Christopher Isherwood, A Single Man

James Berg (College of the Desert)
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A Single Man

was Christopher Isherwood’s favorite of his nine novels, the one in which he believed he had come closest to saying what he meant to say. When it was published in 1964, the novel was praised for its artistry and denounced for its subject matter. More recently, American author Edmund White has hailed

A Single Man

as the founding text of modern gay literature.

The novel follows a day in the life of an expatriate Englishman in Los Angeles, California. George (no surname) is a middle-aged literature professor at a state university. In the course of his day, George lectures to a multicultural group of students, visits a dying friend in the hospital, works out at his local fitness center, dines and drinks with an old Englishwoman friend, drinks and swims in the ocean with a young

1235 words

Citation: Berg, James . "A Single Man". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 13 January 2006 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=6980, accessed 28 March 2024.]

6980 A Single Man 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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