A Single Man

How did I miss the news that Christopher Isherwood's novel, A Single Man, had finally been made into a film? There are many novels (and several of them are gay themed) that I'd love to see made into films, and A Single Man has long been near the top of that list.

I admit that I remember reading something about fashion designer Tom Ford directing a film, but either I never saw the title or it just didn't click with me.

I just read on AfterElton that the Weinstein Company is going to be distributing the film just in time for Oscar nominations and that it stars Colin Firth and Julianne Moore, a pretty good combination overall.

I loved Isherwood's novel. It was the first of his works that I ever read and at the time, knowing very little of Isherwood himself, I was amazed that such a moving novel about a gay man had been written way back in 1964. You may recall that last year I put it at number 6 on my list of the best gay novels ever.

In the time since I first read the novel, I've not only enjoyed more of Isherwood's work (including some of his published diaries, which I'm still reading off an on between other books), I've also seen Chris & Don: A Love Story, a documentary about Isherwood and his partner, Don Bachardy. Their relationship, which lasted for over thirty years, was never hidden in any sense during an era when being out was more or less unthinkable. It's a pretty amazing love story.

I can't wait to see the film version of A Single Man. Hopefully the film will also bring increased interest in Isherwood's novels. It has always made me sad that the bookstore chain I work for carries so few of them.