–
I really enjoyed this charming, sentimental, well written book. It is slow going and not much unfolds (until it does) but the characters are varied and interesting, the world view from one person in one place is on point, and the parallels to great Russian literature abound.
The main character, an unapologetic aristocrat, is a Count who is sentenced to house arrest in the hotel he was living in. The Hotel Metropol in Moscow is large and swanky, and is a microcosm for a whole world. The Count takes on his imprisonment with a great attitude and lives out his years with grace, acute perception, and a generosity of spirit. In a society trying to banish the class system, this classy guy treats everyone kindly, and while he appreciates excellence, does not condescend at all to those below his (former) station. How he comports himself over the years, and who he draws into his circle is fascinating to watch.
He finds love, and purpose, and freedom, even within imposed limitations. This is a very pleasant read, and while it may not be edgy enough for everybody, I loved it all the way to the end. I also got a context of Russian history over the progression of the book. I enjoyed this author, and plan to read more by him.
I warmly recommend A Gentleman in Moscow and give it 5 stars.
–
Related Articles
4 Comments
-
Great review. Gets it all!
Pingbacks
-
[…] A Gentleman in Moscow (blog here) […]
-
[…] I loved the book A Gentleman in Moscow, I’ve had this other novel of his on my to-be-read list. I’m glad to now have read […]
-
[…] loved this author’s previous two books (see my review of The Gentleman in Moscow here) and (see my review of the Rules of Civility here) both of which I gave five stars. This one is […]
){kind=link}