A Gentleman In Moscow

I don't know what I was expecting from a book about a man who is incarcerated in a hotel for 30 years but nothing happens. You get near the end and think something is about to happen but it doesn't. Then you find that it is 100% fiction and that's the final nail in the coffin. Can't believe I dedicated so much time into reading the book, genuinely annoyed at myself for preserving.

One of the best written books

This book invaded my reading list. A rarity like a leap day birth date. I got to know about “A Gentleman in Moscow” when it found mentioned by a couple of global public figures on the Internet. Throughput of me knowing about a book from a public figure and then reading it is low. Why? Because I am a discerning reader. If or when, I am engaged in a conversation longer than five minutes, I am certain a book or a quote will pop up from my memory bank. Since I talk about books, I have often benefitted from book recommendations of the highest quality. Laws of attraction do work. If a book keeps coming up as a recommendation (this one did from my reading friends), it attracts itself to my reading list. I was OK with “A Gentleman in Moscow” invading my 2024 reading list. Invasion was coopted from within. Someone who showboats his reading (self-styled intellectual, among other things) could be annoying. But what if that person is endearing too? Unlikely combination. It is the skill of the author Amor Towles who managed to bring to life a character like that in the form of Count Rostov. Within few minutes of picking up this book, I was flying through the pages. A Gentleman in Moscow i.e., Count Rostov is a flat-out, pedal-to-the-medal showboater but he is charming, and a wisecrack. The story is set inside the Hotel Metropol in Moscow, Russia. The characters surrounding Count Rostov are interesting as well and that makes this book a joy to read. The way Chef Emile Zhukovsky flows into the story brings to life a setting in any commercial kitchen that is running on mission mode. Amor Towles has put down words and sentences admirably in this book that every other page brought out a delicacy. I devoured it. The underlying theme in the book is about mastering circumstances. Life happens and “mastering circumstances” at all times can be challenging, striving to master the circumstances can fill one’s life with meaning and purpose. It could be a life of struggle, but it will be a life well lived. A line on page 165 finds the Count standing on the roof. He says, “Good-bye, my country,” tears welled up in me instantly, I felt the same love for my motherland. It is the author’s writing skill which makes the reader shoulder the character’s anguish. This is the one book that is in the rarest of rare category that any reader will enjoy. This book is a universal gift. Buy it. Read it. Gift it. I hope to visit Hotel Metropol in Moscow someday. Till then, I will keep visiting it through these pages etched in my memory.

A brilliant read.

I really enjoyed the book, particularly for the quality of writing!!! It’s like PGWodehouse in Moscow. Much recommended if you cherish great writing.

I enjoyed this rather formal book - set in 1922. The story weaves through Count Rostov's live in the Hotel Metropol and his friendship with young Nina Kulikova. The book is delightful with so much to entertain. Amor Towles is master writer and I savoured this book.

What an amazing book