JOHN LE CARRÉ RECOMMENDS THE WORLD OF YESTERDAY BY STEFAN ZWEIG

If there’s any living writer who has truly mastered his craft, it is John le Carré, author of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Starting in 1963 with the global success of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, up to the publication this year of the acclaimed A Legacy of Spies, he has, by general consensus, been one of the most beloved storytellers of our time. So it makes every bit of sense that the books he recommends should display a similar mastery of form. This astonishing memoir from 1942, which brings to life “the golden age of Vienna — its seeming permanence, its promise, and its devastating fall” certainly matches that standard. Stefan Zweig knew everyone worth knowing in Habsburg Vienna, and he worked on this unique account for eight years, posting the manuscript to his publisher the day before he and his wife committed suicide. Zweig’s memoir served as the inspiration for the film The Grand Budapest Hotel. ©Alexi 2017 www.alexibooks.com

Published in Dawn, Books & Authors, December 3rd, 2017