Such a wonderful book. A triumph of humanity and of living life to the fullest despite adverse circumstances.
Such a wonderful book. A triumph of humanity and of living life to the fullest despite adverse circumstances.
A beautifully written story about Count Alexander Rostov and his quiet, but full, life under house arrest at a hotel in Moscow. It‘s about making the most from your circumstances, finding purpose, found family. This novel is quiet, but full of lovable characters. The slow pace was hard for me. My rating is not a reflection of the book, but of where this book came to me in my reading life. I highly recommend it, and am glad I read it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 ❤️📚
I better get cracking on this pick for my IRL book club. We meet next week!
#sharreadathon @sharread gave this 5 stars as did I when I read it when it came out many moons ago now. Since the ICE has cancelled school I‘m going to make tea in my Russian tea cup and reread this today and just be ♥️
This is one of the last books she read. 💔
I found this book slow going. I did enjoy it quite a bit. Towles developed the characters and their personalities quite well. The story covered the better part of a lifetime. I believe it was well worth the commitment I made to read it.
#SundayFunday @BookmarkTavern
I think I have read A Gentleman In Moscow at least four times. I am always drawn back to it. The depth of the character is fabulous loved how Towles showed us the best of humanity in this book.
I‘m not quite halfway with this one but really struggling. Does it pick up? Does something happen in the plot that will pull me in? I feel like everyone has loved this book, but I‘m definitely not in that place. I find my mind constantly wandering and have trouble keeping track of the names. Maybe it‘s the audiobook? 🤷🏼♀️
The count is judged an unrepentant aristocrat by a Soviet tribunal & placed under house arrest in the Hotel Metropol. He was living there, but must move to a much more humble room.He almost gives in to despair, but manages to find a rich emotional life & worthwhile connections with the hotel‘s wonderful staff ,those he knows & those he meets as they pass through. Detailed,with humor & heart , a story to savor.On my TBR for a long time.
#IdiomInsight @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs
I love how the Count stayed positive despite his circumstances. Even when his life was not what he expected he adapted.
I‘m in such a reading funk.Between being busy, stressed , living through extreme heat warnings , I can‘t seem to concentrate. Going to try this one , loved by many Littens , abandoned by many Littens !🫤🤷♀️
I think I am in the minority here, but I just could not get into this book.
I attempted several different times, thinking it was just bad timing.
After reaching 40%, I decided it‘s time to give up. #hailthebail
I enjoyed some parts, but others were dull, dull, dull.
First book by this author for me. I‘m afraid to try any others 🙈
“For that matter, what can a first impression tell us about anyone? Why, no more than a chord can tell us about Beethoven, or a brushstroke about Botticelli. By their very nature, human beings are so capricious, so complex, so delightfully contradictory, that they deserve not only our consideration, but our reconsideration—and our unwavering determination to withhold our opinion until we have engaged with them . . . “ (120).
I kept thinking about classic American film as I read this book. By the time the Count watches films from the golden age of Hollywood himself, I had already painted this as a black and white talkie in my own head. Towles‘ Images are woven together to tell a wonderful little story. This novel won‘t change your life, but it will help you enjoy some of its nuances and details.
Apparently I‘m in the minority, but I just couldn‘t get into this. I was bored out of my mind and finally bailed at around page 200. I may try to come back to it after a break, but it just really isn‘t doing it for me right now.
This novel, beautifully written with fascinating characters, is both a short history of the Soviet Union and an homage to the film Casablanca. https://cannonballread.com/2023/05/a-gentleman-in-moscow-a-novel-elcicco/
I believe this would make a great #DiscussionBook!
#MayMontage
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
It's 1922 in Moscow and our main character has been put under house arrest at the Metropol Hotel and from here we do not leave the premises.
This is such an interesting concept as we will see Russia and the many changes from the view of a hotel window, from the conversations in the restaurants, the important people when passing in the corridors.
I can not deny that this is a beautifully written book, the language is exceptional
Four stars.
One of my all time favorite books! My copy has him standing in front of the window, but I saw this cover and thought it and thought it better captured the spirit of this being #SetInThe1920s #MarchMagic @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
Showing off my cheap reading glasses. I need a prescription pair.
I will be reading more of Amor Towles in the near future. I enjoyed escaping away to the enduring and clever life of Count Alexander
#AuldLangSpine @monalyisha @jenniferw88
I'm not sure what I was expecting reading this lonely book that has been sat on my bookshelf for far too long. It certainly wasn't to be so moved, entertained or enthralled by Count Roskov and his Gatsby-like lifestyle as he's confined to house arrest at the Metropol, for being a Former Person. The story moves elegantly through the different stages of his life with great aplomb.
⬇️⬇️
February picks for #roll100. Not disappointed in any of them!
#Bookreport @Cinfhen
I have already had some incredible reads since the start of the year & we're only going into week 2!
All of my completed books were 3.75 - 4 ⭐️ ratings.
About to start Middlemarch for #Pemberlittens. I'm halfway through Demon Copperhead & The book of eels, enjoying both immensely.
