The Berlin Stories (Abridged) Audiobook

" So far I've only read The Last of Mr. Norris, but I plan on reading the other story after the semester is over. The style of writing mixed with the historical backdrop make this a very enjoyable and fast read. I would recommend this to a friend. "

" I read this after being moved by seeing the musical Cabaret, which is based on Goodbye to Berlin. It's a really interesting look at the decadence of Weimar Germany and its decline into Nazism. Isherwood is a dry writer, and even though the stories were based on his true experiences as an English teacher in Berlin, he takes the position almost of an outside observer instead of a participant in the surreal environment in which he finds himself. Read this if only for the strange characters that he meets along his way! "

" FUNNY, FUNNY eccentric and FUNNY stories about cabaret life in Berlin the 1920's. "

" Not bad. Goodbye to Berlin was published in 1934, and all gay subtext is very low-level. I don't love Cabaret, but decided to read this after seeing, then reading, A Single Man. I like A Single Man better. It seems more introspective and better-written. It would be interesting to read one of his autobiographies (1938 or 1976) to get a more revealing account of his time in Berlin. If page 96 mentions a character named Peter, you have a misprint, and should look for an updated edition. "

" Could not engage. So disappointing that instead of wanting Cabaret to be more like the book, I ended up wanting the book (and its bland narrator and uninviting characters) to be more like the movie. For its historical significance alone it gets a satisfactory rating. "

" Excellent writing. Didn't know about Isherwood until last year when the Berlin Stories was recommended to me. "

" Shame on me for waiting this long to read Christopher Isherwood. What kind of a queer am I??? "

" So beautiful. One of my favorite Isherwood books. I know. Not a very insightful review. If you haven't read Isherwood, start here. Or not. See? Shitty review, huh? Sorry. "

" Uneven, but strangely powerful. I'm not sure why. "

" This work by Isherwood portraying life in Weimar Berlin as the shadow of Nazism falls over it stands as the definitive fiction of that era. Equisitely written, it served as an inspiration to Kurt Weill and others. A joy to read. "

" My daughter's teacher gave me this to read. Her school (2nd Foundation) is doing a play in May 2008 based on this book (which is what the Movie/Broadway production "Cabaret" is based off of). "

" Fantastic storytelling of war time Germany. Classic.... "

" I wasn't emotionally invested in any of the characters and was disappointed at the lack of plot. Witty lines are a sadly rare occurrence. "

" Good account of the atmosphere on the Left and Right pre-Nazi Germany, as well as the (in)famous Berlin underworld. "

" I read In the Garden of Beasts a few months ago and that book pulled heavily from this one to create the atmosphere of Berlin in the early 30s. It's so bizarre and chilling to read these stories from the other side of history. "

" This was a delightful read. At times you forget that such intriguing characters existed and that those horrific events occurred. Isherwood masterfully blurred the lines between fiction and reality. It's unbelievable how history unfolded the way it did. "

" I love the language of these novels--they are beautifully written. This became a great companion piece for "In the Garden of Beasts" which I began reading at the same time. Two perspectives on Berlin and Germany in the early years of Hitler's rise to power. "

" Gay Nazis rule!!!!!! "

" I liked the first story here better; the second is the basis for Cabaret's Sally Bowles. "

" An appropriately slippery work. "

" I prefer The Last of Mr. Norris to Goodbye to Berlin, although the chapter on Sally Bowles is simply fascinating. Excited to read Isherwood's memoirs as a companion to this book. "

" Interesting to get a feel for Berlin in the 1920s, but nothing life-changing in here. "

" So far I've only read The Last of Mr. Norris, but I plan on reading the other story after the semester is over. The style of writing mixed with the historical backdrop make this a very enjoyable and fast read. I would recommend this to a friend. "

" 'Lock myself in my office and read all day' good. There was 2+2=5 reference in there and this was published in '46 and 1984 was published in '48 which made me really excited which is a sure sign that I am a NERD. "

" "The Last of Mr. Norris" was good, "Goodbye to Berlin" was amazing. The characters are alive, Berlin is real, and the writing is clever. "

" Interesting, quasi-memoir of Berlin in the early 1930s, as seen by a young Englishman. Told as a series of stories, with the coming disaster of Nazism foreshadowed. Well written in general, but a bit slow. One of the stories is the foundation for the play/movie Cabaret. "

" Good account of the atmosphere on the Left and Right pre-Nazi Germany, as well as the (in)famous Berlin underworld. "