My second book for this challenge is Prater Violet (1946) by Christopher Isherwood – the second novel I’ve read by him, and apparently one I bought in Ambleside in 2012.
Completely coincidentally, this (like book #1 in my 25 Books in 25 Days) is another novel about the cinema – though looking at the 1930s and the arrival of talkies. Christopher Isherwood (or at least a character of the same name) is roped into the weird world of scriptwriting, slightly reluctantly. It’s a very fun account of working with a histrionic but visionary Viennese director, scathing cutting room experts, offended actresses, and all. I liked it much more than the previous Isherwood novel I read (Mr Norris Changes Trains) and I’m now really excited about reading more of this witty, self-deprecating Isherwood.
“You see, this umbrella of his I find extremely symbolic. It is the British respectability which thinks: ‘I have my traditions, and they will protect me. Nothing unpleasant, nothing ungentlemanly, can possibly happen within my private park.’ This respectable umbrella is the Englishman’s magic wand. When Hitler declines rudely to disappear, the Englishman will open his umbrella and say: ‘After all, what do I care for a little rain?’ But the rain will be a rain of bombs and blood. The umbrella is not bomb-proof.”
“Don’t underrate the umbrella,” I said. “It has often been used successfully by governesses against bulls. It has a very sharp point.”
“You are wrong. The umbrella is useless…Do you know Goethe?”
“Only a little.”
“Wait. I shall read you something. Wait. Wait.”
I must admit to having read nothing by Isherwood but this sounds very enjoyable. I’ve come across him frequently in my non-fiction reading about Germany and the sense I got of him from those quotes never would have made me want to read his fiction. This, however, does!
Yes, it’s definitely a nice change after Mr Norris Changes Trains, which didn’t grab me at all.
This is a great introduction to Isherwood – nice and short and funny. I only came across it recently (having been an Isherwood fan for ages) and bought it because of the Vienna connection (which is actually not that strong).
I read one Isherwood and I was a tiny bit underwhelmed if I recall. Maybe I should give him another chance! :)
The Haunting – the 1960 film is the scariest film I (and many others if google searches are to be believed) have ever seen … the second I time I watched it it took me half an hour to walk from the spare room (housing the telly & video player) to our bedroom & it was all I could do not to call out to wake my husband to come to get me as I had to walk past the linen closet door & a bathroom door by myself … yes, it is that bad … nothing happens … makes no diff … one is fearful of the walls around one …