A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles is one of the most elegantly written novels I have read in some time filled with all kinds of interesting Russian history and culture seen through the eyes of an aristocrat who is placed under house arrest at the luxurious hotel in Moscow where he resides.
Towles takes us readers back to 1922 Russia where Count Alexander Rostov faces a Bolshevik tribunal over some poem that was attributed to him. Apparently, the tribunal found that the Count was a little enamored with his aristocratic position in society. The Count has spent some years living at a luxury hotel known as the Metropol in Moscow. He is sentenced to house arrest and is not allowed to leave the hotel. To add insult to injury, the Count is moved out of his usual suite and has to take up residence in the old servants’ quarters in the attic. During his years there, the Count does manage to cultivate some friendships with some of the staff and guests. He also has the opportunity to raise a child that has come into his care. History is made in Moscow outside of the doors of the Metropol, and the Count keeps up as best he can. The unexpected blessing that he receives over the years is a sense of purpose that was missing for much of his life. Although there are worse places to be confined, the Count still has to adapt to a loss of freedom and manages to actually thrive in some ways.
Towles chooses to create a character who sort of rolls with the punches in a strangely whimsical manner. The Count even manages to adjust to his new lodgings in the attic with a certain impressive stoicism. Some may read this and believe the Count to be a rather boring protagonist, but he is anything but. The Count is a fascinating character because many of his reactions are atypical to the circumstances.
The story unfolds over a pretty long span of time. The Count has had some heartbreak in his past and does care more deeply about family. He even manages to become an adoptive parent when a child is left in his care.
Towles can appear a bit wordy at times, but I find his style reminiscent of authors from late nineteenth to early twentieth century. Sometimes the exposition slows the plot down at times, and there is still a temptation to skim over some of the heavier passages. I would encourage other readers to take their time and enjoy the prose as much as possible.
This novel was published in 2016 and has enjoyed quite a bit of acclaim over the past several years. The applause is well-earned here. Towles does well to recreate the setting. Although Count Rostov is a product of Towles’ imagination, the Metropol is actually a real place. Maybe if Moscow appears more welcome to tourist within my lifetime, it would be tempting to check this place out. I would likely also need to experience an improbable financial windfall to afford such a venture.
Anyway, there is not much to criticize this novel. It is very entertaining and enlightening. Amor Towles is likely becoming a writer who I intend to follow a bit more intently.
The next indulgence is a return to the crime thriller genre, but this is another author I have not read before. I am looking forward to allowing author Danielle Trussoni to introduce me to The Puzzle Master.
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