One of the 5 Books Bill Gates Thinks You Should Read This Summer
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.
But instead of being taken to his usual suite, he is led to an attic room with a window the size of a chessboard. Deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, the Count has been sentenced to house arrest indefinitely.
While Russia undergoes decades of tumultuous upheaval, the Count, stripped of the trappings that defined his life, is forced to question what makes us who we are. And with the assistance of a glamorous actress, a cantankerous chef and a very serious child, Rostov unexpectedly discovers a new understanding of both pleasure and purpose.
About the Author
Amor Towles was born and raised in the Boston area. He graduated from Yale University and received an MA in English from Stanford University. An investment professional for over twenty years, he now devotes himself full time to writing. Towles lives in Manhattan with his wife and two children.
Industry Reviews
[A] supremely uplifting novel ... It's elegant, witty and delightful - much like the Count himself. * Mail on Sunday, Books of the Year *
A comic masterpiece . . . very funny, tender and as laughably accurate an account of the dismal nature of life in Soviet Russia as one could hope for . . . Quite apart from the ingeniously ludicrous plot and the acutely drawn characters, what adds to the joy of this book is the precision of Towles' style. Again and again he conveys exactly the right impression with a deliciously surprising choice of words . . . a sheer delight. -- William Hartson * Daily Express *
A work of great charm, intelligence and insight. -- Nick Rennison * Sunday Times *
No historical novel was more witty, insightful and original * Sunday Times, Culture Magazine *
Elegant sentences, wonderful characters and inventive storytelling . . . This is everything a novel should be: charming, witty, poetic and generous. An absolute delight. * Mail on Sunday *
This novel is astonishing, uplifting and wise. Don't miss it. * Chris Cleave *
I think the world feels so disordered right now. The count's refinement and genteel nature are exactly what we're longing for. His world was also in shambles but he maintained his grace and humor. -- Ann Patchett
There is so, so much to love in this book as we keep company with the endlessly entertaining Count . . .[This] novel is wistful, whimsical and wry and elegantly captures that most apposite of lessons: 'By the smallest of one's actions, one can restore some sense of order to the world'. Brilliant -- Eithne Farry * Sunday Express *
A Gentleman in Moscow is a tale abundant in humour, history and humanity, with a poignant message about time passing. That Towles also makes this rollicking good fun is no mean feat. -- Constance Watson * Sunday Telegraph *
WINNING . . . GORGEOUS . . . SATISFYING . . . TOWLES IS A CRAFTSMAN * New York Times Book Review *
Towles' use of language is an absolute pleasure to read and you can't help but savour every last word . . . What makes it a great work of historical fiction is the apt creations the author builds outside the hotel walls in a truly tumultuous time. Towles creates such a memorable character in Rostov and this book brings something for everyone - humour, history, friendship and philosophy * Irish Times *
A Gentleman in Moscow is exquisitely propped and styled, from the silver samovars to the red covers of Baedeker guides . . . [T]he count charms and disarms, and his story sparks much joy and a new anti-Kondo philosophy: chuck much, but keep all the books. * The Times *
