Now Read This: 'A Gentleman in Moscow' by Amor Towles

“A Gentleman in Moscow” is one of my favorite books I’ve read this year. Amor Towles writes like no other author I have read. He uses rich prose and wonderfully creative descriptions. Here’s an example: “... he figured a cup of coffee would hit the spot. For what is more versatile? As at home ina tin as it is in Limoges, coffee can energize the industrious at dawn, calm the reflective at noon, or raise the spirits of the beleaguered in the middle of the night.” I don’t often buy books unless they are very special. This is a book I want to own.

The story begins in 1922, as a Russian gentleman, Count Alexander Rostov, who has written a subversive poem, is exiled by a Bolshevik tribunal to live the rest of his life in the Metropol Hotel in Moscow. The hotel is across from the Kremlin. If he steps outside, he will be shot. Once he agrees to house arrest, he is moved from a suite of rooms where he has lived for four years to a single small attic room, only big enough for a bed, a bureau and a chair. Throughout the book, in all things, he acts like a gentleman and makes the most of his situation. For 30-plus years his life revolves around friends who work in the hotel and its restaurant as well as a young girl who stays there. As with all well-written historical fiction, this book is also a painless way to learn some Russian history.

The flyleaf says: “Brimming with humor, a glittering cast of characters, and one beautifully rendered scene after another...” I couldn’t agree more. Plus, just when you think you know where the story is headed, it changes course.

One reviewer wrote: “As he carves out a new existence for himself in his shabby attic room and within the magnificent walls of the hotel-at-large, his conduct, his resolve, and his commitment to his home and to the hotel guests and staff together form a triumph of the human spirit. As Moscow undergoes vast political changes and countless social upheavals, Rostov remains, implacably and unceasingly, a gentleman.”

This is Towles’ second book. He was born and raised in the Boston area, was an investment professional for more than 20 years and is now devoted full time to writing. His first book is called “Rules of Civility.” I can’t wait to read it.

Happy readings!