The Memorial: Portrait of a Family by Christopher Isherwood is a deeply introspective novel set in the aftermath of World War I. This literary classic, first published in 1932, explores the complexities of family, identity, and societal expectations through the eyes of Eric Vernon, a young man caught between the legacies of two men: his quiet, heroic father and his father’s flamboyant, free-spirited friend, Edward Blake. As Eric navigates his path into adulthood, he grapples with the contrasting influences of these two figures, set against the backdrop of a society in flux following the trauma of the war.
