A Gentleman in Moscow

Really enjoyable read, lovely characterisation. We trace the life of the Count over several years, all the while wondering where the book is leading us, if anywhere. Through the whole book I was waiting for some big thing to occur, and it never does until the very very end. That's not to say it's boring - there are plenty of little upsets and developments, and the Count reacts to them all in a delightful way. But there's no big bang. It's very lifelike and human, and there's lots of thoughtful reflection on the human condition, which feels sincere and sage, and really I think this is where most of the book's value lies for me. The ending is a bit rushed, and it's a shame we don't get to hear what happens to some of the characters. Worth rereading. Would recommend, glad I read it. But not one of those books that really affected me, just a really good book.

A beautiful tale, and the detail of the characters, their surroundings and the history throughout the book made me often wonder if it was actually a biography!

The entire story is a eloquently walk through a character's life whose choses to made the best of what they have, and left me wanting to see things the same in my.own daily life.

I really enjoyed this. It's like a bit more of a jovial Remains of the Day, in a way? I'm a sucker for tales of duty and social obligation like this, and the sophisticated dry wit is also right in my wheelhouse.

The narration in the audiobook by Nicholas Guy Smith is perfect. He speaks in an pleasing upper class British accent throughout (he doesn't really attempt Russian as I think it would come off strange), but also does some subtle and not so subtle changes when other characters speak. It definitely set the tone for the entire story.

Let me start by saying that A Gentleman in Moscow is completely outside the realm of novels that I would usually read. While I usually read Nordic noir, scifi, or fantasy novels, I picked up this book off of a recommendation.

Although the book started a tad slow, as you become more invested in the main character, The Count, the enjoyment out of the story ramps up. His quips, his perspective, and his diction are all so enjoyable that I felt myself wanting to act the same in my own life.

The story builds and rewards those who pay deep attention to detail as it progresses. My only very minor criticism is that you might find yourself Google'ing a niche French dish they talk about in the story, or other small points just to fully appreciate what they're talking about. After all the time investing in each character, the ending comes as a perfect bow to wrap up the story.

5/5.

Whimsical, colorful, the whole book written like a charming wink, like a Wes Anderson film in the form of a book (and in fact reminds me a bit of the Grand Budapest Hotel) - this book is delightfully coy in a comforting way. It's like one of those clever cartoons from childhood: too sweet and whimsical to be real, but wholly engaging nonetheless. I couldn't suppress a smile while reading. Certainly a far cry from the seriousness of the staples of the Russian literary canon (Tolstoy, Chekhov...)

I think we fall into the trap that a truly good book has to be somehow devastating, revealing some depth of a sad shared human experience. But why can we not revel in the charms and wonder the world has to offer, even within our small little sections of the world, such as the Counts “prison” of the hotel?

Yet there IS a certain gravity to the book. The stability of an unchanging cast of characters and unchanging scene of the hotel while the backdrop of early-mid 20th century Russia is in constant (and perilous) political upheaval creates a fascinating dichotomy, and lends some needed gravitas, and raises some interesting thoughts about our smaller worlds that exist inside the larger one.

A quick, simple, but lovely read - would absolutely recommend!

This is a charming and relaxing book, nicely set and nicely written. Characters are fine, though I find them all to be more or less stock characters. If you know anything about the Soviet Union and Russian history, you will find the premise slightly less than plausible, possibly even quaint, in its asserting an alternate universe where early Bolsheviks have romantic hearts of gold underneath it all, and blah blah blah.

But if you can suspend that bit, it's a nice escape from reality to read, if not especially deep or enlightening. The action and storyline aren't really that revelatory or intriguing. Nevertheless, when the time comes that I need a confection, I would read his other books.

3.75 out of 5 stars

This was a beautifully written novel that deserves to have each sentence savored. Amor Towles writes about the mundanities of life in such an engrossing way that I found myself more enamored with these minor passages than the bigger story being told. It sags in the middle a bit and having 100 pages or so trimmed off would likely have improved my overall rating.

Well, here goes any respect my friends might've had for me: I mostly found it... irritating. It did get better as it progressed, and Towles's writing is exquisite–the main reason I continued reading–but for the most part it just felt heavyhanded. Never actually schmaltz, but too often I felt like Towles was coming awfully close to the baster. Maybe I'm too sensitive; maybe Towles blends in just the perfect hint but, like the merest trace of cilantro to those allergic, it's too much for my palate.

