A Gentleman in Moscow
“Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!” is all I could say after finishing the last words of A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. While the premise of this historical fiction novel had the potential to be boring—five years after the Russian Revolution an aristocrat is sentenced to live the rest of his life in a hotel—Towles, creates what I’m certain will be remembered as one of literature’s classic characters, Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov. Even though the Count is from the extinct elite class of Russian society, he is thoughtful, humble, and flexible enough to maneuver his new circumstances. This is most definitely a character-driven novel with a plot that rises slowly until it surges into a crescendo. In addition to the skillful characterization and subtle plot, Towles blends his knowledge of Russian history and the literary and musical arts seamlessly into the narrative with his classical yet accessible use of the English language. This novel will not disappoint. As a matter of fact, I don’t make it a habit of rereading books, but A Gentleman in Moscow is now on my short reread list.
