A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood

[michaelflanagansf]

Here are the divisions for 'A Single Man':

First week (April 5 - April 11) - Pages 1 - 41

The last lines on page 41 are: "George will have to be George--the George they have named and will recognize.  So now he consciously applies himself to thinking their thoughts, getting into their mood.  With the skill of a veteran he rapidly puts on the psychological make-up for this role he must play."

Second week (April 12 - April 18) - Pages 41 - 92

The first line on page 41 is:  "No sooner have you turned off the freeway onto San Tomas Avenue than you are back in the tacky sleepy slowpoke Los Angeles of the thirties, still convalescent from the depression, with no money to spare for fresh coats of paint."

The last lines on page 92 are: "And the beauty of it is, he appears to stop talking out of mere politness, because Andy has reached their table.  'Did I miss something?' Andy asks, grinning."

Third week (April 19 - April 25) - Pages 92 - 136

The first line on page 92 is: "A performer at the circus has no theater curtain to come down and hide him and thus preserve the magic spell of his act unbroken."

The last lines on page 136 are: "'Oh, who knows?  We were always making plans like that.  We hardly ever told other people about them, even your.  Maybe that was because we knew in our hearts they were crazy.  But then again, we did do some crazy things, didn't we?  Well we'll never know, now . . . . Charlotte, dear, we are both in need of a drink."

Fourth week (April 26 - May 2) - Pages 137 - 186

First lines on page 137 are: "He is suddenly aware of Charlotte saying, "I suppose, for a man, it is different. . . ."  (What's different  Can he have dozed off for a couple of seconds?  George shakes himself awake.)"


Let me know if you need more information in order to figure this out, or if it is clear to you all!

[michaelflanagansf]

There is a good review of 'A Single Man' here:

http://theasylum.wordpress.com/2010/01/25/christopher-isherwood-a-single-man/

No major spoilers are in the review, although he does quote sections of the book, so if you want it to be fresh when you discuss it you may not want to read this.

[tfferg]

Here are the divisions for 'A Single Man':

First week (April 5 - April 11) - Pages 1 - 41

The last lines on page 41 are: "George will have to be George--the George they have named and will recognize.  So now he consciously applies himself to thinking their thoughts, getting into their mood.  With the skill of a veteran he rapidly puts on the psychological make-up for this role he must play."

Second week (April 12 - April 18) - Pages 41 - 92

The first line on page 41 is:  "No sooner have you turned off the freeway onto San Tomas Avenue than you are back in the tacky sleepy slowpoke Los Angeles of the thirties, still convalescent from the depression, with no money to spare for fresh coats of paint."

The last lines on page 92 are: "And the beauty of it is, he appears to stop talking out of mere politness, because Andy has reached their table.  'Did I miss something?' Andy asks, grinning."

Third week (April 19 - April 25) - Pages 92 - 138

The first line on page 92 is: "A performer at the circus has no theater curtain to come down and hide him and thus preserve the magic spell of his act unbroken."

The last lines on page 138 are: "'Oh, who knows?  We were always making plans like that.  We hardly ever told other people about them, even your.  Maybe that was because we knew in our hearts they were crazy.  But then again, we did do some crazy things, didn't we?  Well we'll never know, now . . . . Charlotte, dear, we are both in need of a drink."

Fourth week (April 26 - May 2) - Pages 139 - 186

First lines on page 139 are: "He is suddenly aware of Charlotte saying, "I suppose, for a man, it is different. . . ."  (What's different  Can he have dozed off for a couple of seconds?  George shakes himself awake.)"


Let me know if you need more information in order to figure this out, or if it is clear to you all!

Thanks Michael.

If others have the 152-page edition like me, the schedule is

Week 1      pp 1 - 27

Week 2      pp 27 - 72

Week 3      pp 72 - 110

Wek 4       pp 110 - 152

[michaelflanagansf]

Thanks Michael.

If others have the 152-page edition like me, the schedule is

Week 1      pp 1 - 27

Week 2      pp 27 - 72

Week 3      pp 72 - 110

Wek 4       pp 110 - 152

Thanks Tony!

[dejavu]

Let me know if you need more information in order to figure this out, or if it is clear to you all!

