From the New York Times bestselling author of Rules of Civility and the forthcoming novel The Lincoln Highway, a story about a man who is ordered to spend the rest of his life inside a luxury hotel—a beautifully transporting novel. The mega-bestseller with more than 2 million readers, soon to be a major television series In 1922, Count Alexander Rostov is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a … Alexander Rostov is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, and is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov, an indomitable man of erudition and wit, has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel’s doors. Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances provide him entry into a much larger world of emotional discovery.
Brimming with humor, a glittering cast of characters, and one beautifully rendered scene after another, this singular novel casts a spell as it relates the count’s endeavor to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a man of purpose.
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This novel deserves every award and all the acclaim. Towles is truly one of the most remarkable wordsmiths of our generation. Russia springs to vivid life (I’ve been there and it rings true). His work is so refreshingly devoid of the usual literary tropes and trash that swell the general market bestseller lists. A first class read.
This is a book meant to be savored. Maybe with a pot of hot tea, or a glass of your favorite wine. Its pace feels leisurely; it rolls along gently with wit and class and sparkle.
At the onset of the Russian Revolution, a count is sentenced to house arrest: he is never to leave the confines of a hotel in Moscow. Outside, his country tumbles through revolution. Inside, he strives to maintain a life of gentility; of literature and philosophy and fine cuisine.
If hidden rooms and whiskey-fueled-debates and the art of properly stitching a shirt appeal to you (and maybe a dash of history too), this is a great next read.
A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW is a novel I’ve approached and retreated from several times since its release years ago because I had to be in the right frame of mind (not writing my own first draft), free from a certain measure of distraction (not around my children), and finished reading the pile of research books on my desk. These circumstances of perfection were achieved last week, on my 20th anniversary getaway with my husband, and afforded the book the level of attention I sensed it deserved. The verdict: I loved it so much, it has now dethroned A. S. Byatt’s POSSESSION as my favorite novel by a contemporary author.
Count Alexander Rostov is a rare gem: a man of considerable intelligence, charm and absurdity, combined with the most endearing quality of all: a sense of humor about one’s self and one’s circumstances. Sentencing him to house (hotel) arrest just before his thirty-third birthday, the system that hopes to confine him to a cage ends up opening newer and deeper interior worlds and lives to which he would have had no such access had he been allowed to continue as an aristocrat.
The Count–and the reader–begin amid claustrophobic circumstances that unfold, over time, like the opening of a peacock’s tail. Like a fine cocktail, A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW must be savored. The descriptions of food and drink in the novel are particularly enticing, revealing not only character but providing an absorbing sensory experience. From the snip of a pair of scissors, to the tearing of the seat of his pants, to a thimble game of hide and seek, a pageantry of friendships, rivalries, love, heartbreak, and joy play out in the small world of the Metropol.
For a man who has been taught from a young age that if he does not master his own circumstances he will be mastered by them, the Count has to learn the lesson over and over, and often in surprising and delightful ways. In the story, it is mutability–the change we face from the passage of time–that the reader will find most relatable. The truths revealed through the characters that come and go, and come and go again, in the Count’s life are a reflection of all our lives.
I did not expect to be as moved as I was by the book; that is, I did not expect to sob for the last fifty pages (my husband teasing me while I used a beach towel to blot my eyes), nor did I expect such heights of beauty and redemption. When the reader closes the last page, she’ll need to fight the urge to stand, clap, and shout ‘Bravo!”
I struggle to find a good comparison for this novel in my recommendation. The best I can do is to say that if you enjoy a combination of Downton Abbey and Dostoyevsky, you will love A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW. I give it my highest recommendation, and it is the best novel I’ve read in years.
This book is superb on every level. It’s one of the best novels I’ve ever read.
I’ve read many good books, but there are only a few that I remember as being “perfect” books. When I do happen upon one, I am amazed at what the author is able to convey, how beautifully every last detail falls together, how the story works on so many different levels.
So it is with “A Gentleman in Moscow.” Absolutely exquisite. I will say that I attempted to read the “sample version” of this book on my e-reader when it first came out. The book did not appeal to me at all, and so I forgot about it. Then 2 weeks ago, the audio version became available through my library. I was at first unsure if I’d stick with it, then fell into the Count and Sophia’s story, and by the last pages I found myself wishing it wouldn’t end.
