“ ‘There’s a lot of heart failure,’ said the fat man, ‘in Germany these days.’ The Austrian nodded: ‘You can’t believe all you hear. I was simultaneously interested in her liberating demeanour, while thinking ‘how can you be so terribly naive?’ as hers is the typical cautionary tale of a failed Hollywood career. Her story is also juxtaposed to Isherwood’s struggle with trying to become a writer, which was, as we know now, successful in the end.

While she throws herself into another romance, she pulls away from their friendship. I thought this story was intriguing. It all becomes rather hush-hush, as they make up excuses as to why Sally is gone to a clinic and why Isherwood visits her there. This is one of the events that ends up putting a strain on their relationship – whereas Isherwood does not quite seem to mind what had happened, Sally appears to be embarrassed. Isherwood’s landlady, Fraulein Schroeder, knew of someone. Getting an abortion was a huge taboo, and it was hard to find a clinic that would do so. Isherwood befriended her in the aforementioned dingy club, and one of the things he talks about is how Sally got pregnant. And that’s because I’m the type which every man imagines he wants, until he gets me and then he finds he doesn’t really, after all.” I’m the sort of woman who can take men away from their wives, but I could never keep anybody for long. “But seriously, I believe I’m a sort of Ideal Woman, if you know what I mean. She is a mix of remarkable and naive both modern and foolish when it comes to her sexuality. She switches her charm on and off in order to get what she wants, which is rising to stardom. It is about an English starlet who hopes to rise to fame in Berlin. She has troubles trying to make a living, and mostly sings in a dingy club in order to do so – she is, however, reluctant to go back to her family as she was so set on the idea of becoming famous. The tale about Sally is probably the most popular one of Goodbye to Berlin.

It does not come quite forth in the stories, aside from his reluctance to meet young ladies (or he evades the topic), and his openness towards a queer couple. If you are unfamiliar with the author, try to keep in mind that Isherwood was homosexual and how, especially in a 1930s Germany, this was a dangerous time for him. All of this is set against the background of Hitler’s rising influence in Germany. Each short story is about one of the persons Isherwood met, what their lives in Berlin were like and how it intertwined with his own. Goodbye to Berlin contains a set of short stories about Isherwood’s time there. Isherwood lived in Berlin in the early 1930s he tried to make a living as an author, but mostly had to get by through tutoring English to German citizens.

Isherwood goodbye to berlin