Count Alexander Rostov, deemed a shameless aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, is placed under house arrest for the rest of his life. This does not seem like much of a sentence for someone who has been living in the luxurious Hotel Metropol in Moscow – until he is led away from his usual suite. He must spend the rest of his life in an attic room which has barely enough space for him to stand in.
As Russia transforms enormously during the 1920s-1950s, so does Count Rostov’s understanding of life. He realises that his world can be enriched without the money or glamour he once used to rely upon.
When I was choosing my next book to read, I thought that maybe a book about a man trapped inside a hotel isn’t my best option, what with all this isolation happening around me. However, I’d already been recommended this book and I saw it trending on Goodreads, so I thought I’d risk it. My initial concerns, however, were completely false. For someone who cannot step foot outside the hotel without being shot, Count Rostov manages to live an extremely interesting and adventurous life.
What particularly drew me to this book was the period it’s set in. It starts off just after the aftermath of the Russian revolution in the 1920s, and then how Russia transforms in the 30s, post-World War Two and then into the early 1950s. Russian history is full of change and hypocrisy, and I think this book captured this perfectly. It was great to read a fiction book but also learn a lot about Russia at the same time!
I was really invested in all the characters – whilst the story is mainly about Rostov, he develops a hotel family of sorts, and they all play a huge role in the plot and Rostov’s journey.
The narration also really added to the plot – it perfectly encompassed all the glamour of the Russian aristocracy, and was also full of humour and sarcasm. The descriptions, whether of the hotel, the food, or the people, were so detailed and vivid that I could really envisage the plot and characters.
You’d be surprised at how many twists there would be in a novel about a man under house arrest, but I found myself constantly gripped and intrigued. The ending was both heart-breaking and heart-warming at the same time (if that’s even possible).
A Gentleman in Moscow is an excellent historical-fiction book, especially if you’re looking to escape reality for a bit.
I can almost guarantee that once you’ve read this book, Moscow will be near the top of your to-visit-list.
Favourite quotes:
“A King fortifies himself with a castle, a gentleman with a desk.”
“Perhaps a mirror will suddenly serve its truer purpose – revealing to a man not who he imagines himself to be, but who he has become.”