A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

Towles’s A Gentleman in Moscow is a beautiful book about life. The protagonist at the center of this story is dropped in a historical background so rich that you almost believe that Count Alexander Illyich Rostov is a real person who spent 30+ years at the Metropol in Moscow after being told that if he ever left he would be shot in the street.

The plot moves along at a steady pace, yet skips chunks of time as it pleases, sometimes even years. Towles rarely tells us much about what happens in these missing years, except for a few clues here and there. This isn’t a novel for those who don’t want to think and mule over over the details of the story wondering, whatever did happen? How have these characters changed over time? That being said, this novel is excellent for people who want to study character development. Like every writing teacher will tell you, it’s about showing not telling, so A+ to Towles.

As for the historical backdrop, the extent of my knowledge about imperialism in Russia is from the film Anastasia and a few tidbits here and there from history lessons on WWI and WWII. And I think this lack of knowledge is one of the reasons I was so fascinated while reading this book. Learning history alongside a beautiful story is why I enjoy the historical-fiction genre so much. There is an endless list of memorable characters from Mishka to Anna, Nina and Sofia, and you’ll feel their impact on Rostov’s life as he embraces his situation within the Metropol.

If you’re looking for a well-written piece of literature to curl up with during a chilly nights, look no further. This was the first of Amor Towles novels I have had the pleasure of reading, and now after having finished it I want to go right into his other works.

Review by Sarah Hinrichs