Beware of Pity. Translated from the German by Phyllis and Trevor Blewitt. ZWEIG, Stefan.

First edition in English, in the scarce dust jacket. The novel, set in the dying days of the Habsburg empire, was published in translation almost simultaneously to the original German. Zweig's only completed novel was an instant success, with the UK edition reprinted three times in one week. It was adapted into a film in 1946 and was the loose inspiration for Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014). Octavo. Original blue cloth, spine lettered in gilt, front cover lettered in gilt within gilt border, top edge red. With dust jacket. Near-contemporary ownership inscription to front free endpaper. Spine cocked, a little rubbed at edges, a couple of nicks to page edges and marginal loss to p. 167/8; jacket unclipped, spine sunned, toning to top and bottom edges with residue to verso, small chips and a short closed tear to head of spine: a very good copy in like jacket.