A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles is a historical fiction about a former aristocrat under house arrest or hotel arrest at the Metropol Russia’s grand hotel across from the Kremlin. The novel takes place in Moscow from just after the Russian Revolution 1922 – 1960s. The book despite its one location captures a lifetime events. The main character may be trapped but his spirit is not. The main character Count Alexander Rostov can charm anyone with his manners and has such a strength of will that is infectious. It makes you look at your own life and say what am I complaining about Rostov had nothing and managed to live a life to be happy about. The pace of the book is steady some chapters are slower and faster than others but for a big book, the story flows well. The book does dip into Russian politics which I know nothing about other than they are communist and I know a little bit about Stalin’s reign, but I never felt lost the book does a good job of summing up the Russian Revolution and how Communism came to rule. The book is about a political prisoner the politics remain throughout the novel, but never feels like a history lesson. This book is full of side characters that I grew to love, Nina and Sofia you just want to protect and you understand why the Count will do everything he can to protect them. The ending was great and made me cry happy tears. This is my third Amor Towles novel and every book so far has not only hooked me but made me feel deeply for his characters. The Lincoln Highway is still my favorite but this book is a close second. A Gentleman in Moscow has been made into a limited series TV show on Paramount+ starring Ewan McGregor. A Gentleman in Moscow was published on September 6, 2016.

Plot Summary: In 1922 Count Alexander Rostov is sent to the Metropol Russia’s grand hotel where he must never leave. The hotel is a place of luxury with a barber shop and two restaurants. Rustov’s room is in the attic that once used to be the help’s quarters the room is small and has low ceilings. Rostov soon becomes a waiter and the quality control for one of the restaurants he frequents and makes suggestions to fellow patrons. He befriends a 9-year-old Nina and they explore the hotel getting in and out of every room with a skeleton key. The count learns that he’s bigger than his imprisonment as he has a relationship, gets a job, and many more adventures.

What I Liked: The way the character of Alexander was written. I feel as if while reading I was tied to the character which is rare for me to grow so attached. I loved the humor that is throughout the story. There’s Monty Python’s song Always Look On the Bright Side of Life, which is the perfect song for Alexander’s sunny disposition throughout the book. I like that it does show a moment where the character breaks which means so much to how happy he is. Sofia’s story breaks your heart. I’m very prone to this story since I’ve raised a child that was not mine. I loved the film analysis for Casablanca and the meaning of the story. The history for the story was the perfect balance where I could get the gist of what went on historically in Russia without getting bored and throwing me out of the story. The ending of the story was great I did want a tad bit more but I loved all the suspense. I love how the book showed the beginnings of Communism and what changed the wine scene was great and will stick with me.

What I Disliked: We never got a follow-up on what happened to Nina. I could have seen more about how Russia was before the revolution, and especially Alexander’s life we get a couple of flashbacks but not enough.

Recommendation: A Gentleman in Moscow is a great novel. It is a novel that will stick with me for a while. The humor made me chuckle throughout. I learned a little bit of Russian history. There’s a moment that reminded me of The Shawshank Redemption’s final scene that I loved and was caught up in the moment. Amor Towles is one of my favorite new writers and he has delivered every time for me. I recommend you check out A Gentleman in Moscow.

Rating: I Rated A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles 4.6 out of 5 stars.

Ranking: I ranked the 3 Amor Towles books by favorite to least favorite: 1) The Lincoln Highway, 2) A Gentleman in Moscow, and 3) Rules of Civility.