Speaking of palates: our protagonist, Mary Sue I mean The Count, what a palate! Possibly the most discerning and refined one in all of Moscow, eliciting bravos from top chefs. But there's more: he charms his way out of a firing squad; gains the trust of a precocious nine-year-old girl who shows him the deeply hidden secrets of the Hotel; he makes such a first impression on a haughty movie star that she seduces him then obsesses over him after she departs. He is doggedly sought out by high-level intelligence agents in need of his diplomatic and cultural knowledge. The Fates repeatedly swoop down to rescue him in dire moments of need. The authorial wish fulfillment, in short, is strong in this one. Unfortunately, there isn't that much substance to the characters–any of them–nor the story. I never felt like I understood their inner lives. They all act on cue, responding to external stimuli in accordance with the roles they've been assigned and the backstories we've been shown. They frequently utter profound, insightful Deep Truths–the kind that make this reader pause, reflect, sometimes even feel like underlining–but there's just this ever so slight greeting-card feeling about them. Like the author penned them, perfected them, then built pages of scaffolding around them so they'd sound just right at just the right time. All nice and pat, in much the way that real life tends not to be. Or is that just me?

Then there's the whole (mild spoiler alert) Les Misérables aspect of the second half. It was tender, often moving, but there was something that didn't feel right about it and I think I've just realized what (major spoiler): the Count is no Valjean; the Bishop no Javert. Hugo makes us live his characters, their impossible moral choices, their struggles to do Good. We understand them, feel for them, even suffer with them. Both are driven by powerful inner forces which most of us can intimately relate to. The Count, though, comes off merely as a shallow fop wanting to be admired; the Bishop, a petty bureaucrat much like the Work Preventers I used to deal with at LANL, whose only solace in their sad meaningless lives is the power to say no to anyone trying to do something useful. Towles's beautiful prose notwithstanding, neither really elicits my sympathies. And I think that's what bugs me: the similarities are only superficial. Everything important, everything that makes a Capital-Ess Story, is hollow.

But maybe it's just me.

What a sweet, wholesome book. This made me cry. 4.5/5 stars.

Count Rostov is a Former Person placed under house arrest at the Metropol Hotel in Moscow, when the Bolshevik government takes over Russia. There's a whole lot of Russian history happening in the background here which I'm still not super clear on the details of so I won't dwell on them in this synopsis. The book sees Count Rostov spectating and indirectly participating in the political upheavals of the nation through the comings and goings of the visitors of the hotel.

This was a beautifully written book that perfectly balances the fairly sweet and casual ramblings and small domestic adventures of the Count in the foreground, while still somehow keeping the atmosphere poignantly oppressive and dreadful with Towles giving us relevant historical context that doesn't feel like it was too shoehorned in.

Through the Count, we meet the various characters of the hotel - Andrey the maitre d, Emile the head chef, the Bishop, Marina the seamstress, and some memorable long-term guests. This isn't a book to go in expecting an intricate character ensemble. Instead, we see everyone through Count Rostov's eyes. Indeed, we are really only privy to his perspective - we see Russia's history unfolding through his lens, the differences between his former life as a member of the Russian nobility to his current state being essentially incarcerated indefinitely in a hotel.

The Count, and almost by extension the entire Metropol Hotel itself, essentially functions as the single spot of constancy in the entire novel. This book spans a long time period in history, almost 30-40 years, during which Russia's leadership changes hands a few times. The world outside the hotel is ever changing, and all the characters the Count (and us, by extension) meets eventually wander out into the wider world to be subsumed by it, but the hotel and the Count never seems to change.

The highlight of this book for me occurs in the second half, which I will elaborate further in a spoiler below. In summary, it is a beautifully written non-romantic relationship that turns up in the Count's life unexpectedly, which deepened the poignant bittersweetness of this whole book for me. I'm talking about the Count and Sophia's relationship. I really liked that "indulgent father" vibe that he had with Nina, but who knew that it would be magnified a hundredfold with the more amenable personality of Sophia? The chapter "Adulthood" drove me to tears. There wasn't anything outstandingly sad about it, but even that semi-hilarious conversation where the Count was upset about how low the back of Sophia's dress was, and how the Count had to face up to the fact that Sophia had now crossed the threshold of becoming an adult woman in her own right - everything just gave me so much feels.

Overall, a really brilliant read whether you're interested in Russian history in the early 20th century, or just want a wholesome and bittersweet story to lose yourself in.

One of the most enjoyable books I have read in a long time. It is a simply and superbly crafted novel with interesting characters, and like a good play it uses the confine of a closed stage to create the tensions and drive the plot. I would have happily read more on many of the relationships between Sasha and Ospina, or Richard. It was a pleasure to pick up every time.

Who knew a book about a man under house arrest for decades could be so interesting! But when you have really interesting characters it makes a HUGE difference. I also found it interesting how the last couple chapters suddenly jump into overdrive on the action, kind of a shock to the system.

And I found it intriguing to see a different perspective on the transition thru 3 different leaders and their influence on Russian culture.

This was one of the most satisfying novels I've read in a long time. Alexander Ilyich Rostov is a character that I would love to meet and befriend. Still, there is so much that speaks to me in this book. In the end, the message that really shines is to love the people you care about no matter the inconvenience, treat people with dignity even when they don't deserve it, and to learn to live life wherever one is or one's station.

