Thank you for correcting the text in this article. Your corrections improve Papers Past searches for everyone. See the latest corrections.

This article contains searchable text which was automatically generated and may contain errors. Join the community and correct any errors you spot to help us improve Papers Past.

Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image

W.E.A. LITERATURE CLASS

CHRISTOPHER ISHERWOOD “ Christopher Ishenvood is known to ns mainly for his work with John Lehmann in the preparation and editing of ‘New Writing’ and for his contributions-to it,” said Mrs Dunningham to the W.E.A. Literature Class. “ His name will always he associated' will) Ilia is of W. H. Auden, because of -I lie plays which they wrote in collaboration, and the commentary on Iho war in China, ‘Journey to a War.’ Isherwood has remained the least known of Iho group of young English writers which included Auden, Spender, MacNeice, and Lewis. Any impression of him gained from his work will) Auden is likely lo be misleading, because Isherwood is not a poet. His gifts are of a totally different :kind. His real field is social observation, and (hero it would not bo too much to say that lie is, on a small scale, a master. “His bos! work is contained in the two volumes, ‘Mr Norris Changes Trains ’ and ' Good-bye to Berlin.’ These two books should be read together. They were, to form part of a huge epic novel of pre-Nazi Berlin, which was to be called ‘The Lost,’ It is a great loss to English fiction that this epic has never been written. With a perfection of observation which makes • analysis unnecessary, Isherwood gives us Ids impression of day-to-day life in Berlin in tho last hectic pre-Hitler years. Isherwood was earning his living as a teacher of the English language. He noted and saw much. He was himself quiet and passive, but extremely intelligent. “ Isherwood’s prose is a perfect medium for his purpose. It is lucid and unstrained;- lie never heightens his effects. He combines in one person the virtues of Hemingway and K. M. Forster. His dialogue is quick and witty; he never censures; he is interested in abnormal and unusual types. In addition, be has the grave sanity and low tempo of E. M. Forster. Many critics consider that his work offers iho greatest promise for the future of all the younger English novelists.”

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD19420831.2.16

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Evening Star, Issue 24287, 31 August 1942, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
340

W.E.A. LITERATURE CLASS Evening Star, Issue 24287, 31 August 1942, Page 2

W.E.A. LITERATURE CLASS Evening Star, Issue 24287, 31 August 1942, Page 2

Help

Log in or create a Papers Past website account

Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.

By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.

Log in with RealMe®

If you’ve used a RealMe login somewhere else, you can use it here too. If you don’t already have a username and password, just click Log in and you can choose to create one.


Log in again to continue your work

Your session has expired.

Log in again with RealMe®


Alert