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4.27 AVERAGE
4.27 AVERAGE
It was difficult rating this book. For the first 100 pages or so, I wasn't sure where the book was going. Then I realized, that's the point. It's not about where the book is going, it's about what the book is illustrating: the journey that gets you to where you are. It's warm, heartfelt, and incredibly witty. Towles did an amazing job developing the main characters, I think I have fallen in love with The Count.
Some of my favorite lines:
"What can a first impression tell us about anyone? Why, no more than a chord can tell us about Beethoven, or a brushstroke about Botticelli. By their very nature, human beings are so capricious, so complex, so delightfully contradictory, that they deserve not only our consideration, but our reconsideration—and our unwavering determination to withhold our opinion until we have engaged with them in every possible setting at every possible hour."
"If patience wasn’t so easily tested, then it would hardly be a virtue."
"Life does not proceed by leaps and bounds. It unfolds. At any given moment, it is the manifestation of a thousand transitions."
"No matter how much time passes, those we have loved never slip away from us entirely."
Some of my favorite lines:
"What can a first impression tell us about anyone? Why, no more than a chord can tell us about Beethoven, or a brushstroke about Botticelli. By their very nature, human beings are so capricious, so complex, so delightfully contradictory, that they deserve not only our consideration, but our reconsideration—and our unwavering determination to withhold our opinion until we have engaged with them in every possible setting at every possible hour."
"If patience wasn’t so easily tested, then it would hardly be a virtue."
"Life does not proceed by leaps and bounds. It unfolds. At any given moment, it is the manifestation of a thousand transitions."
"No matter how much time passes, those we have loved never slip away from us entirely."
challenging
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
4+ stars. Just so well done. Loved it.
2/13/21 - Second time for this one I and I loved it even more the second time. It was so clever how even the seemingly meaningless details would come back around be critical to the plot, many pages (or decades) later. And as we turn pages we learn just what it takes to be a gentleman. Currently adding “staying at the Metropol Hotel in Moscow” to my bucket list.
2/13/21 - Second time for this one I and I loved it even more the second time. It was so clever how even the seemingly meaningless details would come back around be critical to the plot, many pages (or decades) later. And as we turn pages we learn just what it takes to be a gentleman. Currently adding “staying at the Metropol Hotel in Moscow” to my bucket list.
I loved this book. Beautifully written, spellbinding characters; the word it evokes is “serene.” I am sad it’s over. I could have read about Alexander Rostov and his sidekicks for many more pages.
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I listened to this book and have fallen in love! A beautiful soul, and an inspiring story. Where most would suffer depression and anger, the Count carries on and lives a beautiful life in spite of all reversals. What a lovely read!
I think this novel had some interesting aspects, but it was not a favorite. Count Rostov is sentenced to house arrest for life in one of Russia’s finest hotels by the Communist Party. He whiles away his days until a little girl comes into his life that makes him question why he hasn’t done more with his own life, even when he is confined to the walls of the Hotel Metrepol.
I found Count Rostov difficult to sympathize with, as he was continuing to live a life of relative privilege, even in his imprisonment. And even when his heart changed, it just wasn’t authentic. The allusions to classic literature (especially Russian literature) were enjoyable in the beginning of the novel, but then it felt more like Towles was relying on those stories than crafting one of his own. I enjoyed the historical fiction aspects but found it overall lacking and pedantic.
I found Count Rostov difficult to sympathize with, as he was continuing to live a life of relative privilege, even in his imprisonment. And even when his heart changed, it just wasn’t authentic. The allusions to classic literature (especially Russian literature) were enjoyable in the beginning of the novel, but then it felt more like Towles was relying on those stories than crafting one of his own. I enjoyed the historical fiction aspects but found it overall lacking and pedantic.
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
slow-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
DNF ( read to page 150).
Some of the factoids presented were interesting (like the wild apple forests of Kazakhstan) and illustrating the changes in Russia after the revolution from the viewing platform of the Metropol Hotel'l and it's inhabitants is an interesting idea. However, A Gentleman in Moscow is tedious and I just couldn't persevere any longer.
Some of the factoids presented were interesting (like the wild apple forests of Kazakhstan) and illustrating the changes in Russia after the revolution from the viewing platform of the Metropol Hotel'l and it's inhabitants is an interesting idea. However, A Gentleman in Moscow is tedious and I just couldn't persevere any longer.