The Society of the Crossed Keys: Selections from the Writings of Stefan Zweig, Inspirations for The Grand Budapest Hotel

‘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 weredozens more in front of me waiting to read.’ - Wes Anderson

The Society of the Crossed Keys contains Wes Anderson’s selections from the writings of the great Austrian author Stefan Zweig, whose life and work inspired The Grand Budapest Hotel.

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.