The Berlin Stories: The Last of Mr. Norris and Goodbye to Berlin (New Directions Books) is a classic of 20th-century fiction that captures the vibrant yet perilous atmosphere of Weimar-era Berlin. First published in the 1930s, this collection contains two novels that have since become recognized as masterpieces of modern literature. Author Christopher Isherwood vividly portrays Berlin’s multifaceted landscape—charming and decadent, dangerous and powerful—in a period when Hitler was rising to power. The narrative is populated by an array of unforgettable characters, including the mischievous Sally Bowles, who inspired performances by Julie Harris and Liza Minnelli; the enigmatic Mr. Norris, caught between Nazi and Communist factions; the comical Fräulein Schroeder with her misplaced medical aspirations; and the tragic Landauer family, a poignant symbol of Jewish life in Germany at the time. These tales offer a profound glimpse into a city teetering on the brink of history’s darkest chapters.