BY HOLLY CUTHBERT

 

QUIRKY, hilarious and marvellously set, Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel makes a great book and film.

Zero Moustafa tells the book’s narrator, ‘The Author’, the story of his youth as a lobby boy at The Grand Budapest Hotel, up in the mountains of Zubrowka. He explains how he came to work for the hotel’s concierge Monsieur Gustave H.

Monsieur Gustave is left a valuable painting in the will of one of his favourite guests but the family accuse him of her murder and Zero must help him escape and clear his name.

The Grand Budapest is one of those rare occasions when the book and the film are released together. Wes Anderson wrote the script which has been published in a book form and he directed the star studded cast led by Ralph Fiennes’ Monsieur Gustave.

Both book and film are exceptionally funny though it should be noted that the book is not in a standard novel form but is a version of the film’s script.

The book’s humour is quirky and may only be of taste to those who appreciate subtle quirks blown to new proportions and occasional physical comedy.

The over the top nature of the drama and comedy of the book make it more akin to children’s fiction though it has been written for adults too. The dastardly villains of fiction mix seamlessly with the almost oppressive fringes of a fictional state torn apart by war and poverty that is all too close to Europe’s past.

The plot is simple and executed well and I really enjoyed reading it and watching the film.

 

This book was published by Faber and Faber and is available to buy for £12.99. It can also be borrowed from The Hive as well as other Worcestershire libraries. Click here to check availability and check it out.