So what changed? Was it the difference between the audio and the written form? Was it the differences in our world since my first attempt? Or was it a difference in me?
Highly recommend.
Note: This is a mainstream book, so there’s a minor amount of “language” and some suggestions of adult scenes–though nothing overt at all. IMO, neither distracted from the content of the book.
I really enjoyed this book, especially the last half. It’s about Count Rostov. He’s almost executed by the Bolsheviks at the beginning of the book, but because he published a poem that many of them revere, they instead tell him to go back to the hotel where he has been living. If he ever steps outside, they’ll shoot him.
So begins life in a cage. A very nice cage, of course, but as one would expect, it’s not an easy adjustment. Of course, life outside the hotel in the wider Soviet Union isn’t easy either—famine, persecution, the secret police. The count isn’t allowed to stay in a suite and must instead make due in an old room in the attic, but most citizens in the Soviet Union don’t have it all that much better when it comes to housing, and at least the count can continue to eat well. His biggest challenge is finding a purpose for his new life.
I don’t want to say too much about the plot, because it’s really something that should be experienced for oneself. The writing is excellent and the research is solid. I usually favor more plot-based books, and this is definitely more character-driven, but it was so very good. I definitely recommend it for older teens and adults.
The author creates a tale full of Russian history and culture before and after the Bolshevik revolution. Although the MC is under house arrest, he lives in the luxurious Metropole hotel an actual hotel still in existence. His small world is actually quite large with the comings and goings of the clientele that bring a richness and a completely full life to this solitary gentleman.
I wondered if this book might be kind of a downer – man trapped in a hotel in Soviet Russia, but it was so beautiful and even inspirational watching the wonderful Count Rostov connect, find meaning, and make a difference in the lives of those around him. Beautifully written, very funny at times, and with great messages for all of us.
This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. The characters are interesting and wonderful! The hotel, which is a character in itself, witnesses the cultural and societal changes during this time period. This book was like a great friend. I didn’t want it to end!
Witty, sophisticated, intelligent fiction just like nobleman, Count Alexander Rostov, the narrator through whose eyes we experience Russian history as the Bolshevik revolution upends the old order. The tides of history and the arc of personal growth combine to form elegant, compelling fiction.
I don’t know why it took me so long to pick up this book, but I’m forever changed as a reader and an author because of Amor Towle’s gifted storytelling. It’s been days since I reluctantly finished the novel, and I’m still thinking about the characters and wondering outcomes for them. I’m incapable of telling you how quickly you need to acquire this story.
This rich novel might require one to occasionally stretch the imagination, but the joy of becoming immersed in the Count’s world and his rich thoughts is certainly worth it. Wonderful characters and a joy to read. Highly recommend it!
I listened to the audio of this book and I loved every minute of it. The writing had a light, reserved, lilting feel to it, with characters who were kind and good, and events that kept taking me by gentle surprise. I highly recommend it.
A book to be read for the sheer joy of reading and to be transported to another time and place.
In 1922 Count Rostov is placed under house arrest in the quality hotel, The Metropole in Russia. There he stays until 1954. The book is about how he adapts, the friendships he has old friends who visit, the hotel staff and guests and the new responsibilities he takes on. A lovely reflection of the human spirit and the period of history. A long read but one I highly recommend.
What an epic, elegant, beautifully written book. It really had such historical scope, even though it took place all in one location. Made me feel I was in the presence of a master storyteller.
Author Amor Towles creates a vivid world within the confines of such a small space due mostly to a remarkable talent for dialogue that draws you in and doesn’t let go.
Such a good book, letting you into the life of a count who was sentenced to house arrest in an old and classy hotel for his writings deemed to encourage revolt in Russia. The story follows over 30 years of how he lived his life and the people he met while living this impossed house arrest. Really good read, holds your interest till the very end.
I loved this book. It’s slow and it’s thoughtful and the writing is marvellous. The characters are all perfectly drawn.
This book is the perfect combination of edge of your seat drama and laugh out loud moments. It reminded me of Tolstoy and J.D. Salinger in the best way possible. The characters are unforgettable- you will forever have them in your heart.
Beautifully written – soul destroying circumstances faced with, humour, wisdom, and philosophy – ingenuity that makes one laugh out loud – characters that live, including the truly inspirational ‘Gentleman’ himself. This is a book for re-reading and re-reading.