A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW
by Amor Towles
This may be my favorite book that I’ve read all summer – and I’ve read some really good books! I love everything about the novel: the characters, the storyline, the plot, the writing and the unexpected ending. It is a joy to read from beginning to end.
As the novel begins, it is 1922 and we see Count Alexander Rostov being questioned by a Soviet committee for writing a poem deemed to be a revolutionary call to action after a failed revolt in Moscow. He is put under house arrest and cannot leave his residence at the luxury Hotel Metropol, which sits across the street from the Kremlin. The rest of the novel is the absolutely spellbinding tale of how the Count spends the next thirty years in the Metropol. To say he makes the best of a bad situation would be an understatement. He makes loyal friends with hotel staff; manages a long-term romantic relationship with one of the hotel’s regular guests; and, takes on the role of surrogate father to a young child. He does all of this with manners, good humor and ingenuity.
I can’t recommend this book highly enough. You will become totally immersed in the story and enjoy every minute you spend reading it. (Liz)
A SECOND HELPING
A Gentleman in Moscow,reviewed by Liz in August 2017 is definitely one of my favorite reads of the year. Its sprawling timeline, detailed setting and vivid characters kept me riveted from beginning to end. I found myself very emotionally involved with each storyline being interwoven, and was always thrilled when a long-lost character reappeared. Amor Towles manages to write what feels like a classic Russian novel without the long, hard slog of many of the actual classics! (Lily)
