Felix Sirovski

Felix Sirovski asked Amor Towles:

Dear Sir, I'm afraid some of the realities you describe in your book Gentleman in Moscow didn't exist. There were no officers ranks in the Red Army in 1918, also NKVD didn't exist at this time. There were CheKa (Extraordinary Commission) and GPU (Chief Political Directorate) later on. Vyshinski in 1918 was a nobody. And I doubt that CheKa members would adress anyone as a "count". Would you care to comment?

Amor Towles A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW is a novel, not a work of history.
You might also point out that no Count was ever sentenced to house arrest in a hotel in Russia. That there is no sixth floor to the Metropol. That the labels on its wine bottles were never removed. And that bees do not fly hundreds of miles or understand human speech.

More Answered Questions

Robert M Josephs

Robert M Josephs asked Amor Towles:

When describing your books to someone who hasn't read one, I tell them to think of a time when you have heard someone make a statement and said, "I don't think I ever heard that said better." Now imagine reading a book where every sentence is worded in just such a way. Is that natural for you, or do you have to work and re-work the phrasing? I'm trying to write in the same way, but it isn't easy.

Nancy

Nancy asked Amor Towles:

Now that I have read and cherished your three most recent books, how do I get my hands on your older ones like "You have arrived....." and "Eve in Hollywood"? They seem to be impossible to find.

Berend Mets

Berend Mets asked Amor Towles:

Am reading A Gentleman in Moscow again. The most beautiful style of writing I have come across. A pure delight. Hoping to emulate your atmospheric style, in my own writing, of my second book. How did you develop it?

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