Lions and Shadows: An Education in the Twenties

Have you ever wanted to read about W.H. Auden poking at Christopher Isherwood's back acne? I didn't know I did, and you probably don't either! But you do, really! IDK, I love Isherwood and Auden - if I still played the Sims I'd make wee computer versions of them and they'd have amazing domestic adventures - and this account of their early relationship (and Isherwood's frittered youth) was like homoerotic literary crack for my weird craving. If you enjoyed their bitchy dialogue in the Beeb adaptation of 'Christopher and his Kind', then go read this, now.

There are certainly interesting and entertaining elements to this book. However, I didn't enjoy it as much as might have for two reasons. Firstly, there is too much going that he doesn't talk about. How can a memoir of the years between 18 and 25 have so little mention of sex? Anyone who knows the bare facts of Isherwood's life can answer this question, but it nevertheless makes this a frustratingly truncated book. On the one hand it's interesting to read about what he did with his sublimated sexual energy, but it would be more interesting if he had at least felt able to acknowledge its existence.

The second reason I didn't quite connect with the book is that I found too much space was given to the fictional worlds and silly games that show more he invented with friends. It would be remiss not to describe them a bit, but there was too much detail for me and I must admit to skimming a few sections as a result.

Nevertheless, there are passages where Isherwood's arch humour shines and his prose hums along very nicely. I mostly read this because I had it on my shelf and I know it precedes [b:Christopher and His Kind|16809|Christopher and His Kind|Christopher Isherwood|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1388202304s/16809.jpg|18493], but I might take a bit of a break from Isherwood before I read that book, because I don't want the hangover of some of the self-indulgent elements of Lions and Shadows to spoil it for me. show less

Witty and clever novel. Set in 1920s England, with Christopher Isherwood's usual high standard of good prose. The novel has some very clever characterisations and for me an enjoyable read.

I probably would have enjoyed this a little more if it wasn't so many years since I last read anything about Isherwood; this book is sort of autobiographical but somewhat fictionalised, and having the underlying facts straight in my head would probably made both the life and the fiction more fun.

Ishyvoo before he becomes his true self. The story of a diffident young man up to the point when he sets out for Berlin.