I read A Gentleman in Moscow on family vacation, and my sister finally said, “I guess I’m going to have to read that book since I saw you crying reading it a few minutes ago and now you’re laughing out loud.” Quite an endorsement to have a book provide such a wide range of intense emotions.
I am late to the Amor Towles train, I know, but sometimes there are just too many good books to read them all. Glad this one finally surfaced in my pile! This was one of my top ten of the year for sure.
The book unfolds in a little bit of an achronological way, but in a sneaky way that makes you think, “wait, did I know that already?” It definitely feels like someone is telling you the story and only giving you the details you need at the time you need them.
And indeed, in a few places, such as a few notably long footnotes, the book does specifically tell you that some details are or are not important. I have a lot of respect for that, honestly.
The Count is charming in a Frasier-Crane sort of way: you love him so much, you don’t mind that he’s condescending and arrogant and judgmental every once in a quiet while. You also see how much kindness is inside him across so many situations, both painful ones and good-humored ones.
I loved the introduction of Anna with her dogs rampaging the lobby so much I read it out loud to my kids. They thought it was fantastic! Such a vividly visual scene.
I also realize I have a lot more to learn about Russian history. I had to keep stopping to check and see that I knew what was actually happening so I could follow all the political intrigue appropriately.
Nina’s character was bothering me until I realized that Nina is not actually the child at the center of the novel; rather, she is the setup for the novel’s central relationship.
The Metropol makes for such a massive, sweeping setting because of the years of the story even though it’s just the one location. What creativity! And what a satisfying ending.
