Name: Diego Leal's review of A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Item: A Gentleman in Moscow
Rating: 4.5
Author: Diego Leal

Amor Towles

Chosen as an isolation read by Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall: ‘A wonderful book which gives the reader an understanding of life in post-revolution Moscow’ OVER A MILLION COPIES SOLD -- ***Soon to be a major TV series starring Kenneth Branagh*** ‘This novel is astonishing, uplifting and wise. Don’t miss it’ Chris Cleave ‘No historical novel this year was more witty, insightful or original than Amor Towles’s A Gentleman in Moscow’ Sunday Times, Books of the Year ‘Charming ... shows that not all books about Russian aristocrats have to be full of doom and nihilism’ The Times, Books of the Year '[A] supremely uplifting novel ... It's elegant, witty and delightful - much like the Count himself.' Mail on Sunday, Books of the Year On 21 June 1922, Count Alexander Rostov – recipient of the Order of Saint Andrew, member of the Jockey Club, Master of the Hunt – is escorted out of the Kremlin, across Red Square and through the elegant revolving doors of the Hotel Metropol. Deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, the Count has been sentenced to house arrest indefinitely. But instead of his usual suite, he must now live in an attic room while Russia undergoes decades of tumultuous upheaval. Can a life without luxury be the richest of all? A BOOK OF THE DECADE, 2010-2020 (INDEPENDENT) THE TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2017 A SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2017 A MAIL ON SUNDAY BOOK OF THE YEAR 2017 A DAILY EXPRESS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2017 AN IRISH TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2017 ONE OF BARACK OBAMA'S BEST BOOKS OF 2017 ONE OF BILL GATES'S SUMMER READS OF 2019 NOMINATED FOR THE 2018 INDEPENDENT BOOKSELLERS WEEK AWARD

The worldwide bestseller

A Gentleman in Moscow

Famous foursomes: the four seasons, elements, north south east and west…

Beatrix

But the Count and Sofia? They looked forward to it all day long — because it was the moment allotted for 

A game of their own invention, Zut's rules were simple. Player One proposes a category encompassing a specialized subset of phenomena- such as stringed instruments, or famous islands, or winged creatures other than birds. The two players then go back and forth until one of them fails to come up with a fitting example in a suitable interval of time (say, two and a half minutes). Victory goes to the first player who wins two out of three rounds. And why was the game called Zut? Because according to the Count, 

was the only appropriate exclamation in the face of defeat.

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. What young lovers have not found themselves at this juncture in a silence so sudden, so seemingly insurnmountable that it threatens to cast doubt upon their chemistry as a couple? What husband and wife have not found themselves suddenly unnerved by the fear that they might not ever have something urgent, impassioned, or surprising to say to each other again?

manchester moths of the industrial revolution

The pace of evolution was not something to be frightened by. For while nature doesn't have a stake in whether the wings of a peppered moth are black or white, it genuinely hopes that the peppered moth will persist.

Condenado a muerte por los bolcheviques en 1922, el conde Aleksandr Ilich Rostov elude su trágico final por un inusitado giro del destino. Gracias a un poema subersivo escrito diez años antes, el comité revolucionario conmuta la pena máxima por un arresto domiciliario inaudito: el aristócrata deberápasar el resto de sus da̕s en un hotel, microcosmos de la sociedad rusa y conspicuo exponente de lujo y la decadencia que el nuevo rǧimen se ha propuesto erradicar.

Un Caballero en Moscú

La forma más infalible de insultar a un valón es confundirlo con un francés, pese a que viven a sólo unos kilómetros de distancia y comparten la misma lengua.

Miguel Angel Palmer Salva

Hannah Tierney

Nour

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 “Perhaps the ultimate quarantine read . . . A Gentleman in Moscow is about the importance of community; the distance of a kind act; and resilience. It's a manual for getting through the days to come.” —O, The Oprah Magazine In 1922, Count 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.

