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4.27 AVERAGE
4.27 AVERAGE
4.5 ⭐️
Ugh. This book. After a very slow start, I got attached to the characters and did not want to put it down. Amor Towles is a writing genius.
Ugh. This book. After a very slow start, I got attached to the characters and did not want to put it down. Amor Towles is a writing genius.
I’m conflicted on my rating and am, in all honesty, between 3 and 4 stars. I had a surprisingly difficult time getting into this novel (after all, having just finished Milkman—which was amazing but also a challenging read—I expected this novel to be an easy escape). Once in, I was at times delighted by the dry humor of the book and its seamless use of history passing outside the Count’s window. Additionally, the way in which the small accumulation of seemingly tiny details played into the book’s resolution was fairly satisfying.
But for some reason, this charming book didn’t succeed for me the way it seems to have succeeded for so many readers. Something about the pacing was off for me. 🤷🏻♂️
But for some reason, this charming book didn’t succeed for me the way it seems to have succeeded for so many readers. Something about the pacing was off for me. 🤷🏻♂️
I just couldn’t get into this book. I felt like there was nothing to the plot except a man who was no longer important spending his days wandering a hotel. I kept waiting for more to happen or things to pick up and I just couldn’t get to it.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
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
Disappointed and slightly baffled at the acclaim for this book.
It was breathlessly recommended to me by a woman working in an independent bookshop and the reviews are glowing, but.... I don't get it. Actually, not only do I not get it, I've got beef with the whole concept
Set over five decades of the 20th century, the book tells the story of Count Alexander Rostov, an uber-wealthy Russian aristocrat spared the wall during the revolution because of some ghostwritten socialist poetry, but instead condemned to live the rest of his life in the luxury hotel Metropol, overlooking the Kremlin and Bolshoi.
The Count is a PERFECT gentleman. He is calm and kind, he treats everyone with respect regardless of their means or station. His manners are flawless. He is suave and good-looking, drawing the attention of a famous actress. He is cultured and intelligent. In other words, he's not in any way a believable character.
The story is that of his life in the hotel while Russia and the world changes around him.
Fundamentally, I found this book boring. I didn't really care about any of the characters because I didn't believe any of them were real people.
My bigger issue though is this: here in the UK we skipped the whole revolution thing, opting instead to keep our aristocrats well fed and well paid, treating them with a mixture of misty-eyed, hand-wringing servility and quiet envy. This means that every now and again, old white men who have inherited mind-boggling wealth attempt to placate the proles by dreaming up fictional, privately-educated posh dudes equipped with an unrealistic array of virtues. Case in point: James Bond, Sherlock Holmes, Robert Crawley Earl of Grantham... The list could fill tomes. The idea is that the British public fall in love with these aristocratic men, and when times get tough and the plebs start eyeballing country estates and inherited titles, they remember these beloved characters and think: "we can't eat the rich, they're so suave/brave/clever/courageous/principled/caring/hard-working.."
This is a roundabout way of saying that this is the first book by a lifelong investment banker at a private equity firm in New York. I don't think it's any coincidence that the protagonist is both obscenely rich with inherited wealth and perfect in every way.
In summary, eat the rich. This is fiction. And it's not particularly good.
It was breathlessly recommended to me by a woman working in an independent bookshop and the reviews are glowing, but.... I don't get it. Actually, not only do I not get it, I've got beef with the whole concept
Set over five decades of the 20th century, the book tells the story of Count Alexander Rostov, an uber-wealthy Russian aristocrat spared the wall during the revolution because of some ghostwritten socialist poetry, but instead condemned to live the rest of his life in the luxury hotel Metropol, overlooking the Kremlin and Bolshoi.
The Count is a PERFECT gentleman. He is calm and kind, he treats everyone with respect regardless of their means or station. His manners are flawless. He is suave and good-looking, drawing the attention of a famous actress. He is cultured and intelligent. In other words, he's not in any way a believable character.
The story is that of his life in the hotel while Russia and the world changes around him.
Fundamentally, I found this book boring. I didn't really care about any of the characters because I didn't believe any of them were real people.
My bigger issue though is this: here in the UK we skipped the whole revolution thing, opting instead to keep our aristocrats well fed and well paid, treating them with a mixture of misty-eyed, hand-wringing servility and quiet envy. This means that every now and again, old white men who have inherited mind-boggling wealth attempt to placate the proles by dreaming up fictional, privately-educated posh dudes equipped with an unrealistic array of virtues. Case in point: James Bond, Sherlock Holmes, Robert Crawley Earl of Grantham... The list could fill tomes. The idea is that the British public fall in love with these aristocratic men, and when times get tough and the plebs start eyeballing country estates and inherited titles, they remember these beloved characters and think: "we can't eat the rich, they're so suave/brave/clever/courageous/principled/caring/hard-working.."
This is a roundabout way of saying that this is the first book by a lifelong investment banker at a private equity firm in New York. I don't think it's any coincidence that the protagonist is both obscenely rich with inherited wealth and perfect in every way.
In summary, eat the rich. This is fiction. And it's not particularly good.
I was really surprised by this book, I wasn't expecting a story about the tumultuous decades after the Russian Revolution to be told with lightness and humour. The author's style and sense of place reminded me of [a: Alexander McCall Smith|4738|Alexander McCall Smith|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1272995820p2/4738.jpg].
I felt like I was there with the characters from the beginning. Totally immersed with the words and descriptions. Loved it
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Love love loved this book! Likable main character and beautiful prose.
I just found it slow and hard a hard time being invested.