I found ‘A Gentleman in Moscow’ to be a remarkably interesting read. I had heard some mixed reviews on this book since it was published in 2016. It was on my TBR list for a few years, so I decided to download the ebook from the library. It took some time to read as it is incredibly detailed throughout with character descriptions including their thoughts and feelings about living during the Russian resolution.
The entire book centers around the Metropol, a famed Moscow hotel where the main character, Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov, a Russian aristocrat unashamed by his strong beliefs, lives under house arrest. The story takes us through 30 years of the Count’s life at the Metropol. Despite being confined to the hotel, the Count meets and builds relationships with various people coming and going; from the staff at the Metropol, to several known dignitaries, to a well-known Russian actress. One of the many he befriends is a precocious young girl who has somehow managed to obtain the master key to the entire hotel as well as the Count’s heart. Their adventures in the hotel will cause you to laugh out-loud. Of course, the young girl grows up and moves away, but leaves behind something most precious with the Count for safe keeping, causing him to wonder why she chose him to care for something so precious, so valuable.
Count Rostov is a well-educated, devoted yet humble character that everyone will grow to love. The story is well-written and covers Russian history during the Bolsheviks early reign into the Lenin years. If you enjoy historical novels with surprise endings, you will enjoy “A Gentleman in Moscow’.
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