A Gentleman in Moscow

What do you say about a book that has received so much acclaim, praise, adulation, and applause? What do you say that hasn’t been said already? Just how do you put your experience of reading the book into words, that come from a deep-seated place of multiple emotions? I think I am one the people who were late to the Amor Towles party, but boy am I beyond myself that I attended it – better late than never.A Gentleman in Moscow to me is an experience. An experience and more so a lesson on kindness, compassion, elegance, and different ways to view the world. We all need perspective. We all need that much needed point of view, and Towles through this book presents plenty of them.The book is beyond a one on exile, of Count Alexander Rostov being exiled in the Metropole Hotel for writing a poem – this exile is from the year 1922 to 1954. Thirty-two years of a life – of so many losses and much more gains that Towles magnificently writes about in this masterpiece.Why do I call this book a masterpiece? Well, to me it covered the gamut of human emotions – there is love, anger, loss, helplessness, friendships that last a lifetime, and the grace to let go and forge new relationships. I could go on about the writing – the book opens like nesting dolls – Matryoshka dolls – one inside the other, a plot that opens up, a character that enters and takes your heart away, and something that you overlooked suddenly comes to light. Towles’ writing is beyond superlative, and how do I begin to count the number of times I have highlighted in the entire book – a sentence there, a passage here, a line that reminds me of my life, of a friendship that doesn’t exist, of a love that got away, or of a time when things were simple and kind.Time is of such an important factor in the book – everything historical that takes place – the Cultural Revolution in the Soviet Union, the rise of Stalin, Gulag, and how everyday humans are caught in it all. Time centres on nostalgia, on what happens, on how it passes, on the everyday living – of books, movies, music, food, and people whose memories are attached to it all, with the Count at its center. Whether it is with a precocious twelve-year-old Nina to then the relationship he shares with the actress Anna, and more, time passes. Sometimes with great significance and at other times – the passage of time is enough to acknowledge the beauty and tragedy of life that Towles puts in so many words so masterfully.A Gentleman in Moscow is almost like a poem that speaks to one and all, if you have the patience, and intention to pick it up. A Gentleman in Moscow is the kind of book that stays. You might perhaps forget about it after a couple of days, but some parts will come back as you are going about your life – there will be that connect to life, dreams, imagination, and how we relate to one another as humans. Of how we are all connected somehow, and what it takes to understand that. A magnificent read. A read that will make you feel small in the larger scheme of life, universe, and everything.

Nice way of writing a story about Bolshevik Russia.Interesting and good story.Initially it seems to be like an easy story without any twists , butlast 40 pages or so revealed some incredible twists.Must read.

Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov, is a smart, witty, intellectual, kind, meticulous, and incredible man, who will live in my heart forever and ever. A Gentleman in Moscow gave an insight into rather an unusual side of Russia from one man’s eye. This book starts with Count Rostov being sentenced to house arrest by Bolsheviks for being an unapologetic aristocrat. Now a man who has lived elegantly throughout his life, who has reached extremes of intellect, who has knowledge about books, art, wines, and music, this person has to live in an attic room of Hotel Metropol, a grand hotel.All those years when Russia was going through a Revolution, Count was inside the hotel as a punishment and ironically it’s the safest place in the country. The way Count took over the responsibilities and work of the hotel, it’s hard to assume his aristocratic background. Later his acquaintance with Nina and Sophia makes this book even more incredible. Count’s character is like a stone paving paths for water to pass, not the other way round.This book is brilliantly written with a unique story and incredible characters. Amor Towels has art and he beautifully pours that into each page of his book, he not just makes a character and writes it, he probably lives with them and goes into the tiniest details of their actions. This book is not just a story, it’s a reason to ponder over, observe, analyze and wonder about being a man of purpose.Metropol is a real Hotel not fictional and it withstands all the ups and downs of the Revolution. Though the book doesn’t elaborate much on the effects of Revolution in the outer world, certain incidents inside Hotel tell a lot about what’s going on outside, which is one way to express- how wars and revolutions effects every part of the country, not just those who fight, but those who survive during and after that. Going to Russia seems a long shot, maybe read this book and it would do half of the work.

Been a long time since ive taken such pleasure out of reading a work of fiction it begs to be reread as it feels like the story discovers itself more in the reading . . left me inspired with life

The writing is breathtaking, it’s funny and wonderful, I have put it on my work connect platform in our book section

Una clase de elegancia y modales. Una lección del lenguaje inglés y una novela interesantísima. Léelo con un kindle o un diccionario a la mano para sacarle más jugo.

Was given The Lincoln Highway as a gift, really enjoyed it so bought A Gentleman in Moscow , will definitely be buying more Amor Towles.

Excellent book. Nice gift. Good delivery

Uma grande obra, com uma escrita elegante e um refinado e sutil humor. Os personagens são bem construídos, principalmente o Conde Rostov. Quem não gostaria de conhecê-lo e passar uma hora conversando e filosofando, com um drink preparado pelo bartender do Hotel Metropol? A estória acompanha a vida do Conde Rostov, um nobre russo condenado a viver no Hotel Metropol. Um homem culto, sensato e sensível, que em nenhum momento reclama da vida, da perda da fortuna e do confinamento. Vive intensamente cada momento e está sempre disposto a ouvir e ajudar as pessoas que cruzam a sua vida. Ao longo de mais de 30 anos o livro mostra a vida do Conde no hotel, as relações que desenvolve com os funcionários e clientes do hotel. Como pano de fundo o autor mostra também as transformações da Rússia após a revolução bolchevique, sem entrar em discussões ideológicas. Um livro saboroso, para se degustar sem pressa. Vi em algum lugar que o livro vai virar um série para a televisão. Vai fazer sucesso. Mas antes disto, leia o livro.