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A Gentleman in Moscow
A Novel
eBook - 2016
From the New York Times bestselling author of Rules of Civility, a novel about a man who is ordered to spend the rest of his life inside a luxury hotel—a beautifully transporting novel.
The mega-bestseller with more than 2 million readers, soon to be a major television series
"Perhaps the ultimate quarantine read . . . A Gentleman in Moscow is about the importance of community; the distance of a kind act; and resilience. It's a manual for getting through the days to come." —O, The Oprah Magazine
In 1922, Count Alexander Rostov is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, and is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov, an indomitable man of erudition and wit, has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel's doors. Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances provide him entry into a much larger world of emotional discovery.
Brimming with humor, a glittering cast of characters, and one beautifully rendered scene after another, this singular novel casts a spell as it relates the count's endeavor to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a man of purpose.
The mega-bestseller with more than 2 million readers, soon to be a major television series
"Perhaps the ultimate quarantine read . . . A Gentleman in Moscow is about the importance of community; the distance of a kind act; and resilience. It's a manual for getting through the days to come." —O, The Oprah Magazine
In 1922, Count Alexander Rostov is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, and is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov, an indomitable man of erudition and wit, has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel's doors. Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances provide him entry into a much larger world of emotional discovery.
Brimming with humor, a glittering cast of characters, and one beautifully rendered scene after another, this singular novel casts a spell as it relates the count's endeavor to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a man of purpose.
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Penguin Publishing Group
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Quotes
Add a QuoteI've been reading presidential biographies, from 1 to 41. Amor Towles speaks to the reason I don't believe I will find an impartial biography of presidents 42-45 any time soon:
"We don't know how a man or his achievements will be perceived three generations from now, any more than we know what his great-great-grandchildren will be having for breakfast on a Tuesday in March. Because when Fate hands something down to posterity, it does so behind its back."
The book is a bit slow at first but it becomes clear it needed to be like that to develop the story of the Count and all the people he encountered in his life. A story of friendships and the importance and ease of them.
“Looking back, it seems to me that there are people who play an essential role at every turn. And I don’t just mean the Napoleons who influence the course of history. I mean men and women who routinely appear at critical junctures in the progress of art or commerce, or the evolution of ideas-as if Life itself has summoned them once again to help fulfill its purpose
“Manners are not like bonbons, Nina. You may not choose the ones that suit you best; and you certainly cannot put the half-bitten ones back in the box. . . .” - p. 52
“Here, indeed, was a formidable sentence--one that was on intimate terms with a comma, and that held the period in healthy disregard.” - p. 68
“It is a sad but unavoidable fact of life," he began, "that as we age our social circles grow smaller. Whether from increased habit or diminished vigor, we suddenly find ourselves in the company of just a few familiar faces.” - p. 94
“After all, what can a first impression tell us about someone we’ve just met for a minute in the lobby of a hotel? For that matter, what can a first impression tell us about anyone? Why, no more than a chord can tell us about Beethoven, or a brushstroke about Botticelli. By their very nature, human beings are so capricious, so complex, so delightfully contradictory, that they deserve not only our consideration, but our reconsideration—and our unwavering determination to withhold our opinion until we have engaged with them in every possible setting at every possible hour.” - pp. 120-121
“Showing a sense of personal restraint that was almost out of character, the Count had restricted himself to two succinct pieces of parental advice. The first was that if one did not master one’s circumstances, one was bound to be mastered by them; and the second was Montaigne’s maxim that the surest sign of wisdom is constant cheerfulness.” - p. 419
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Carolyn_51
Mar 14, 2018
The author shows insight into the customs. language, and values of his characters and their time. In just a few words he makes the reader picture the scene and often leaves gaps of years, leaving an explanation of what happened during this time for later in the story. A book that I couldn't put down.
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Add a CommentTo give a book five stars after beginning it with an uncharitable disposition is high praise. For almost one hundred pages, I expected a sudden turn toward high drama and action; instead, a beautiful story builds upward and outward even as the Count remains under house arrest in the Hotel Metropol. Full of humor and heart, this story kept me sighing and smiling as the former aristocrat and self-proclaimed luckiest man in Moscow rebuilds his life following the Revolution.
rec from hillary
Bells ring, confetti pops & the audience applaud! This may be the best book that I've read.
Now, through such books as The Book of Longings & Circe, I'm coming to the realization that Historical Fiction is fast becoming my jam. I consider myself, for the majority - uneducated & untraveled. So, it makes sense right, that these books give me something more than a pleasant conversation with a stranger at a bus stop? But this guy....this, Towles Amor guy.....He powers up a film projector in my mind. Amor creates such vivid imagery to immerse oneself in. The (real) world he opens the door to is an escapism, a switch that waits to be flicked, let the film roll.
All this is inter weaved into a truly beautifully historic tale of adventure, friendship & bravery. Self reflection is what is waiting for you as the pages close. To take inventory of ones own choices, with the possibility of literature being a real enhancement.
This will be purchased and be available with the other arts that are in arms reach that help shape my thoughts and clear the mind.
Congratulations Mr Amor, I can only begin to imagine what it took to write this milestone....a trip to Manhattan is on my list. 5/5 - A Classic!
A fine story that makes one appreciate every detail of life, especially during covid shut down.
Way too boring...
This book is a delight! It's very funny in a quiet and droll way, and also heartwarming.
Lovely story, well-written.
Exquisite and witty writing.
There are some incorrect facts but..it is FICTION. One of my favorite books.
A delicious , thought-provoking book. I loved it.
Excellent read