Fantastic writing, characters, and story. Thank you Mr Towles for giving life to such wonderful characters in a fascinating, changing world.

Rostov, a fictional count, is placed under house arrest at the luxurious Metropol Hotel in Moscow after the Russian revolution. He stays here for decades. This is the plot.

It's admirable that Amor Towles was able to write such a captivating book with such a simple plot. The book is a remarkable mix. It's heartwarming, at times emotional with a hint of sadness. Through it, a picture is painted of Russia from Lenin to Khrushchev. As a reader, you feel like a spectator, just like Count Rostov. The events pass before your eyes without significantly impacting the world within the Metropol.

The scenes are, without exception, interesting and lively. The language is to the point. Very well done. The entire book maintains a subdued humorous tone, sometimes bordering on absurdism. One of my favorite scenes is when Rostov discovers that all the labels on the wine bottles have been removed because in the new Russia, there's no distinction even in wine. Only red and white are served.

With Andrey a few paces behind him, the Count began walking the cellar's center aisle, much as a commander and his lieutenant might walk through a field hospital in the aftermath of battle. Near the end of the aisle, the Count turned down one of the rows. With a quick accounting of columns and shelves, the Count determined that in this row alone, there were over a thousand bottles—a thousand bottles virtually identical in shape and weight.Picking up one at random, he reflected how perfectly the curve of the glass fit in the palm of the hand, how perfectly its volume weighed upon the arm. But inside? Inside this dark green glass was what exactly? A Chardonnay to complement a Camembert? A Sauvignon Blanc to go with some chèvre

I can recommend this book to absolutely anyone, regardless of genre preferences.

5 stars

I took this book as essentially a fairy tale about being a “noble” person. Count Alexander Rostov is sentenced in 1922 to live out the rest of his life in the Metropol Hotel. If he steps foot outside, he will be shot. He's moved out of his luxurious suite and into a cramped attic room and begins a new life under house arrest. Although he experiences some moments of feeling trapped and bored, he manages to accept changes in his circumstances and to find happiness, friendship, and meaning in the life he makes for himself.

I call this a fairy tale because although the people around him experience the consequences of changes in Soviet life, Alexander Rostov seems to be largely insulated from it all. He experiences sadness at the death and disappearance of his friends, and he does what he can to protect the people he cares about. However, his charm, his ability to talk to people, and his willingness to adapt his skills to his circumstances endear him to some of the important people he meets, and they protect him when they have occasion to. I found this insulation from the hardest hardships of Soviet Russia hard to believe, no matter how charming the former Count was. So, although I enjoyed the story very much, I take it about as seriously as I take bubble gum or cotton candy. Charm, emotional intelligence, and adaptability are important, but a totalitarian regime can still easily crush a person with those attributes.

Read with scepticism.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read, though it did read more slowly than I would have liked. It's a detail-rich story with Russian history in footnotes thrown in and a LOT of Slavic names, so I had to constantly turn back to previous chapters to remember characters. BUT - it was a lovely chronicle of one man's house arrest in a luxury Moscow hotel, from the Revolution up through the Cold War. It seemed that the smaller his world got, the more it opened up, as he discovered more and more about himself, his friends - both old and new - and Russia as it changed.

I borrowed this one from the Libby app on audiobook, at the same time I had quite a few other holds come through. When this one came through first, I decided to start it first, but this has been a slog to get through and I find myself reading and finishing other books, trying to come back to this one, and moving on once again. I'm running into an issue here because the book is beautifully written, it's charming, and it's a comfort read for sure. That being said, I'm probably just not in the mindset for this book right now, it's slow, it's boring, and the descriptions are just too much. This would make a beautiful movie or series, but as a book it's just so dense. Normally, I love me a good slow burn, but it's not that nothing is happening, exactly, but that the things that are happening, are just told in such a calm way that nothing in this book, excites me, and I find myself not really being invested with the characters.

I understand all of the glowing reviews, and I may come back to try to finish this one day, but for now I'm marking it as DNF 30%

Witty, charming, and somehow profound in its own simple nature. I relished the depth of character detail and how characters of the book remained true to their depictions throughout. Certainly changes occurred which is part of the wonder of the book - to feel yourself attached to the Metropol, clinging to all that was held dear about an age long passed while seeking to grapple with the challenges and changes of a new day. Perhaps what is most stirring about the book are the many moments in which you are caused to stop and ponder questions bigger than yourself, often in tandem with the Count himself as he reflects on a deceased sister, a reinvented nation, and a life filled with providential “unexpectancies”.
I am not a Russian history major, but to journey through these pages is to walk in the shoes of a man firmly vested in the honor of mother Russia while admiring and appreciating all that is good in other cultures.
Overall, a highly enjoyable read which had me vested in the Count's story from the very opening court scene.