A Gentleman in Moscow

A Gentleman in Moscow

  • Downloads:9066
  • Type:Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date:2021-05-27 08:53:37
  • Update Date:2025-09-06
  • Status:finish
  • Author:Amor Towles
  • ISBN:0143110438
  • Environment:PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Summary

From the New York Times bestselling author of Rules of Civility—a transporting novel about a man who is ordered to spend the rest of his life inside a luxury hotel

With his breakout debut novel, Rules of Civility, Amor Towles established himself as a master of absorbing, sophisticated fiction, bringing late 1930s Manhattan to life with splendid atmosphere and a flawless command of style。 Readers and critics were enchanted; as NPR commented, “Towles writes with grace and verve about the mores and manners of a society on the cusp of radical change。”

A Gentleman in Moscow immerses us in another elegantly drawn era with the story of Count Alexander Rostov。 When, in 1922, he is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, the count is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin。 Rostov, an indomitable man of erudition and wit, has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel’s doors。 Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances provide him a doorway into a much larger world of emotional discovery。

Brimming with humour, a glittering cast of characters, and one beautifully rendered scene after another, this singular novel casts a spell as it relates the count’s endeavour to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a man of purpose。

Download

Reviews

Steph Carter

DNF at 40%I liked this well enough, but it didn't hold my attention。 perhaps return to it another time DNF at 40%I liked this well enough, but it didn't hold my attention。 perhaps return to it another time 。。。more

Murph

Delightful - loved all the characters - I miss the Metropol already。

Bette Jean

Really enjoyed this book

Carolyn

Positive: The premise and intrigue of Rostov being under house arrest at a glamorous Moscow hotel whilst observing the after effects of the Russian revolution。 While unable to leave the hotel's grounds, he finds a somewhat magical world within amongst the people that work there and the guests that come and go。Negative: Too long and the above premise just did not hold my attention。 I got halfway through and skimmed towards the end。 Positive: I liked the ending with Sofia in Paris and Rostov meeti Positive: The premise and intrigue of Rostov being under house arrest at a glamorous Moscow hotel whilst observing the after effects of the Russian revolution。 While unable to leave the hotel's grounds, he finds a somewhat magical world within amongst the people that work there and the guests that come and go。Negative: Too long and the above premise just did not hold my attention。 I got halfway through and skimmed towards the end。 Positive: I liked the ending with Sofia in Paris and Rostov meeting his willowy friend。 In the proletariat nature of the Bolshevik revolution, it's interesting that Rostov found so many friendships amongst his comrades vs。 his erudite, aristocratic pre-revolution world。Positive & Negative: The writing was almost silky, glamorous at times。 The author has a tremendous gift for putting words together。 There were just too many of them。 。。。more

Lissa Roa

4。5/5 stars"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 a every possible hour。"This book was the summation of this quote。 4。5/5 stars"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 a every possible hour。"This book was the summation of this quote。 Based on the protagonist, Count Alexander llyich Rostov, who finds himself sentenced under hotel arrest for the rest of his life。 Here, at the Metropol Hotel his adventure begins。 You will never want him to check out, and it's a good thing he can't。Like the quote above, Count Rostov sees the good in everyone, which makes his outlook and demeanor on life all the more endearing。 His thoughts were poetic and his speech was eloquent。 I tried to savor and prolong this book as much as I could。 "Who would have imagined, when you were sentenced to life in the metropol all those years ago, that you had just become the luckiest man in all of Russia。"Not only was this book a masterpiece to read, the ending makes it all the more rewarding。 Such a beautiful ending to a beautiful novel。 Wow, I truly did not see that coming and was so pleasantly surprised。 It was as if the entire purpose of this book was to deliver that ending。 。。。more

Cathy Hodge

This novel is a slow burn。。。。。。 to be savored。 The main character is a charming, Russian, Gentleman that lives in a grand hotel in Moscow from 1922 to the end of the book。 I learned a bit of history, literature, philosophy, and Russian culture。 Mostly I listened to delightful stories from a gentle soul who lived at a different time and a different speed。 The pacing of the book reflected the slow pace of the Count's life and the stoic adaptations of a life well played。 Give yourself a treat and s This novel is a slow burn。。。。。。 to be savored。 The main character is a charming, Russian, Gentleman that lives in a grand hotel in Moscow from 1922 to the end of the book。 I learned a bit of history, literature, philosophy, and Russian culture。 Mostly I listened to delightful stories from a gentle soul who lived at a different time and a different speed。 The pacing of the book reflected the slow pace of the Count's life and the stoic adaptations of a life well played。 Give yourself a treat and slowly read this nuanced tale from Russia with Love。 Enjoy。 。。。more

Christine

3 stars is a little generous。 I'd give it 2。5 stars if I could。The writing is beautiful。 The descriptions are wonderful, and the characters are lively。 But the very writing that enchanted me is also the book's downfall。 Nothing much really happens。 I know that it's a character study, but, good grief, much of it bored me to the point that my mind wandered。 Often。 3 stars is a little generous。 I'd give it 2。5 stars if I could。The writing is beautiful。 The descriptions are wonderful, and the characters are lively。 But the very writing that enchanted me is also the book's downfall。 Nothing much really happens。 I know that it's a character study, but, good grief, much of it bored me to the point that my mind wandered。 Often。 。。。more

Pinkpigg33

I loved this book!! I didn't know what to expect but the way the story unwound and meander and followed the life of the Count was interesting。 I loved this book!! I didn't know what to expect but the way the story unwound and meander and followed the life of the Count was interesting。 。。。more

Deepak

Every word, every sentence is exquisitely selected to perfection。 If one has the advantage of Kindle’s search function and the word ‘fate’ is searched for, it would be discovered that it occurs 30 or more times in the book。 May be there are other such words as well。 One of my favourite lines/observations from the book is - “But to toast fate is to tempt fate”。Brilliant work。

Christina

I read this book during quarantine and felt synchronicity in the perfect place, perfect time, perfect book。 A Gentleman in Moscow is now one of my favorite books of all time。 The Cadence of the book, the subtleties in the dialog and descriptions led to a fullness that rapt me completely。 By the end, I felt like I knew the characters intimately, the friendships, the hardships, the beauty of their lives in this window of time。 I was so disappointed when it ended and I had to put the book away。 Thi I read this book during quarantine and felt synchronicity in the perfect place, perfect time, perfect book。 A Gentleman in Moscow is now one of my favorite books of all time。 The Cadence of the book, the subtleties in the dialog and descriptions led to a fullness that rapt me completely。 By the end, I felt like I knew the characters intimately, the friendships, the hardships, the beauty of their lives in this window of time。 I was so disappointed when it ended and I had to put the book away。 This was a great read, and it found me at the perfect juncture。 。。。more

Linda

Beautifully written, a must read!

Mathilde

Incroyable !!! N'hésitez pas à lire mon post Instagram sur ce roman @mathilde。weissmaurin Incroyable !!! N'hésitez pas à lire mon post Instagram sur ce roman @mathilde。weissmaurin 。。。more

Jennifer

I really didn't understand a lot of this。 Maybe if I had a background in the Russian revolution?? I really didn't understand a lot of this。 Maybe if I had a background in the Russian revolution?? 。。。more

Genevieve Sanchez

A slow start but I'm so glad I persisted, as I thoroughly enjoyed this beautifully written, cleverly devised tale。 A slow start but I'm so glad I persisted, as I thoroughly enjoyed this beautifully written, cleverly devised tale。 。。。more

bhashwar

A beautifully crafted story。 The one thing that disappointed me was that it ended。 I'm always unhappy with my situation。 I never seem to satiate myself; always think others have it better, that my life is shallow and dead。 This book taught me an important lesson : "one must master one's circumstances or be mastered by them"。 That life WILL find us only if we're willing to adapt。 The story does not have a specific moral。 It's like a kaleidoscope。 The reader can derive their own lesson from it。 Wo A beautifully crafted story。 The one thing that disappointed me was that it ended。 I'm always unhappy with my situation。 I never seem to satiate myself; always think others have it better, that my life is shallow and dead。 This book taught me an important lesson : "one must master one's circumstances or be mastered by them"。 That life WILL find us only if we're willing to adapt。 The story does not have a specific moral。 It's like a kaleidoscope。 The reader can derive their own lesson from it。 Wonderful story! Can't praise it enough。 。。。more

Sherry

A seriously delightful read!! Was recommended by numerous patients and I was glad I finally listened。 I listened to this book on audio and it was extremely entertaining!