Up next tagged for #ALSpine & The Night Watchman for #AuthorAMonth
@monalyisha @jenniferw88 @Soubhiville
#AuldLangSpine
Kicking off the New Year with Amor Towles. All of these chosen books have been on my tbr list since publishing. @monalyisha You did a great job matching me with @jenniferw88
This is going to be fun!!
The BEST (literary?) historical novel I've ever read. Absolutely enchanting writing. I can't remember the last time I laughed in pure delight so many times at the passages contained in one book. So perfectly balanced with the darker side of historical Russia authentically sprinkled throughout the various decades we get a glimpse of. I was reminded of Still Life; its mix of pathos and charm, the focus on indomitable spirits.
⚠️Briefsuicidalideation
Bittersweet reading experience: when you're enchanted by the writing but sad for the circumstances described.
Books that strive for emotional manipulation, *cough*Kazuo Ishiguro*cough* drive me batty, but books that enchant even while not being fluffy in subject matter suck me right in.
Let me start by saying, this book was beautifully written. I could picture everything easily and I can‘t wait to see the tv show. However, the book just moved too slowly for me, which is why I‘m giving it a “so-so” rating.
I really loved this book even though it was more more of a slow and savor read then I usually go for. The writing is phenomenal with such delicacy and detail. The character development is superb and there are definitely some surprises. Overall, an excellent novel. #winterreadathon Book 4 Finished @Andrew65 sorry I can‘t remember who else to tag!!
Time to get planning January's readlist for my participation in #AuldLangSpine
Thank so much for all your hard work organising this @monalyisha I have a perfect match in @jenniferw88 I've already read 1, 2, 4 & 12. The majority of the rest are on my tbr list. 😊 The tagged is a definite January read. I've been meaning to read it .... forever!
It was pretty slow-going and I was bored so I skimmed some of the book. A little girl “the Count” met, Nina, was slightly interesting for a very short time. Later on, Sofia was occasionally interesting. The book gets the extra ¼ star for the ending, but for the most part, nothing happened and it was boring. I realize my opinion does not agree with most.
I didn‘t want this book to end! This is the 2nd book by A. Towles that I loved.I can‘t even say which I loved more, which says alot.The characters were amazing.This authors attention to detail made me want to visit the Metropol, but I won‘t be visiting Moscow anytime soon.So many events took place while the Count was under house arrest, you‘d hardly believe that the majority of this story took place in this one setting.I highly recommend this book
Never in my life, has it taken me so long to read a book. I had a friend recommended this book to me, so I felt obligated to finish it, but there were thousands of words that could have been removed from this book to make it so much more enjoyable. I had to skim over so many biting paragraphs, that I felt were completely unnecessary, just to get through this. If you have all the time in the world, have at it. Me? I just do not have the time.
📚tagged. Get a life chloe brown.
🖊Chloe Gong. John Green. Romina Garber.
📺Grey's Anatomy! The Good Place. The Great. Gossip Girl. Great British Baking Show. Gilmore Girls. Ginny & Georgia.
🎤The goo goo dolls
🎶Giants- walk the moon. Good girls go bad- cobra starship. Get lucky- daft punk.
Ik it's late but I love to play!
#manicmonday #letterG
📚 A Gentleman in Moscow, Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Giver, The Giver of Stars, A Great and Terrible Beauty
🖋 Joanna Goodman, Philippa Greggory, Daisy Goodwin
📺 Grey's Anatomy, Game of Thrones
🎥 The Godfather (Pts 1 & 2)
🎤 Greenday
🎶 Genie in a Bottle - Christine Aguliera, Gangnum Style - Psy, Get Back - The Beatles, Grace - U2, Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac
#manicmonday #letterg
#ManicMinday @cbee #LetterG
📘 A Gentleman In Moscow
✒️ Neil Gaiman
🎬 Good Will Hunting
🎤 Green Day
🎶 Gold Dust Woman
Just a day late. Forgot to do this one yesterday.
📚 tagged and The Great Believers
🖋 Yaa Gyasi
🎞 Grease 📺 Glee
🎤 Green Day
🎼 Good Times Roll (The Cars) Good Riddance (Green Day) Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Elton John) Goodnight Saigon (Billy Joel‘s
#ManicMonday #LetterG
#superseptember day 1 @Andrew65
Finished:
📚Thirsty by Mia Hopkins
In Progress:
📖 A Gentleman in Moscow p. 165
📖 Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown 15%
🎧 The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion 26%
Good progress!
I can see why this is so many people's favourite - it's become one of mine too!
#booked2022 #setinahotel @Cinfhen @4thhouseontheleft @BarbaraTheBibliophage
August stats! I didn‘t find any 5-star reads last month, but I loved the hell out of both the tagged book and ELIZA AND HER MONSTERS by Francesca Zappa.
The $2 Sweet Valley High omnibus accounts for 12 of the 15 books I bought. It‘s been fun so far, as a cultural artifact if nothing else.
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
#littenswanttoknow
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks