Towles, Amor "A Gentleman in Moscow" - 2016
I love Russian authors and stories about Russia. And I've heard a lot about this novel by American author Amor Towles. Both praise and not so much praise. So, when I came across this copy, I knew I'd have to give it a try.
And I'm glad I did. This novel is not just a great story which vivid characters and an unusual plot, it is a mystery and history, a love story and a political report, a story of friendship and kindness, a fairy tale and a psychological essay. I know I read a review about the book and I was told to better read it in one go otherwise I'd lose the connections but I didn't find it as challenging. I kept the link to that post in order to go there again and see what the blogger had written but it looks like it has been removed because I get referred to the main page of it and the post about the "Gentleman in Moscow" isn't there.
The characters in this book are all beautifully described and very much "alive". A completely different take on Stalinism, Russia and communism in general. I loved how all the people, especially the women he met, enabled the Count to have a halfway normal life and not despair. For those of you who have read it, I found the ending not too surprising, yet, wonderful.
There are so many layers in this novel. We can also see the way people react to the old hierarchy and the new way of life after Stalin. Whilst some embrace it, others just live in the past and can't let go of whatever happened during that era. I have seen this everywhere in real life. Guess who are the happier of the people?
One of my favourite quotes from this book: "If a man does not master his circumstances then he is bound to be mastered by them." If only I could follow that advice all the time.
I think this is also a great introduction to Russian reading. Other than the Russian authors I love so much, this one doesn't jump from one name of a person to the next. They always ae mentioned by the one name they are given from the beginning. Something not too unimportant because I have heard a lot of people complain about that when reading or attempting to read Russian authors. There are also footnotes to explain the background of Russian history, where necessary. And a great explanation why Russians have three different kind of names (on page 100 in my paperback edition).
The story sounds so true, I had to check at the beginning whether the Count was real or not. Nope, he's not, totally fictional yet so alive that you would love to meet him.
I was told that Kenneth Branagh has bought the film rights for the story and will play Count Rostov himself. While I don't often like films made from books I loved, I am really looking forward to it because I think Kenneth Branagh is one of the best actor-directors of all time and totally love his work.
And I'd love to read his first book, "Rules of Civility" and the next one he has written, "The Lincoln Highway".
From the back cover:
"On 21 June 1922 Count Alexander Rostov - recipient of the Order of Saint Andrew, member of the Jockey Club, Master of the Hunt - is escorted out of the Kremlin, across Red Square and through the elegant revolving doors of the Hotel Metropol.
Deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, the Count has been sentenced to house arrest indefinitely. But instead of his usual suite, he must now live in an attic room while Russia undergoes decades of tumultuous upheaval.
Can a life without luxury be the richest of all?"
I read this book three years ago and absolutely loved it! But then how could anyone not like Count Rostov?
ReplyDeleteOh, definitely, Lark. He is a dream character. I absolutely agree. Glad you loved it, as well.
DeleteI have tried twice to read this but it defeated me! Glad you liked it. Cheers
ReplyDeleteYou are not alone, Carole. I remember someone else mentioned how hard it was to get through this book. And that shows that we all like different things, I absolutely loved it. Thanks for giving it another chance but it looks like this is not for you then. But we can't love them all, can we?
DeleteI think this is the best book I have ever read. It is really great. The greatness, I think, is the Towles manages to create these two separate worlds; the hotel and the real world, and that they are both affected, in their different ways, by the political situation in the country.
ReplyDeleteThank you for that, Lisbeth, you mentioned that and I think you picked a great one there. I couldn't agree any more with you than I already do. Such a fantastic story. And so well written. I definitely want to read more by him.
DeleteThis took me 3 years to finish. Once I realized that I needed to read complete chapters and not put the book down mid-chapter, I was able to pour through it. What I loved most were the characters, who like you said were so fully alive for me. And their relationships were so meaningful! I also loved all the descriptions of the hotel. Next up is Dr. Zhivago!
ReplyDeleteOh Sue, you are brave. I knew someone had said that to me but within the blogging world and couldn't remember who. But I also remembered that you liked it in the end.
DeleteYes, I loved it. But I have loved most books by or about Russians all my life. I didn't get through Doctor Zhivago when I first attempted it but it was a library book that I had to return at one point and I was still quite young. Now that I am used to the Russian way, I read them just as quickly as others but they do take some effort. I know Amor Towles is not Russian but he almost writes like one.
Still, Doctor Zhivago is one of my favourite books of all time, as is the film with Omar Sharif.
I'm sure it's very well written, but since a Russian friend of mine told me this could never have happened at the time, I never read it!
ReplyDeleteYou are right, Emma, I doubt this could ever happen this way. But it was a great and interesting story and I definitely want to read more by him.
DeleteI have heard as many people who loved this book as I have heard those who didn't. This seems to be one of the stories you either love or loathe.