A Novel

Meg Konieczny

Ritik Sahni

Esta novela excepcional nos habla de nuestra inagotable capacidad para arrostrar los infortunios de la existencia. Un libro que ha conquistado a dos millones de lectores y que pronto se convertirá en serie. Condenado a muerte por los bolcheviques en 1922, el conde Aleksandr Ilich Rostov elude su trágico final por un inusitado giro del destino. Gracias a un poema subversivo escrito diez años antes, el comité revolucionario conmuta la pena máxima por un arresto domiciliario inaudito: el aristócrata deberá pasar el resto de sus días en el hotel Metropol, microcosmos de la sociedad rusa y conspicuo exponente del lujo y la decadencia que el nuevo régimen se ha propuesto erradicar. En esta curiosa historia se basa la segunda novela de Amor Towles, que después de recibir innumerables elogios por Normas de cortesía, su ópera prima, se consolida como uno de los escritores norteamericanos más interesantes del momento. Erudito, refinado y caballeroso, Rostov es un cliente asiduo del legendario Metropol, situado a poca distancia del Kremlin y el Bolshói. Sin profesión conocida pese a estar ya en la treintena, se ha dedicado con auténtica pasión a los placeres de la lectura y de la buena mesa. Ahora, en esta nueva y forzada tesitura, irá construyendo una apariencia de normalidad a través de los lazos afectivos con algunos de los variopintos personajes del hotel, lo que le permitirá descubrir los jugosos secretos que guardan sus aposentos. Así, a lo largo de más de tres décadas, el conde verá pasar la vida confinado tras los inmensos ventanales del Metropol mientras en el exterior se desarrolla uno de los períodos más turbulentos del país. Además de mantenerse durante casi cincuenta semanas en las principales listas de éxitos de Estados Unidos y de superar el millón de ejemplares vendidos, Un caballero en Moscú ha obtenido numerosos premios, entre los que destacan el del Libro del Año según The Times y The Sunday Times. Esta novela está escrita con suma elegancia, cálido sentido del humor y un aprecio muy profundo por los grandes clásicos de la literatura rusa. ENGLISH DESCRIPTION From the New York Times bestselling author of Rules of Civility, a novel 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 "Perhaps the ultimate quarantine read . . . A Gentleman in Moscow is about the importance of community; the distance of a kind act; and resilience. It's a manual for getting through the days to come." --O, The Oprah Magazine In 1922, Count 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.

Un Caballero en Moscú / a Gentleman in Moscow

Emocionante, te mete de lleno en la Rusia de la revolución. Muy muy recomendable 

Diego Leal

In the style of old Russian literature yet modern edges ease it into something somewhat more digestible.. Beautiful writing, beautiful to read. Simple and yet progressively layered stories and complexities invite you in.

Very enjoyable! Human nature and life under soviet rule. Very cool!

Usman Merchant

What does it mean to be noble? To live out your life in a 100-square-foot room in a building you can never leave? This is the story of Count Alexander Rostov, who was labeled an unrepentant aristocrat by the Bolshevik government in 1922. The Count changes, ages, and develops deep attachments over the years. This is a very character-driven novel that pulled me in from the beginning. I loved it.

Cheri McElroy

Count Rostov is one of those characters that feels like he came from a great Russian Novelist. The book is vibrant in its descriptions of characters, wines, and food. I dream of one day trying a Bouillabaisse equivalent of the one described in the book. 

Mastering one's circumstances before they master you is a piece of advice that is obvious, but in the situation the Count faces so much could have gone differently, so it's really a lived piece of advice rather than an empty idea of how one should live. 

So many pieces of great writing here. One of my favorite books. While the ending did drag out a bit to get to the end, I still will think of it fondly and of the Count fondly. 

BC Hark

Count Rostov is one of those characters that feels like he came from a great Russian Novelist. The book is vibrant in its descriptions of characters, wines, and food. I dream of one day trying a Bouillabaisse equivalent of the one described in the book. 

Mastering one's circumstances before they master you is a piece of advice that is obvious, but in the situation the Count faces so much could have gone differently, so it's really a lived piece of advice rather than an empty idea of how one should live. 

So many pieces of great writing here. One of my favorite books. While the ending did drag out a bit to get to the end, I still will think of it fondly and of the Count fondly. 

