Buy A Single Man

A Single Man

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Synopsis

Christopher Isherwood's favorite of his own novels, A Single Man is a classic not only in the small world of gay lit, but in the world of literary fiction.

When A Single Man was originally published, it shocked many by its frank, sympathetic, and moving portrayal of a gay man in midlife. George, the protagonist, is adjusting to life on his own after the sudden death of his partner, and determines to persist in the routines of his daily life; the course of A Single Man spans twenty–four hours in an ordinary day. An Englishman and a professor living in suburban Southern California, he is an outsider in every way, and his internal reflections and interactions with others reveal a man who loves being alive despite everyday injustices and loneliness. Wry, suddenly manic, constantly funny, surprisingly sad, A Single Man catches the texture of life itself.

Review

Having read most of Christopher Isherwood's published works in the late '70s when I came out, I'm quite attached to his writing. Isherwood is an icon whose writing is like a favorite blanket I can throw over my legs on a cold day when I'm chilly. And A Single Man and Christopher and His Kind are my two favorites. I see this novel as a jewel, perfect fiction, written as E.B. White envisioned it, with no extraneous verbiage. Yes, his style is unique, and that's what's so pleasurable. Please, get in your favorite chair, brew some tea and join me in reading this 4-star classic.

-- Scott Cranin

>p>A Single Man was a difficult read. I didn’t like it. First published in 1964, I would imagine that this was a groundbreaking literary release for gay literature. For that, I have great respect for the author and the story.

George, the story’s protagonist, has lost his lover unexpectedly. Alone, he faces daily life with difficulty. A professor at a local college, a neighbor, a commuter; George looks at life with a definitively colored perspective. There are so many emotions at play – anger, loss, loneliness – and understandably so, after such a significant loss. His rantings about drivers on the interstate, his dislike of what the city has become, the way that he sees his students – it seems that everything that is viewed through the eyes of this character is negative. The varied musings all comes together to make this an extremely complex story line.

There are glimpses of hope throughout the book, as he enjoys the company of his friend Charley (Charlotte); one or two of his students; as he checks himself out in the mirror at the gym; when he thinks of his friends Doris lying in a hospital bed awaiting death; when he thinks of possibilities born of a night of spontaneity fueled by drinking with Kenny, yet by and large this is a depressing story.

-- Stephen Jackson