Eli Joseph
Before half-term we met once again for our second Lower Eighth form book club – this time joined by some eager Upper Eighths! For the evening, we turned our attention to Christopher Isherwood’s classic novel A Single Man.
George, the protagonist, is adjusting to life on his own after the sudden death of his partner — remaining determined to persist in the routines of daily life. The course of A Single Man spans twenty-four hours in an ordinary day, covering George’s hopes, fears, and profound loss. It has since been adapted into a movie starring Colin Firth.
Much like our last book, A Single Man resembles the life of its author. George is a 58-year-old gay English expat who lives in Santa Monica while teaching at a university in Los Angeles. Isherwood was also homosexual and moved to the United States to teach and escape the stifling atmosphere of England.
We began by discussing our opinions on George as a character — agreeing we found his constant cynicism quite difficult to warm to. George’s experience also interested us in its exploration of alienation, as he suffers both societal and existential isolation. His obsession with race also became a topic of confusion, with us leaving the meeting with no clear answer to this odd reappearance.
The narrative structure of the novel was also talked about heavily. We enjoyed the use of free indirect discourse, which allowed us deep insights into George’s psyche. The book also has no chapters, simply line breaks, which we felt made it read like a diary. These strategic choices from Isherwood immersed us in George’s life, enabling the reader to understand both his overpowering life obstacles and minor daily habits.
George, the protagonist, is adjusting to life on his own after the sudden death of his partner — remaining determined to persist in the routines of daily life. The course of A Single Man spans twenty-four hours in an ordinary day, covering George’s hopes, fears, and profound loss. It has since been adapted into a movie starring Colin Firth.
Much like our last book, A Single Man resembles the life of its author. George is a 58-year-old gay English expat who lives in Santa Monica while teaching at a university in Los Angeles. Isherwood was also homosexual and moved to the United States to teach and escape the stifling atmosphere of England.
The narrative structure of the novel was also talked about heavily. We enjoyed the use of free indirect discourse, which allowed us deep insights into George’s psyche. The book also has no chapters, simply line breaks, which we felt made it read like a diary. These strategic choices from Isherwood immersed us in George’s life, enabling the reader to understand both his overpowering life obstacles and minor daily habits.
Comparisons between A Single Man and Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway (our next book) emerged as both are set over the course of one day. I’m looking forward to discussing any other parallels we see in our next meeting!
You can find out more about the Eighth Form Book Club via their google classroom here, joining code hky2yak. The next meeting is on Tuesday 27th February, joint with SPGS, 16:30-18:00.
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