A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

5/5 Stars

Poignant, profound, perplexing. Beautiful brilliance. Rich, rare, and ruminating. A Gentleman in Moscow is a wonderfully written, captivating and intriguing story set in Russia over a period of several decades. In the words of the book’s protagonist, Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov, appearing before the Emergency Committee of the People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs in 1922 when being interrogated about a poem attributed to him, “It demanded to be written.” The same can be presumed about A Gentleman in Moscow, and I am one reader who is simply delighted that it did.

Count Alexander Rostov is the luckiest man in Russia, but he only became so after being sentenced to a life of house arrest in his favorite motel, the Metropol, near the Kremlin in Moscow. An aristocrat, Count Rostov lived a cushy lifestyle up until that point, but his house arrest banished him to a 100 square foot attic room in the hotel. Despite these cramped quarters and unfortunate circumstances, the Count lived a fulfilled and interesting life completely within the walls of the Metropol while Russia navigated through some of the most uproarious times in its history. A Gentleman in Moscow takes us through the daily occurrences of Count Rostov’s life in the hotel, both the mundane and the beautiful. There are humorous moments and emotional moments. There are melancholic moments and cheerful moments. And there are clever, creative, touching and thoughtful moments. Every single one of these moments, and the relationships the Count forms with others he meets within the Metropol, are woven into a beautiful tapestry of Count Rostovs magnificent and satisfying life.

So with that, sit back, relax and enjoy A Gentleman in Moscow. But please, take your time in reading it. The book deserves to marinate, and you deserve the time to reflect upon its beauty. I hope you enjoy reading it and getting to know the characters as much as I did. Please let me know your thoughts after you do. Happy reading, bookish friends!