Book Review: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

“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.”

Amor Towles, A Gentleman in Moscow

Review:

This book was recommended to me several years ago by my grandmother. I remember her speaking about it with enthusiasm, and as far as I can recall, this was one of the last books I remember her talking about. I’ve put it off because I liked having that book recommendation frozen in time, but I did want to read it. To my disappointment, I spoiled the book with overzealous anticipation. 

Count Alexander Rostov represents Russia’s past. A ‘revolutionary’ poem and the Count’s mere existence being a threat to the Bolshevik ideology, Alexander is sentenced to house arrest at a hotel in Moscow. He spends decades there as change and war wage outside his window. 

I hate to say it, but I think this is a book I’ll prefer on screen. I enjoyed the premise and wanted to be invested. I tried. I started off with the audiobook, then the ebook, and then back to the audiobook again. I was bored. I’ve read The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles, so I had anticipated a slow pace. Even still, I couldn’t connect with this story, though I desperately wanted to. 

I look forward to watching the series at some point. I had a similar reading experience with Remains of the Day. For whatever reason, my mind wants the visual for this one. 

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• The premise of a man witnessing historic events from his window.
• Great characters.

What I didn’t like:

• Slow, even for my taste. There was very little excitement.

Afterthoughts:

I almost wonder if I should have tried reading my physical copy. My brain is more wired to annotate with a paperback, so maybe I would have connected more through that.

Where to buy the book: