A Gentlemen in Moscow by Armor Towles

And now the ‘miss’ ~~

When we first entered this strange phase of our lives, I roamed my bookshelves – picking out books and planning my reading list for the duration. A Gentlemen in Moscow seemed like the perfect book — given we were all entering what appeared to be our own sort of house arrest.

In 1922, Count Alexander Rostov aged 33, is brought before a Bolshevik tribunal in Moscow. He is charged with being an unapologetic aristocrat — but because of his charm, and a carefully recited poem — instead of death, he is condemned to lifetime house arrest in his current place of residence: the Metropol Hotel. Removed from his suite and banished to a tiny room in the attic, the Count finds his material circumstances have been much reduced, but he faces his change in fortune philosophically.

The novel starts in a somewhat breezy style as we are introduced to the varied characters that move in and out of Rostov’s life as he is sequestered in the grand hotel. There’s a famous model, an overly bright little girl, and an officious general manager. I chuckled along as the Count’s days are spent anticipating his meals in the restaurant, laboriously making his way through The Essays of Montaigne, or anticipating his weekly haircut appointment.

It was initially charming to read about the Count’s interest in a bouillabaisse recipe, his fascination with wine, and his philosophical observations on the parade of people populating the hotel. But then, about two-thirds of the way through A Gentleman in Moscow, I realized that is all this book is about.

Don’t get me wrong, Mr. Towles is an excellent writer, there are some lovely passages which made me sigh with pleasure and re-read:

For what matters in life is not whether we receive a round of applause; what matters is whether we have the courage to venture forth despite the uncertainty of acclaim.

On those we love:
Every year that passed, it seemed a little more of her had slipped away; and I began to fear that one day I would come to forget her altogether. But the truth is: No matter how much time passes, those we have loved never slip away from us entirely.

Mr. Towles focuses almost entirely on the charming life of the Count locked in his grand Moscow hotel. I, however, kept wondering about what was unfolding outside the hotel’s doors. What about the tumultuous decades in Russian history? The plight of millions of Russians starving and being put to death by the Stalinist regime, not to mention two World Wars. That is the author’s choice, and I respect that, but this reader would have liked more historical reference. But that would have perhaps required a plot — and A Gentleman in Moscow is not a plot driven book – this is a lumbering (462 pages) character study about a character that I just didn’t find that interesting.

I put the book down, feeling like I, too, was imprisoned in the Hotel Metropol. Its premise held great promise, but it didn’t hold my attention. In a word, I got bored. My hair literally went gray waiting for something to happen (no recent hair appointments, not withstanding) ~~ reader, I gave up.

Annalisa Quinn’s review on NPR sums it up best:

“A Gentleman in Moscow is like a quipping, suavely charming dinner companion that you are also a little relieved to escape at the end of the meal.”

Other readers, whom I respect, have told me the novel is worth it for the ending alone – so I may start it up again – or (ssshhhh) jump to the last few chapters. Who knows? If I change my mind about A Gentleman in Moscow, I’ll be sure to let you know.

Until then, I’m going to find something to read where something actually happens.