A Gentleman in Moscow came to my Discord book club as my nomination, and it was recommended to me by Nickie, though sadly I don’t remember what she said about it. All I knew going in was that it was set shortly after the Russian revolution and was about a former aristocrat who was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in a hotel. Ironically, I chose to read over my most social fortnight so far this year, so my life made a marked contrast as I was out of the house eight days out of 14.
And in the days that followed, a man who had long prided himself on his ability to tell a story in the most succinct manner with an emphasis on the most salient points, by necessity became a master of the digression, the parenthetical remark, the footnote, eventually learning to anticipate Sofia’s relentless inquiries before she had the time to phrase them.
A Gentleman in Moscow, Amor Towles
Despite being set in a single building, A Gentleman in Moscow doesn’t feel claustrophobic at all. It’s not that Alexander is untroubled by his limited freedom and reduced circumstances, because his actions make it clear that he is deeply affected by them. It’s more that Amor Towles’ prose maintains enough of distance from Alexander’s emotions to give the whole novel a very dreamlike feel. The plot, such as it is in the early sections, is centred around exploring and making the most of the environment and characters as they’re presented.
Both the novel and Alexander feel a little purposeless until Sofia makes her entrance, which is thematically appropriate. In some ways its a shame that Alexander’s purpose should be parenthood, which is hardly a surprising or unusual answer to the question of what a character should do to find meaning. It might have been more interesting to explore the question of what a character trapped in a hotel could do to create a life of purpose without the convenient adoption of a child.
If you are ever in doubt, just remember that unlike adults, children want to be happy, so they still have the ability to take the greatest pleasure in the simplest things.
A Gentleman in Moscow, Amor Towles
Amor Towles’ characters are engaging and memorable, even if they mostly don’t feel as though they’re particularly connected to their social and political environment. With a few exceptions, most of the guests and employees feel as though they could’ve been met in a luxury international hotel in any country, rather than being specifically Russian. While the Russian revolution is the inciting incident, politics is otherwise very much kept in the background.
Most of A Gentleman in Moscow was gently enjoyable, but the ending did provide a few moments of exciting action. Watching Alexander’s plan come together was a very satisfying way to round off what had otherwise been a fairly sedate pleasure.
Chalk Letters Books 