''A Single Man'' is a 1964
novel by
Christopher Isherwood.
Set in
Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban a ...
during 1962, it depicts one day in the life of George, a middle-aged Englishman who is a professor at a
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
university. The university might reflect
CSULA
California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA) is a public university in Los Angeles, California. It is part of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) system. Cal State LA offers 142 bachelor's degrees, 122 master's degrees, ...
, where Christopher Isherwood taught for some time.
In 2009, fashion designer
Tom Ford
Thomas Carlyle Ford (born August 27, 1961) is an American fashion designer and filmmaker. He launched his eponymous luxury brand in 2005, having previously served as the creative director at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. Ford wrote and direct ...
directed a
film adaptation of the novel, with additions made to the original plot in the screenplay by
David Scearce David Scearce is a lawyer and screenwriter.
Career
Law
Scearce earned a business degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and a law degree from the University of British Columbia before joining the Justice Department.
Film
In 2000, Scearce decided ...
and Ford.
Characters
* George
* Jim
* Mr. Strunk
* Mrs. Strunk
* Mr. Garfein
* Mrs. Garfein
* Charlotte
* Kenny Potter
* Lois Yamaguchi
* Russ Dreyer
* Alexander Mong
* Tom Kugelman
* Buddy Sorensen
* Sister Maria
* Mr. Stoessel
* Mrs. Netta Torres
* Dr. Gottlieb
* Myron Hirsch
* Wally Bryant
* Estelle Oxford
* Grant Lefanu
* Cynthia Leach
* Andy Leach
* Doris
* Buck
* Rick
* Two young men playing tennis
Plot
George, an English professor, is unable to cope with the despondent, bereaved nature of his existence after the sudden death of his partner, Jim. Throughout the day, he has various encounters with different people that colour his senses and illuminate the possibilities of being alive and human in the world.
Notes
External links
''A Single Man''*
1964 British novels
1964 American novels
1960s LGBT novels
British novels adapted into films
American novels adapted into films
Novels by Christopher Isherwood
Novels set in Los Angeles
Fiction set in 1962
Novels with gay themes
Methuen Publishing books
{{1960s-LGBT-novel-stub