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4.27 AVERAGE
4.27 AVERAGE
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
slow-paced
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Interesting to read for the historical context, and some background into the current political climate.
4 1/2 stars. It was a little wordy in some sections (too much detailed Russian history) and that's really the only reason it's not a 5 star read for me. The characters are compelling, the writing was beautiful and the ending sublime.
I don’t give a lot of five star reviews, and if I could give it six, I would. This book is so wonderful it makes me tear up with delight and sentiment and wonder when recounting key scenes in my head. It is a book that at first makes no sense, just a series of engaging vignettes....but vignettes that are so charming and so beautifully written that you follow along in a mixture of curiosity and joy until you are completely swept away. The only comparison that I can make, is that it reminds me of “All the light we cannot see” only set in Russia at the rise of the Soviet Union and with an IMMENSELY SATISFYING ENDING. And what an ending! C’est magnifique! Bonus if you get the audiobook read by Nicolas Guy Smith...his performance is mesmerizing.
This was easily the most engrossing and interesting book that I've read in a while. Count Rostov has been exiled to France after an honor shooting involving his sister, but returns during the Russian Revolution to get his elderly aunt out of the country. Rostov, however, chooses to stay despite threats to his personal safety as a member of the elitist class so reviled by the communist revolutionaries. Because Rostov wrote a poem supporting the revolutionaries in his youth, he is not shot but confined to the elegant Metropol hotel in Moscow under house arrest. From this point, the story unfolds over the decades of his confinement. The Count is a very emotionally intelligent character, and through his eyes we get a very unbiased view of what Russian life was like after the revolution. To say more would provide spoilers--and there are some very interesting plot twists at the end.
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
emotional
inspiring
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:
Complicated
lighthearted
mysterious
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
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
An interesting book about seemingly very little, however the immaculate writing of various character relationships adds all the intrigue you need. Touching on the rules of civility and the power of life’s simplicities.