A Gentleman in Moscow

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June, 1922, Moscow. Count Alexander Rostov is tried by a Bolshevik tribunal. Accused of being a traitor to the Revolution, he is found to have 'succumbed irrevocably to the corruptions of his class' and is sentenced to house-arrest in the Hotel Metropol. The hotel has been his home for the last 4 years, but he is not to live out his sentence in his luxurious suite but in a tiny attic room - and any of his possessions that cannot be accommodated in his new quarters become 'the property of the People'.

For the next 30 odd years, the Hotel Metropol is the entire world for Count Rostov. His window overlooks the Kremlin, and he is destined to be a mute spectator as the most tumultuous years in the history of Russia unfold. Believing that 'if a man does not master his circumstances then he is bound to be mastered by them' - the Count sets out to make the best of his new situation. Although no longer relevant, he continues to live by the etiquette and mannerisms that have defined his previous life. 'With so little to do and all the time in the world to do it, however, the Count must find a way to expand his world beyond the four walls of his prison, his gilded cage - the Hotel Metropol.

Fortuitously, 'the Fates provide a guide' for Count Rostov, in the form of a precocious nine-year-old girl Nina. From mentoring her in the rules of being a princess, to becoming a co-conspirator, exploring every inch of the Metropol, the Count and Nina develop an unlikely friendship. Several years later, Nina turns to the Count for help - asking him to watch her daughter while she goes to look for her husband - when Nina doesn't return, the Count must raise Sofia as his own. Indeed, the entire staff of the Metropol, become the family that neither the Count nor Sofia have - Emile, the head chef; Andrey, the maitre'd; Marina, the seamstress; and Vasily, the concierge. And as Sofia grows into a beautiful, talented young woman, safeguarding her future will be the ultimate test of Count Rostov's wit and ingenuity.

What a wonderful, wonderful book!! Written with wry humor, this novel wears many hats - historical fiction, philosophy, politics, social issues, satire, literature, architecture, music, food and wine, to American movies - and yet, Amor Towles does not skip a beat. He has gathered all these strands, and woven them into a glittering tale, studded with larger-than-life characters, set against the fitting backdrop of the luxurious Metropol - deeply moving, and always, that dry wit that is so enjoyable! The writing is superb - the dialogue crisp, the descriptions lavish, the plot tightly constructed.

Count Rostov, of course, is the true essence of a gentleman - he literally defines the phrase 'savoir-faire'! He is 'in' Moscow, and yet, the novel traces the several journeys he makes. From 'Your Excellency' to 'Comrade'. From his lavish estates of Nizhny Novgorod, to the grand suite in the Metropol, to his tiny attic room. From being a member of the frivolous leisure class to a working class grunt. From rubbing shoulders with the glitterati to befriending the hotel staff. From a cosseted guest to the head waiter in the restaurant. And most important, from 'Uncle Sasha' to 'Papa'. This is a story of an extraordinary man, in extraordinary circumstances - a prisoner, and still, a man in complete control of his destiny. As he very eloquently sums up his life - 'there was only one time when Life needed me to be in a particular place at a particular time, and that was when your mother brought you to the lobby of the Metropol'. Understated, elegant - a powerful testament to unconditional love!

This book is an absolute must-read, it's easily one of the best books of the year!! Buy it, or check it out at your local library!! Happy reading!!