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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I thoroughly enjoyed the Russian history lesson through the eyes of the captivating Count.
A beautifully written tale spanning 30 years of Russian history (1922- 1950’s); experienced from within the confines of the Hotel Metropol by the Count and a most delightful cast of characters that he interacts with. This is a must read!
If I could I would give this book 10 stars ++.. it was one of my most favorite books ever.!
VERY well written, with great warmth and characters.
Starting in the late 1920 to the fall of the USSR it follows a Count who has the charm and wit to outfox the communist of that time. The story was crafted by a wordsmith and has beautiful descriptions that allow the mind to visual wonderful places. I wish I were this count.
Easily the best book I’ve read in 5 years. Superlative writing informative without boredom 10 stars!!!
Exceptional wordsmith! Fascinating character development! And unexpected ending. One of the most memorable books I have read.
Amor Towles’ A Gentleman in Moscow found me in November, and I knew I’d be forever changed as a writer and reader after only a few pages. Actually, there was a more grand design that led me to this book. Or as my friend, Leila, called it, a God-wink.
My in-laws met a writer named Leila Meacham on a river cruise in Washington State a few years ago. Leila is more than a big deal in the literary world and a Jedi of the English language. When my wife went to have lunch on the boat as it passed near Red Mountain, she met Leila. They exchanged some words and then Leila retired to her room. But a few minutes later, she returned. She told my wife, “Something told me to come back and talk to you about your husband. I have a feeling he needs me.” As my biggest fan, my wife had of course told Leila that I was also a writer. (That’s the first God-wink in this story.)
Their next conversation led to exchanging numbers, and I was soon on the phone with Leila, absorbing advice and criticism worth its weight in gold. Leila was an English teacher all her life, and only started writing novels after she retired. Her book, Roses, hit the big time and soon she was running around with the A-listers.
Over the past few years, she’s been my guide. She has pushed me since day one to chase mastery in my craft. She’s taught me to analyze every word, every sentence. To study plot and structure. To edit and edit and edit again. We email often, and even her short form communication is a master class. She’s recommended a few books over the years that she thought did it right.
A Gentleman in Moscow was one of them. But I only picked it up after booking a trip in November to Russia. I’m that geek that likes to read a book set where I’m traveling. I read Wine and War in Burgundy, The Sicilian in Sicily, and Druids in Ireland. Am I the only one that does this?
I booked my hotel for Moscow before I had decided to read this book. Before I knew what it was about. The day after booking, I was scrolling through my Kindle, trying to decide what to read on the plane, and I saw A Gentlemen. I thought, perhaps, it’s time. I got on Amazon to read the summary, and that’s where I found my next God-wink. The story is about Count Rostov who, during the early part of last century, is sentenced to spend the rest of his life within the confines of the Hotel Metropole in Moscow. Guess what… I had booked the Hotel Metropole the day before!
You’re damn right I sat with my legs crossed in the lobby of the Hotel Metropole and drank my coffee and read this book every morning, thinking of Count Alexander Rostov sitting next to me. If only it had been one-hundred years earlier. If only he was real!
On to the book. Read it. Just read it. If you and I have anything in common, you’ll find it so refreshing and brilliant and intellectual. It actually took me longer than usual to finish, because I’d read particular sentences or paragraphs or thoughts and have to set my Kindle down for a moment. The way Amor Towles thinks is pure genius. Take the character and the story out of it, which are both addicting. His choices in how he describes the Count’s world are mind-boggling.
He writes, “Surely, the span of time between the placing of an order and the arrival of appetizers is one of the most perilous in all human interaction.” How well said. I read that line over and over and still talk about it.
Here’s my favorite. A captain visiting the hotel is sitting at the same bar as the Count. He notices the Count swirling his snifter and moves a stool closer. The captain says, “You seem like something is weighing on your mind. I mean, you set that brandy in motion about half an hour ago. If you’re not careful, the vortex you’ve created will drill a hole right through the floor and we’ll all end up in the basement.” I finished that line and had to go for a walk. The writer in me wanted to retire my pen, but the reader in me was so profoundly touched. This is why I read. This is why I write. You can see in absolute clarity the Count at that bar, swirling his glass, wrestling with a heavy thought.
And, oh, the character. Had I the option, Count Rostov is the fictional character I’d choose to dine with. Never has their been a more refined and proper gentleman. He says, “For what matters in life is not whether we receive a round of applause; what matters is whether we have the courage to venture forth despite the uncertainty of acclaim.”
It’s hard to claim a favorite book. Each day we pick new favorites in all things. But for now… I can claim with certainty that A Gentleman in Moscow is the best book I’ve ever read.
This book has it all. Amor Towles is a great writer (and researcher).
The best book I have read in years.
Outstanding writer. Exceptional characterization of protagonist.
I give it days Triple Five stars!! Will make you cry with joy. I reread and it was even better the second time because I knew what clues to look for. A book you want to share so friends will enjoy and you want to talk about it. Just make sure they return it so you can keep.
Enchanting characters and stories within a story. The Count will teach you how to graciously make the best of a very bad situation.
This book was unique, not like any I have ever read. The main character was so endearing that I actually missed him when I finished reading the book.
A wonderful read! Our book club rarely agrees on a book but everyone gave this one 2 thumbs up. Excellent!
I was still thinking about this book months after reading it. For me to even remember a book title is rare unless it is outstanding as I read a lot. I am anxiously awaiting the inevitable movie!
My new favorite author. Can’t wait for his next book. Everyone should know someone like The Count.
I was fascinated by this book that gave an interesting view of Russia in the years after the Bolshevik revolution. The particular view is that of a Russian count under house arrest for over 20 years at the famous hotel where he had lived in luxury before the take-over. The characters are well-drawn, although some are only passing through. I’ve nearly finished the book, and I can’t wait to see how it ends.
Weird,
If the title sounds a bit dull, the book is not. I loved the clever drawing of character and scene, the whimsical twists and turns. Here is my favourite character description ‘Tall and thin, with a narrow head and superior demeanor, he looked rather like a bishop that had been plucked from a chessboard’.
If you love Jane Austen (and I have since I was an adolescent in the 1950s) then I think you will love this book.