A book that could have been one of the greatest

Heads up folks: this is going to be a somewhat spicy book review. With this book, the 23 in 2023 Reading Challenge is complete. As I’ve got six weeks left of the year, I might be able to squeeze in another bonus book. But for now, let’s look at A Gentleman in Moscow.

Plot summary

In 1922, Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov is sentenced to house arrest in the grand Metropol Hotel, Moscow. As a member of the aristocracy, he is viewed as a profligate and dangerous person by the Bolsheviks. Saved from execution by a poem he wrote in praise of revolution, Count Rostov now faces the rest of his life inside the hotel.

Spanning the years 1922 – 1954, the book follows the adventures of the Count within the hotel, through one of Russia’s most turbulent periods.

A book with so much promise

The concept of this book is fantastic. An aristocrat is sentenced to spend the rest of his life in a grand hotel, in the centre of Moscow. Russia is about to go through Bolshevik revolution, Stalin’s rule, WWII and political upheaval following Stalin’s death. I was ready to experience a book that showed all these things from a personal and unique perspective. The Metropol Hotel is a real place, which lends interest to the story.

I was looking forward to this read, as I imagined it was going to be a gripping, dramatic read. Towels does have a bright style, and there are sections of the book which are beautifully written. I could see that the author was trying to create an entertaining book, rather than a dramatic one. But setting a comedic book in Russia during such terrible times felt like boo-ing at a funeral.

What could have been a great book missed the mark

This review might feel quite harsh. But with great opportunity comes great responsibility. This book has the potential to be one of the greatest books I’ve ever read. It fell short, and I’m pretty disappointed.

Firstly, the book does not use the rich material of this period of Russia’s history. There are glancing mentions of things going on outside, but these are never developed. Outside forces (like the Battle of Moscow 1941-1942) have so little impact on the characters in the book that it becomes almost impossible to believe in the story.

The characters also left me cold. The main character never puts a foot wrong, and exhibits such a lack of human frailty that he is not a compelling character. True, he has an affair and drinks too much on several occasions. But these are not written as failings, and do not lend depth. At one point, Count Rostov is preparing to kill himself. Why? That’s not really explained. What changes his mind? That is barely touched on. How does he recover from this state of depression? This is never covered. What could have been a poignant moment, is turned into an almost comedic episode, which feels out of keeping with the seriousness of attempted suicide.

That’s a big part of what is disappointing about A Gentleman in Moscow. Towels is writing this as a light-hearted comedy. In my opinion, the setting does not lend itself to this approach. Maybe I’ve just read too much Solzhenitsyn. But it feels incongruous to have comedic goose chases and detailed descriptions of fancy food at a time when most Russians lived in poverty and fear.

Towels has a great premise and his cast of characters were ready for something great. Unfortunately, I don’t think he is brave enough to let either of them shine.

Have you read this book? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.