A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles

This one, I heard good things about it from all sides. It came out in 2016, but hey, how timely, a series is now underway and will be released in 2023. So now is a good time to dive in.

Summary

Count Alexander Rostov is a lovely aristocrat. Always cheerful, cultured, curious, kind and with an excellent sense of humor, one has no choice but to love him, no matter what one's opinion of the aristocracy is.

The problem is that Russia in the 1920s is not a good time to be an aristocrat. For a poem considered suspicious and (falsely) attributed to him, Count Rostov was sentenced to live under house arrest for the rest of his life. His residence was then the Metropol Hotel in Moscow which, let's face it, is not the worst place to be locked up. He is assigned a tiny attic, and his new life begins.

Impressions

More and more, I believe that a good book stands out from its first pages. In the case ofA Gentleman in Moscow, they are excellent. We don't waste time and we find ourselves directly at the trial of Count Rostov, where he manages to charm just about everyone, except the judge. We get attached to him in a few words and we already laugh at his jokes.

It is a triggering element that leaves many question marks for the continuation. One naturally thinks that the novel will be about the Count's escape. But the Count does not seem to have any intention of leaving. He has an excellent disposition and does not let his new situation get him down. He has his habits, and continues them: he does his morning exercises in his room, then eats his lunch, goes to the hotel barber every week, dines at the hotel restaurant, talks with his friends, drinks at the hotel bar, reads, etc.

So what can happen in this novel? Answer: three decades. The Count will live a full life despite everything. The Metropol is a hub of Russia at that time, and he will be able to meet all kinds of people and observe the development of the history of his country.

If you are looking for endless adventures, this is not the right book for you. But if you like to be transported to a rich and charming historical setting, to be dazzled by sparkling characters and to smile almost all the way through, then I recommend this novel.