Kimberly

4。5 stars

Alika Tanaka Yarnell

What a stellar achievement! This book drips with exquisite prose, yet never feels pretentious or lofty or holier than high brow。 Part of this is due to the author's talent, and part of it is because the protagonist, Alexander Rostov (the Count), is such a TRUE gentleman that he would never hear of alienating his audience by pulling rank or showing off in any way that looks intentional。 The Count is a pure joy on the page and we quickly learn to adore seeing the world through his eyes and meeting What a stellar achievement! This book drips with exquisite prose, yet never feels pretentious or lofty or holier than high brow。 Part of this is due to the author's talent, and part of it is because the protagonist, Alexander Rostov (the Count), is such a TRUE gentleman that he would never hear of alienating his audience by pulling rank or showing off in any way that looks intentional。 The Count is a pure joy on the page and we quickly learn to adore seeing the world through his eyes and meeting the other characters he encounters at the Metropol Hotel (where he is incarcerated for life)。 Despite his odd circumstances that some might find grim, his feathers are seldom ruffled and his outlook remains enviable and indeed inspiring。 Pour a snifter of brandy and curl up with this one for the long haul。 PS: I couldn't help but wonder about the titles of each chapter, which all include words that begin with "A。" I found no obvious significance, but it tickled my fancy, since I'm fond of titled chapters, and I'd like to think they are somehow an homage to the Count, Alexander, and the author, Amor。 Since my name begins with A too, I'm quite pleased。 。。。more

Allie Rubinstein

Couldn’t finish

Marybeth

This was a really good book。 So compelling and light hearted and full of onformation on Russia in the early 20th century。 I love the main character and all the folks he meets on the way,with just a few exceptions。 😊 Now I need to read Towles’ first novel, Rules of civility!

Jody Yearwood

This was lent to me by a friend and I enjoyed it so much I bought it for my own collection。 This is something I will read more than once not only to sit in the pure enjoyment of being in this novel, but to pause and enjoy his delightful writing style。 His writing is like a flirty piece of poetry that conveys a meaning much deeper than his mere words express。 I simply don’t know how he does it!

Kim

Delightful slow burn。 Even when it was hitting close to home, as a person required to stay at home and recover post-surgery, I found consolation with Alexander。Favorite quotes:Showing a sense of personal restraint that was almost out of character, the Count had restricted himself to two succinct pieces of parental advice。 The first was that if one did not master one's circumstances, one was bound to be mastered by them。。。 (419)On the night before she had left Moscow, when Sofia had expressed her Delightful slow burn。 Even when it was hitting close to home, as a person required to stay at home and recover post-surgery, I found consolation with Alexander。Favorite quotes:Showing a sense of personal restraint that was almost out of character, the Count had restricted himself to two succinct pieces of parental advice。 The first was that if one did not master one's circumstances, one was bound to be mastered by them。。。 (419)On the night before she had left Moscow, when Sofia had expressed her distress at what her father wanted her to do, he had attempted to console her with a notion。 He had said that our lives are steered by uncertainties, many of which are disruptive or even daunting; but that if we persevere and remain generous of heart, we may be granted a moment of supreme lucidity-- a moment in which all that has happened to us suddenly comes into focus as a necessary course of events, even as we find ourselves on the threshold of a bold new life that we have been meant to lead all along。 (441) 。。。more

Kate

I just couldn't get into this book - everyone I've spoken to who has read it, loved it - but it just wasn't for me。 I just couldn't get into this book - everyone I've spoken to who has read it, loved it - but it just wasn't for me。 。。。more

Miranda Smit

What a great book! I just wanted to keep reading, it was so well written!

Kim Struthers

Delightful and witty, with a satisfying conclusion。 A story of someone thriving under house arrest is a good morale boost in these pandemic times。

Peter Spaulding

I don’t normally enjoy popular novels too much, but this one was pretty nice。 It reads like Tolstoy fan fic。

Ashley Hornsby

I only made it to page 83。 It’s just too slow for my liking。 I didn’t want to throw in the towel。。。but life is too short and there’s too many other books I want to read。 So on to the next one! I found it wonderful for putting me to sleep, so maybe I’ll keep it close by at bedtime and I’ll eventually finish it。

✨ Anna ✨ | ReadAllNight

10% read

Sam

Very satisfying ending。

Nsreen

رواية رائعة