It's all clear, Michael, going by the first lines/last lines.

However, I noticed a page number inconsistency when checking against my book. 
The lines that you say are the last lines on page 138 ("Oh, who knows...Charlotte, dear, we are both in need of a drink) are actually the last lines on page 136 in my book,
and the lines that you say are the first lines on page 139 ("He is suddenly aware of Charlotte saying...")are actually the first lines on page 137 in my book.

(I have the book with 186 pages, like you do.)

[michaelflanagansf]

Actually I think I meant to go with the next page, but went with the page before.  You asked about it this morning and I was getting ready to go to the doctor.  My mind was on something else, sorry.

[dejavu]

No problem.  Hope all is well with you.

So we should use the first line/last line breaks that you have provided (and change the page numers), right?

[michaelflanagansf]

No problem.  Hope all is well with you.

So we should use the first line/last line breaks that you have provided (and change the page numers), right?

Yes, exactly.  And I've changed the page numbers in my initial post too.

[michaelflanagansf]

For those of you interested in supplementary information to the book, here is a youtube post for the film 'Chris and Don: A Love Story' which is about the 30 some year relationship between Isherwood and Don Bachardy.  At the time 'A Single Man' was written Bachardy and Isherwood were having difficulties (they lived apart briefly for the time around the publication of the book) and I think the wistfulness of the breakup had an affect on the book:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTSSX-HbJ4g

[Nikki]

For those of you interested in supplementary information to the book, here is a youtube post for the film 'Chris and Don: A Love Story' which is about the 30 some year relationship between Isherwood and Don Bachardy.  At the time 'A Single Man' was written Bachardy and Isherwood were having difficulties (they lived apart briefly for the time around the publication of the book) and I think the wistfulness of the breakup had an affect on the book:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTSSX-HbJ4g
[/quote

Very interesting, Michael.  When I learned about Isherwood's very young lover, I wondered how they made it work. Would like to read the book. 

[michaelflanagansf]

Whoops, I'm afraid I was unclear.  What I meant was that the separation had an affect on the mood of 'A Single Man' - there is no book for 'Chris and Don a Love Story' - just a movie.

[tfferg]

Very interesting, Michael.  When I learned about Isherwood's very young lover, I wondered how they made it work. Would like to read the book. 

From the glbtq encyclopedia article on Don Bachardy by T Theophano

Bachardy was only eighteen years old when he met Isherwood, who was thirty years his senior. The discrepancy in their ages shocked many of their friends; but in his memoir My Guru and His Disciple (1980), Isherwood observes that "I myself didn't feel guilty about it, but I did feel awed by the emotional intensity of our relationship, right from its beginning; the strange sense of a fated, mutual discovery. I knew that, this time, I had really committed myself."

In another memoir, Christopher and His Kind (1976), Isherwood describes Bachardy as "the ideal companion to whom you can reveal yourself totally and yet be loved for what you are, not what you pretend to be."

[Nikki]

Thanks, Tony.  I must have been thinking of Isherwood's memoirs that you mention when I posted to Michael.  Now I know what to look for.

[michaelflanagansf]

Thanks, Tony.  I must have been thinking of Isherwood's memoirs that you mention when I posted to Michael.  Now I know what to look for.

'Christopher and His Kind' is a wonderful (and sometimes heartbreaking) read, Nikki.  Isherwood had (in the few of some of his countrymen) 'abandoned' the UK for Germany in the period between the wars.  He was in the process of coming to terms with his sexuality as well.  As you can imagine, some of the men who were his boyfriends in Germany came to a bad end.  It's compelling reading - I can't recommend it enough.  It made me a lifelong fan as a young man.

[Nikki]

'Christopher and His Kind' is a wonderful (and sometimes heartbreaking) read, Nikki.  Isherwood had (in the few of some of his countrymen) 'abandoned' the UK for Germany in the period between the wars.  He was in the process of coming to terms with his sexuality as well.  As you can imagine, some of the men who were his boyfriends in Germany came to a bad end.  It's compelling reading - I can't recommend it enough.  It made me a lifelong fan as a young man.

Tks Michael.  I'll certainly get it now.  Do you know if Isherwood was pro-German?