If you're excited about Wes Anderson's latest, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and have been reading up on interviews with the idiosyncratic filmmaker, then you will have seen him mention the writings of Stefan Zweig. Indeed the start of his new film declares that it is inspired by this Austrian author that Anderson discovered in Paris' famous English language bookshop Shakespeare & co. Having falling out of print in English, Pushkin Press started to publish his works again (originally published in the 30s and 40s) and have now worked with the director on a new book containing his selections of Zweig's work, The Society of the Crossed Keys, taking it's title and cover art from a chapter in The Grand Budapest Hotel.
As Anderson says, 'I had never heard of Zweig until six or seven years ago, as all the books began to come back into print, and I more or less by chance bought a copy of Beware of Pity. I immediately loved this book, his one, big, great novel-and suddenly there were dozens more in front of me waiting to read.'
You can buy the book from Pushkin Press' site here, and Anderson's picks, as well as a conversation with the modern auteur of indie cinema are listed below:
A CONVERSATION WITH WES ANDERSON
Wes Anderson discusses Zweig's life and work with Zweig biographer George Prochnik.
THE WORLD OF YESTERDAY
Selected extracts from Zweig's memoir, The World of Yesterday, an unrivalled evocation of bygone Europe.
BEWARE OF PITY
An extract from Zweig's only novel, a devastating depictionof the torment of the betrayal of both honour and love.
TWENTY-FOUR HOURS IN THE LIFE OF A WOMAN
One of Stefan Zweig's best-loved stories in full-a passionate tale of gambling, love and death, played out against the stylish backdrop of the French Riviera in the 1920s.