On 21 June 1922 Count Alexander Rostov - recipient of the Order of Saint Andrew, member of the Jockey Club, Master of the Hunt - is escorted out of the Kremlin, across Red Square and through the elegant revolving doors of the Hotel Metropol. But instead of being taken to his usual suite, he is led to an attic room with a window the size of a chessboard. Deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, the Count has been sentenced to house arrest indefinitely. While Russia undergoes decades of tumultuous upheaval, the Count, stripped of the trappings that defined his life, is forced to question what makes us who we are. And with the assistance of a glamorous actress, a cantankerous chef and a very serious child, Rostov unexpectedly discovers a new understanding of both pleasure and purpose. HE CAN'T LEAVE. YOU WON'T WANT TO.

Elisavet Rozaki 

This is clever and imaginative, and I'm impressed by Towles's ability to build a whole world with a real historical backdrop. Historical fiction rarely feels so fun.

elizabeth

It’s not every day that I can pick up a book which has absolutely captivated me from the offset, but I can truly say that this tale written by Amor Towles has indeed done that! It is a book that I have taken time with, have adored spending time with to get to know each of the characters, and have myself briefly become resident at the famed ‘Metropol Hotel’ in Moscow through the expertly written passages.

A book which is lavish with history, has left me feeling more educated in a subject I had known very little about before. It has made me open my browser and research into the period and passing of time myself and also to want to learn more about certain events mentioned in the pages.

As mentioned earlier, Amor Towles crafts each of his characters perfectly and by the end of the book you will indeed find that you have formed strong opinions about each and every one of them.

The book is funny, sad, educational and heartwarming in equal measure and in my opinion is a page turner (just a page turner at the pace of a refined gentleman!)

I don’t want to put too much plot up here because I feel this book is better to be experienced without knowing too much about it!

Oh and as a side note, if you’re tempted to watch the show at the same time as reading the book, DON’T! The Ewan McGregor series it’s a separate entity and the timelines are very much altered which means something may happen in the second episode which doesn’t occur until 200 plus pages into the book and therefore will ultimately spoil the experience for you. Not that I’m saying to avoid the series all together… but be warned!

It’s not every day that I can pick up a book which has absolutely captivated me from the offset, but I can truly say that this tale written by Amor Towles has indeed done that! It is a book that I have taken time with, have adored spending time with to get to know each of the characters, and have myself briefly become resident at the famed ‘Metropol Hotel’ in Moscow through the expertly written passages.

A book which is lavish with history, has left me feeling more educated in a subject I had known very little about before. It has made me open my browser and research into the period and passing of time myself and also to want to learn more about certain events mentioned in the pages.

As mentioned earlier, Amor Towles crafts each of his characters perfectly and by the end of the book you will indeed find that you have formed strong opinions about each and every one of them.

The book is funny, sad, educational and heartwarming in equal measure and in my opinion is a page turner (just a page turner at the pace of a refined gentleman!)

I don’t want to put too much plot up here because I feel this book is better to be experienced without knowing too much about it!

Oh and as a side note, if you’re tempted to watch the show at the same time as reading the book, DON’T! The Ewan McGregor series it’s a separate entity and the timelines are very much altered which means something may happen in the second episode which doesn’t occur until 200 plus pages into the book and therefore will ultimately spoil the experience for you. Not that I’m saying to avoid the series all together… but be warned!

Suso

ok maybe not completely, I liked that Rostov never actually wrote "Where is it Now?" and the layers of consequence around that for him and his friend

Matt Ball

unmoved, sry :l

ok maybe not completely, I liked that Rostov never actually wrote "Where is it Now?" and the layers of consequence around that for him and his friend

jess

This book is such a slow burn, but captivating at its finest. It describes the story of Count Alexander Rostov, who is sentenced by a Bolshevik tribunal to house arrest in a luxury hotel, the Metropol. Who once escaped to Paris and went back to Moscow out of the simple pleasures of courtesy, appreciation, shared history, and escaped again to save someone he loved, also (with self-interpretation) his own way to burst out of the comfort niche, the mother Russia itself, together with the "willowy" Anna, the partner he "might" loved, as this book was wholly engulfed with linguistic eloquence and abundant enjoyable minutiae. The ending did justice on paving branched paths of thoughts for the readers, of how and why, the Count chose to escape his own cherished comfortable hotel, his own motherland, and what he is going to do next, and I think that uncertainty is part of the beauty of the ending.

