A Gentleman in Moscow: The worldwide bestseller

Product Information

A Gentleman in Moscow was a finalist for the 2016 Kirkus Prize in Fiction & Literature. [9] It was also an International Dublin Literary Award nominee (2018 longlist). [10] BTW, one of my favorite short stories of the twentieth century is Nathan Englander’s “The Twenty-Seventh Man.” It can be found in his short story collection For the Relief of Unbearable Urges, which is available in many libraries. “The Twenty-Seventh Man” is also a fable about Soviet Russsia and men (in this case all writers) who were arrested. It is obviously a fable, and does not read like something out of reality (it isn’t intended to), and yet for me, it spoke far more powerfully than A Gentleman in Moscow because even though it was made obvious that the story wasn’t real, it nevertheless spoke to what I believe are truths about the predicament of such men in the USSR in a way that A Gentleman in Moscow did not. Due to many events of the book taking place at one of the Metropol's restaurants, the Count's interactions with other characters often center around food and beverage choices. Many classic French and world wines are mentioned in the book. Châteauneuf-du-Pape is especially key to the storyline. [4] Analysis [ edit ]

His Excellency is charm personified: he is altogether a bon vivant, a gourmet, a polymath and a gentleman of unrestrained integrity. Men love him, women adore him; even cats and dogs purr and pant in his glittering presence. In short, this is a chap who might make even Cary Grant seem inelegant. Due to his diminished circumstances and restricted freedom, the Count has time for self-reflection. He is a brilliant conversationalist, readily discussing diverse subjects such as evolution, philosophy, Impressionism, Russian writers and poetry, food, post-revolutionary Russian society, and Russia's contributions to the world.

No historical novel this year was more witty, insightful or original ' - Sunday Times, Books of the Year In the middle, in between, and around all this magic and wonderment in Moscow, is Count Rostov. A fictional man who my schoolgirl heart thinks is darn near perfect. The Count is intelligent, witty, traveled, assertive, and generous, with a sly but kind sense of humor. He is nostalgic but sensible, without harboring ill will or bitterness around his circumstances. He is also very funny. Above all, the Count is a man who knows and tests his own limits, with his head held up high in honesty and appreciation of those around him. Simply put, Count Alexander Rostov is my kind of guy and my kind of character. He can lyrically make love to a woman in a manner that would make Casanova smile and concurrently make Cupid blush, while two hours later, he can recite the best vintages of Chateau d'Yquem and Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Come now, what's not to love? The Count may not be real, but if he were, best believe I'd be fighting Anna Urbanova for his affections.

Nina is a wonderful companion - and because of their spy games, Alexander was able to listen to other 'fuddy-duddy's' discuss political and social changes. As time passes and there is no word from Nina, Alexander raises her daughter as his own. Young Sofia is the source of his life's joy and purpose. Along with the other members of the hotel staff that comprise his inner circle, Sofia is brought up to be a proper young lady.Daskal, Victoria (5 October 2021). "A Gentleman in Moscow's Wine". www.mummywineclub.com. Archived from the original on 2021-10-05 . Retrieved 2021-10-05. Towles plays with sentences, even a sentence about sentences. In some cases he plays for the sake of it. For example, Taylor, Craig (2016-09-23). "A Count Becomes a Waiter in a Novel of Soviet Supremacy". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved 2016-10-12. This is an old fashioned sort of romance, filled with delicious detail. Save this precious book for times you really, really want to escape reality.” How delightful that in an era as crude as ours this finely composed novel stretches out with old-World elegance.”

Glittering…filled with snappy dialogue, sharp observations and an array of terrifically drawn characters…Towles writes with grace and verve about the mores and manners of a society on the cusp of radical change.” Off they go! One minute Nina is interested in knowing the rules of being a princess ( as when they first met in the restaurant), and the next moment she is enthralled by the assembly's energy and sense of purpose...( from when they are listening in on the Assemblies political discourse). This is just a snippet from the appearance of Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov before the Emergency Committee of the People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs on 21 June 1922. Rostov was a member of the wrong class and a "poet", as well. He was destined for a firing squad or an all expense paid trip to Siberia where he could still end up with a bullet in his head. The way the Russians were deciding who was a threat to their new nation and the proper punishment to be enforced per case was so arbitrary and inconsistent that it was impossible to anticipate what your fate was going to be once you came before the Committee. Even though this book is quite long, I blew through it. It didn't drag on or feel boring to me at all. I connected with it from the very beginning and knew early on that this would be a book I'd love. If you've been on the fence about whether to read this, especially given its longer length, give it a try. I think you'll be able to tell within the first few chapters if this is for you.

Bookclub at 20

However, I came to appreciate the formal mannerisms of Count Rostov. He truly was a gentleman. By staying true to himself, he refused to let the regime win. He wasn't bitter. He didn't waste energy on blatant defiance of the Bolsheviks. He kept his head high and maintained his composure. It was truly impressive. The story begins when Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov is unceremoniously sentenced to life imprisonment in Moscow’s Metropol hotel. And for all that it is a prison, it is a luxurious one. The year is 1922, and behind it all, looms the haunting specter of a country that is at the fragile end of a brutal history: an ill-timed glance or a foot set in an unfortunate spot can bring down death and woe upon anyone, in the form of a bullet to the head or an exile to Siberia.