Goodbye to Berlin is a semi-autobiographical novel chronicling life in Berlin just before the outbreak of World War II. Isherwood’s novel is a particularly engaging read because he published it the year World War II began. Without knowing what was to come, Isherwood does not overanalyze the city and its people. Instead, he primarily records everyday events while only contemplating larger cultural shifts when it relates to his daily life. The Guardian perfectly describes Isherwood’s book: “Reading this novel is much like overhearing anecdotes in a crowded bar while history knocks impatiently at the windows.” I have read Goodbye to Berlin twice, both before and after I lived in Berlin. It continues to be one of my favorite novels that resonates with me differently each time I read it.