And thus we see this wise, gracious gentleman learning to cut his cloth to its new measure. Removed from his suite and banished to a tiny room in the attics, the Count finds that his material circumstances have been much reduced, but he’s a philosopher at heart and faces his change in fortunes with one resolve: to master his life before his life masters him. Instead of death, he is condemned to lifelong house arrest in his current place of residence: the Metropol Hotel. Condemned on the grounds of being an unrepentant aristocrat, he is saved from the firing squad by virtue of a youthful poem whose sentiments chime with the revolutionary desire for change. This is the story of the elegant Count Alexander Rostov who, in 1922 at the age of 33, is brought before a Bolshevik tribunal in Moscow.

However, Amor Towles’s new novel has not only come knocking, but has politely removed its shoes, presented a hostess gift and installed itself on the sofa with an engaging smile. The best novels seem to always be ones inspired by real life experiences.Teetering on the brink of December, it’s rather late in the day to have a new contender for Book of the Year. That along with his expertise of Russia and its tradition of long-time house arrest led to this book. More specifically, it was in Geneva, Switzerland where he encountered permanent guests of the hotel. The inspiration for this novel was Towles’ own experiences of staying at luxury hotels. If an author can make his character come to life, then you know the book is great! He is a character that I think about often to this day. Not many authors can make a history lesson this interesting!Ĭount Alexander Ilyich Rostov is a protagonist that jumps out of the book with his vivid description and personality.

Amor Towles beautifully sets up the scenes and history of Russia and fluidly inserts it into the plot. CommentaryĪ Gentleman in Moscow was a spectacular read and it is unlike anything else out there.

Russia goes through a lot of changes and the Count experiences it from the confounds of Hotel Metropol. Life happens around the Count and he makes the most of his situation. The Count is sentenced to house arrest for the rest of his life in his current residence, Hotel Metropol. But when he returns home after the Bolsgevik revolution in 1917, he is arrested. When the Count is a young man, he is sent out of the country as he was required to because of custom and a scuffle.

A gentleman in moscow book cover