If anyone ever tells you this is a wonderful book, believe them. It is. I loved every page and am missing it so much since finishing. 

Mark Phillips

Elizabeth Wood

This is not a book for a lighthearted, easy read. It is meticulously written and reminded me of All The Light We Cannot See. 

I enjoyed the book, although quite lengthy, and the characterization within. The plot of the book is not fast-paced or overly exciting, but that’s probably because the main character is on house arrest in a hotel - not much CAN happen. 😂 

I will for sure be reading Towles’ other novels, but I’m now much more aware of his writing style and will plan accordingly.

Santa

Charlsy Sekyere

⭐️2-2.5

There are plenty of four and five-star reviews on this book, but I cannot say that this review will be one of them. For starters, it's easy for me to see why so many people love this book and find it so compelling, since while reading it, I thought at times, "this should be really emotionally impactful or enjoyable." Yet, in the entire nearly 500-page book, there were only a few moments that made me, dare I say... care or intrigued. It may have been that I wasn't in the right frame of mind to read this book, or it may simply not have been my cup of tea, but I really wanted to enjoy it. This book just lacked any real character focus; it simply felt like a dense, wordy, occasionally pretentious (by way of language), dull account of Russian revolution history.

Amor Towles' ability to write is without question, but this book basically reads like a long history lesson, no matter how beautiful or heart-warming the writing is at times. I would have DNF-ed this book if I didn't have a strong aversion to DNF'ing.

The best part of this book is the excellent implementation of the found family trope, with most of the action taking place inside the Hotel Metropol due to Count Rostov being under house arrest.

Overall, not particularly interested and probably my least favourite literary fiction book so far, I doubt I will ever revisit it and I'm partially undecided about whether I want to read more of Amor Towles' works in the future.

ARPITA ♡

It took a while for me to get into this book due to the intensity of the story building before you truly get into the real story being told. But thinking back on it, my only regret is that I didn’t appreciate the beginning more. Each element of this story tells a story of its own. If you don’t take care to understand every decision the author makes, you have already done a disservice to this book. 

Kaitlyn R

Vicky (A City Girl's Thoughts)

This rating is from my personal opinion, not the writing or plot itself. I wanted to like it, especially due to the protagonist Count Rostov who reminds me of Obi-Wan Kenobi from Star Wars (and explains why Ewan McGregor was cast as him for the upcoming TV show) but as a WOC born and raised in the Hood I couldn't get through his frivolity and explanations of the rich and what they do when I receive updates about out current economy and the nepotism rampant in corporations hiring. The explanations were necessary, so nothing wrong with Amor Towles on that, but again, I can't get into a story about the rich without the pressing economic inequity shown everyday here in the U.S.

charisa

ok, i’m a little conflicted! towles’ writing is brilliant and strikingly witty, but i faded in and out of interest at a whiplash pace. i loved how much of the story was rooted in the political and historical lattice of the bolshevik revolution, but the storylines were so strangely pieced together? one chapter would be primarily plot-driven, with the next screeching to a halt to wax poetic about architectural developments in stalin’s russia. confused. the random fourth wall disruptions also didn’t help. 

regarding characters, the count was very charming, but i feel like his appeal didn’t emerge fully until sofia entered the picture (at like page 250 lmao). until then, he struck me as pompous and affected, which could definitely speak to some solid character development!!! but something tells me he was supposed to come off as a “gentleman” from the very start. oh well. the last 100 pages were a treat.

Wynter

They say it takes eleven years to see everything in the Hermitage. The countless exhibits, each rich in history and splendor are simply impossible to rush through. But why would you want to? Such is the case with A Gentleman in Moscow. Not just a novel about Russia after the revolution, but a dedicated study of the country and an intricate love letter to its people. You truly want this grand tour to last forever.

