Their existence was day-to-day, with hunger, disease, miserable living conditions and winter cold or oppressive summer heat as their constant companions. Isherwood drew these characters, too, as complex humans, motivated not by the pursuit of pleasure but by the desire to survive.

After reading "The Berlin Stories" I spent quite a bit of time online, finding out more not only about the cabaret culture, but about Berlin in they months preceding the Nazi takeover of the German government. What a time it was. And to think I discovered it because I'm in a play and simply wanted to find some stuff to help me develop my character.

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33 people found this helpful

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Scaram
Maravilhoso
Reviewed in Brazil on July 8, 2020
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Tudo de bom.

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Anthony Marsh
Item as purchased
Reviewed in Australia on August 16, 2021
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Perfect timing , Item as purchased. Pleased

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guido
Uno spaccato di un periodo storico scarsamente conosciuto
Reviewed in Italy on August 27, 2018
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Isnherwood, con rara sensibilità, ritrae e delinea personaggi border line, bohemien, scapigliati, nella BAbilonia che era la Berlino immediatamente precedente all'avvento del Nazismo, mostrando uno spaccato della società in cui Hitler lentamente si insinuò a partire dalle fasce più deboli e disagiate della popolazione. Food for thought.

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Steve in Ottawa
Interesting both as history and literature
Reviewed in Canada on November 17, 2014
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Very interesting novels, both from the perspective of the author as a gay man and the historical aspect of his having lived in German/Berlin at such a crucial time in its history.

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christine mason sutherland
Cannot comment on this.
Reviewed in Canada on October 19, 2017
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I gave this to a friend and have not read it so cannot comment.

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5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a masterpiece of style and great story-telling.

4.0 out of 5 stars It's a good book but quirky--but worth the ride

5.0 out of 5 stars Good book

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5.0 out of 5 stars Maravilhoso

5.0 out of 5 stars Item as purchased

5.0 out of 5 stars Uno spaccato di un periodo storico scarsamente conosciuto

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting both as history and literature

1.0 out of 5 stars Cannot comment on this.

This book is a masterpiece of style and great story-telling.

It's a good book but quirky--but worth the ride

Good book

Maravilhoso

Item as purchased

Uno spaccato di un periodo storico scarsamente conosciuto

Interesting both as history and literature

Cannot comment on this.