Our book group choice for June 2022 is A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. This book creates an elegantly drawn era with the story of Count Alexander Rostov.
The year is 1922. The place is Moscow. The protagonist is Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov, a Russian aristocrat who has been sentenced to house arrest in the Hotel Metropol.
The Metropol is a grand hotel, located across the street from the Kremlin. It is a place where the wealthy and powerful of Moscow gather. But for Count Rostov, it is also a prison. He is forbidden to leave the hotel, and he is under constant surveillance by the Bolshevik authorities.
Count Rostov is a man of great culture and refinement. He is fluent in several languages, and he is an accomplished pianist. But he is also a man of great pride. He refuses to beg for mercy, and he refuses to renounce his aristocratic heritage.
For the first few years of his house arrest, Count Rostov is filled with bitterness and despair. He feels that his life has been ruined. But gradually, he begins to find ways to make the best of his situation. He befriends the hotel staff, and he learns to appreciate the simple pleasures of life.
One day, Count Rostov meets a young woman named Nina. Nina is a former ballerina who has been exiled from Moscow by the Bolsheviks. She is staying at the Metropol with her young daughter, Sofia. Count Rostov takes an interest in Nina and Sofia, and he soon becomes a surrogate father to the girl.
As the years pass, Count Rostov witnesses the rise and fall of the Soviet Union. He sees the country torn apart by war, famine, and political upheaval. But he also sees the resilience of the human spirit. He sees people who find ways to survive and even thrive, even in the most difficult of circumstances.
In the end, Count Rostov comes to realize that his house arrest has been a gift. It has forced him to slow down and appreciate the simple things in life. It has also given him the opportunity to help others.
A Gentleman in Moscow is a novel about the power of the human spirit. It is a story about resilience, hope, and the importance of living a life of grace and dignity.
Here are some additional details about the book:
- The book is set in Moscow from 1922 to 1954.
- The book is told from the perspective of Count Rostov.
- The book is full of historical detail, but it is also a work of fiction.
- The book has been praised for its humor, its wisdom, and its insights into the human condition.
Discussion Questions for A Gentleman in Moscow
- Did you enjoy the book?
- Does your view of the Count change over the course of the book?
- Was the Count’s sentence a ‘lucky break’? Or the worst kind of punishment?
- The novel covers a wide expanse of time within a single character’s lifetime. How does the author convey the passage of time? Is it successful?
- Which time period did you enjoy the most?
- How did the events depicted within the film Casablanca mirror those of the book?
- Did you enjoy the writing style? Did anything stand out?
- Which side character did you enjoy most?
- What did you make of the Count’s ultimate decision of where to live?
- Is the book too ambitious?
- To whom would you recommend this? Why?
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