Christopher Isherwood - Goodbye to Berlin (1939)

 Roland’s choices

*THEME: 1930s Berlin*

Venue: Roland’s House 6️⃣0️⃣ 🎂

We met on Thursday 4th September 2025 at Roland’s house for a double celebration. Not only was it our return from the Summer break it was also the date of Roland’s 60th birthday. It was a memorable night with presents, a good time vibe, and Roland’s splendid 1930s Berlin themed selections.

READ: Christopher Isherwood - Goodbye to Berlin (1939)

Not so much a novel as a collection of semi autobiographical interconnected vignettes, diary entries, and character studies that serve as a haunting farewell to a city staring into the abyss. Hamish was frustrated by the lack of a story.

Published in 1939, just as the clouds of World War 2 were gathering, the book provides a vibrant snapshot of Weimar era Berlin. Narrated by a young English writer named "Christopher Isherwood" we get an eye witness account of a chaotic and fascinating world of seedy boarding houses, nightclubs, a wealthy family, and the humble apartments of ordinary people. Keith was not so sure about Isherwood as a narrator.

The book is populated by a cast of unforgettable characters. Most famously there’s Sally Bowles, the divinely decadent nightclub singer whose flamboyant theatricality masks a profound vulnerability, and whose reckless abandon embodies the carefree hedonism of the era. Alongside Sally are Fräulein Schroeder, the maternal landlady, the Landauers, a wealthy and cultured Jewish family, and many more.

The book exudes a powerful sense of atmosphere and the reader comes away with a vivid picture of the vibrant world of 1930's Berlin. The book's final chapters, as Isherwood prepares to leave the city, are infused with a profound sense of loss, a heartfelt farewell to a world he knows will never be the same. It is a farewell not just to Berlin, but to an entire way of life. A classic book that retains its relevance and power. Tristan found it fascinating but flawed, and Nick, despite his score, said it felt light.

Nick 10 / Tristan 7 / Nigel 9 / Keith 7 / Robin 8 / Hamish 6 / Roland 7.5

LISTEN: Bauhaus - The Bela Session (2018)

Bela Lugosi’s Dead is great, everything else from the session less so, was the general consensus, except Nick who likes to be jarred and gave it 10 out of 10.

WATCH: Cabaret (1972) dir by Bob Fosse

To varying degrees we all lauded this film. 

Nick 10 / Tristan 10 / Nigel 10 / Keith 9 / Robin 6 / Hamish 8 / Roland 6.5

ENDORSE IT  

HBG endorse it: 21st July 2025 - 4th September 2025

BOOKS

Gunk by Saba Sams 

Trade Thompson - The Rosewater Insurrection 

TV

Mandy (BBC iPlayer)

Pernilee (Netflix)

FILM

Gosford Park (2001) dir by Robert Altman (BBC iPlayer)

Hallow Road (2025) dir by Babak Anvari 

Speak No Evil (2024) dir by James Watkins

Bird (Mubi)

The Florida Project (Mubi)

Hollywood Gate (BBC iPlayer)

PODCASTS

The People vs MacDonald’s (BBC Sounds)

What Happened To Counter Culture?

(BBC Sounds)

MUSIC

Getdown Services live - go see them. Guaranteed good times

Devo documentary (Netflix)