I didn’t know what to expect when I first picked up this novel, since I have not read anything else by Towles before. Let me tell you, I was immediately enchanted. This book transcends political differences and focuses on the wonderful characters and their warm, dramatic, and complicated relationships within the walls of a famous hotel. It’s refreshingly void of stereotypes and it doesn’t dish out criticism based on ideological differences. Instead, it shows that as people we all want the same things: stability, fulfillment, love…

Read the rest of the review on Chaika Books

jinni

i cannot use words to explain how much i adore this book. how can a tale of a man’s confinement in a luxury hotel gave way to an overview of the changing russian society in the 20th century, joyous and painful arrivals and departures in life, and his various adventures and discoveries under the same roof for 32 years? i’m truly amazed (and crying at 2 a.m.). not only do we bond with rostov himself, we also meet people like nina, mishka, andrey, emile, anna, the bishop, osip, sofia, the youthful couple at boyarsky, the architect with excellent sense for space, the one-eyed russian blue, and a whole cast of characters who may not have much screen time but brought so many colors to the story and a particular hotel across the street from kremlin. i will miss all of them dearly.

Courtney

This book was astounding! I fell deeply in love with every character, and my heart broke to leave them at the end of this book. This book moved me. The love, the wit, the wisdom! The writing was so sophisticated! I felt as though I needed a glass of wine to compliment my meals as I dined in Count Rostov’s graceful presence and if I were at a loss to choose a perfect pairing, the count would chivalrously recommend one for me saving my evenings from utter and complete disaster. He is one of my all time favorite literary characters. I will most likely reread this again and savor every decadent word all over again.

Colleen

4 Stars
 
*A beautiful and poignant tale about living life even when life gets tough*
 

Count Alexander Rostov is spared from death in the Bolshevik Revolution but is sentenced to indefinite house arrest at the Metropol Hotel. From riches to rags, A Gentleman in Moscow follows Rostov as he tries to make the best of his new life.
 
I’ll start by saying that this isn’t a story that will appeal to everyone. The writing is beautiful by languid. The story is character-driven with very little plot. So people who prefer fast-paced, lot-driven stories will most likely find A Gentleman in Moscow boring. But if you have the patience to sit back and enjoy, this was a lovely story.
 
The scope of the story is both wide and narrow at the same time. Events in the story are undeniably affected by momentous world events, yet the story focuses on the day to day happenings in the hotel. It was like zooming in on one small part of a large painting. The focus of the story is on little snapshots of everyday life and using those moments to explore the complex facets of life and human nature. A recurring theme was the consequences of little actions (both good and bad) and how the reactions of those actions can ripple through our lives for many years to come in both seen and unseen ways.
 
It is an ambitious book. The story spans decades – from the Bolshevik Revolution through the Cold War – and follows many characters through those years. Though it does sometimes play coy with foreshadowing, the story is mostly chronological.
 
I was expecting a bleaker story, so I was pleasantly surprised by how uplifting many parts of the story were. There were some beautiful thoughts in this story. And the author expertly brought the setting and the characters to life.
 
The reason this isn’t five stars for me is that it really started to drag in the last quarter of the story. While I was attached to the characters, the repetitiveness and lack of movement dulled my enthusiasm in the latter part of the book. The ending was satisfying but not amazing enough to recover my earlier excitement. But I would still recommend this to anyone who likes character-driven Historical Fiction and pondering the purpose of life.

 
RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 4 Stars
Writing Style: 5 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 4 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 4 Stars
Level of Captivation: 4 Stars
Originality: 4 Stars

Tuago

This book made me laugh a lot! I would have never expected this as a book before I picked it up, so my expectations were completely overblown. Some weeks after, I find myself missing the company of the Count Rostov and his hilarious quirks.

Ritik Sahni &
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

Reviews

Highlights

Join the club

Ritik Sahni &A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

Reviews

Highlights

Join the club

Ritik Sahni &
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles