Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

2 reviews

lipstickitotheman's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful 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? Yes

4.0

I didn't think I'd like listening to this! However the pov character, narrator, and audiobook reader made this tiny world so lovely. He's so charming and charmed by the world. I think normally I would find this kind of book a bit boring. But because Alexander finds such delight in "little things" and the world and people around him, it's fun and exciting and interesting to experience with him. 

His relationship with his daughter truly made me cry. I cried over how much they love each other. I cried when his
best friend died
and he cried because
he said that the last of those who knew him when he was young was dead

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thewordsdevourer's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

...where do i even start? i had an inkling this would be good, yet it ventured in unexpected directions and still exceeded my quite lofty expectatons. idk how to describe this book w/ suitable adjectives, all i know is my heart feels full from reading it. a gentleman in moscow was filled w/ tender moments and vignettes, wise rumination of the theme of time, scenes that were as uncommon as they were singularly charming and heartwarming, and it managed to be evocative w/o ever being melodramatic or resorting to emotional manipulation.

this book showed what stories are abt, what life is abt. i particularly enjoyed the writing--it was as subtly poetic and witty as its main character--and the touching depiction of friendship and found family. my only gripes would be the fact that the middle felt like a blur given its lack of any major or dramatic plot points, and i wish there were scenes during the war yrs; not for any trauma porn, but it wouldve gone quite a long way in showing how different (or not) life in the metropol was in that period, for as much as the count was physically limited under house arrest, he was nevertheless cocooned w/in the comforts of one of moscow's best hotels. regardless, this was a great--if even rare--read that i cant wait to reread while seeking for some comfort in the yrs to come. 

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