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A Gentleman in Moscow

Amor Towles

Start date: May 15, 2017

Finish date: June 1, 2017

Discussion: Reading List

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Reading List

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What Members Thought

May 04, 2017 Katy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-fiction, fiction

I loved this rather discursive, gentle, carefully paced novel, in which we observe the contrasting sensibilities between old Russia represented by Count Alexander Rostov, a gentleman of the nobility, well educated, well traveled, experienced, and the enthusiastic hopes and naive idealism of the young men and women charting the course of the new Soviet state following the revolution. Because of a poem he wrote, deemed politically inappropriate, he is sentenced to spend the rest of his life under ...more

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Feb 04, 2019 Laurel Bradshaw rated it it was amazing

Shelves: chunky-450, 20th-century, daytimers-book-club, literary-fiction, moscow, color-rating-gold

I wavered between 4 and 5 stars on this. 4, because it is not without flaws. I spent the first quarter of the book feeling a bit lost and disoriented and went back to the beginning at least twice. But after awhile, I got into the flow of it. By the end, I wanted to start over and listen to the whole thing again. The characters are well-drawn and delightful. It is literary and slow-moving - if you like action and plot-driven stories this isn't for you. And if you are looking for historical fictio ...more

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Mar 28, 2023 Theresa rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I’m happy to report that I finished another book! I am on a roll in 2023 after a reading dry spell lasting several years.

Unfortunately, the more I read A Gentleman in Moscow, the more I came to loathe it, or at least certain [several!] aspects. This is likely an unpopular opinion, as I know that many people loved this book. In fact, on two different occasions complete strangers came up to me as I read in a coffeeshop and gushed about how much they loved it.

For me, it was like reading a huge, c ...more

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Feb 24, 2018 Linda Aull rated it it was amazing

Shelves: maindishfiction

My favorite book of 2018 (so far). I quickly adjusted my reading speed to savor every single word. It was such a big happy story in such a small setting; so well-written!

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Mar 03, 2020 spoko rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: history, fiction, russia

I shouldn’t have liked this book. It is very much a long apologia for class hierarchy, even if it’s disguised as something quite the opposite. That said, it’s pretty great. The characters are fun to spend time with, the writing is quick and sharp, and the breadth of the story is encompassing. It didn’t hurt that I really love the Metropol Hotel, which was itself certainly one of the book’s main characters.

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Jul 16, 2021 Susan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Supremely enjoyable. A great book to lose yourself in. The two-dimensionality of Rostov's "daughter" toward the end was a disappointment for me. But otherwise the book was delightful and the character of Rostov entirely charming, touching, and endearing. ...more

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