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4.27 AVERAGE
4.27 AVERAGE
The protagonist in this story is a stoic hero. It is a fable of stoicism, and a story about how humanity’s (well intentioned) follies causes so much harm and suffering, when we have men that do not have the mental flexibility or the moral foundation to rectify their ideas.
It is an endearing, inspiring and wonderful tale.
It is an endearing, inspiring and wonderful tale.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Some really love this book because it's a charming and whimsical character story, and yet also an interesting perspective from which to view the oppression of this place and time. Some really hate this book because of the story's fundamental weaknesses. I can empathize with both perspectives.
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
4.25 stars
Heartfelt and warm. This book was quite a bit more lighthearted than i imagined it was going to be (but not necessarily in a bad way). I fell into the pitfall of assuming a novel following a man sentenced to house arrest by a Bolshevik tribunal and covering the various stages of the Russian revolution would be quite dark and serious. However, while the events of the book are most decidedly touched by the changing times and the dramatic upheaval, at its core the major events of this book are contained within the warm and steady environment of the Metropol Hotel. That’s not to say characters aren’t permanently changed or significantly hurt by the outside world, as soon as they leave the doors of the hotel the real world does seem to catch up with them, but for Alexander Ilyich Rostov much as he can only glimpse the outside world, the outside world can only touch him so much.
I completely adored the character of Alexander, and I loved the long spanning period of time we saw him through. I loved following his relationships with the people who would come in and out of his life, and the way in which he viewed the hotel and its occupants.
If i’m honest, i would’ve liked a little more exploration of emotion in some aspects of his life, or a little more time spent on examining his thoughts on what was happening in Russia. BUT i can also recognise that this just wasn’t what the author wanted to do, and it very much wasn’t the style of book he wanted to write.
Overall: I genuinely loved the characters and the style of this book. It was warm, amusing, and well paced.
Heartfelt and warm. This book was quite a bit more lighthearted than i imagined it was going to be (but not necessarily in a bad way). I fell into the pitfall of assuming a novel following a man sentenced to house arrest by a Bolshevik tribunal and covering the various stages of the Russian revolution would be quite dark and serious. However, while the events of the book are most decidedly touched by the changing times and the dramatic upheaval, at its core the major events of this book are contained within the warm and steady environment of the Metropol Hotel. That’s not to say characters aren’t permanently changed or significantly hurt by the outside world, as soon as they leave the doors of the hotel the real world does seem to catch up with them, but for Alexander Ilyich Rostov much as he can only glimpse the outside world, the outside world can only touch him so much.
I completely adored the character of Alexander, and I loved the long spanning period of time we saw him through. I loved following his relationships with the people who would come in and out of his life, and the way in which he viewed the hotel and its occupants.
If i’m honest, i would’ve liked a little more exploration of emotion in some aspects of his life, or a little more time spent on examining his thoughts on what was happening in Russia. BUT i can also recognise that this just wasn’t what the author wanted to do, and it very much wasn’t the style of book he wanted to write.
Overall: I genuinely loved the characters and the style of this book. It was warm, amusing, and well paced.