I’ve thought a lot about how to give a plot summary for this book, but it’s really hard to do that. It’s not a heavily plot-driven book. Rather, it’s a book about one man’s life. It’s a book about love and friendship and all those little things that make life worth living. It’s a human tale about a man who remained true to himself even when it meant a life of permanent confinement.

The magical aspect of this book is the way Towles writes his characters. The Count is an instantly likeable, witty man. As much of the novel is seen through his eyes, we see all the dry observations and optimism he Count has. When Sofia comes into his life, his role as a parent is beautiful to witness. I found myself moved to tears on more than one occasion.

It truly is a tale about triumph against evil. The evil of the Bolsheviks and communism is rife. Yet, the Count refuses to apologise for being a gentleman. And for that refusal, he is sentenced to house arrest at the Metropol Hotel. But, rather than wallow in self-pity, he makes a life for himself. And, he really does live. He makes it work for him. The end, however, when he returns to his home town, is so moving.

Quite simply, this is a magical tale, beautifully written.

The Count. He is a character I'm not going to forget in a hurry. I also loved the child Nina. She is a really strong character. I would have liked to find out what happened to her and why she never returned for Sofia. I guess she was killed, most likely.

I also loved the descriptions of Moscow. It took me back to a wonderful holiday I took with my school when I was 16. We went to St. Petersburg, then took the overnight sleeper train (which is mentioned in the book) to Moscow, where we spent four days. I recognised many of the places Towles describes, especially the Bolshoi Ballet, where we went on our second night there. Wonderful memories.

There was a point about 40% (Kindle) of the way through, before Sofia arrived, where I got a little bored. The feeling didn't last long, and the arrival of Soia made all the difference in the world. But, I did find it a little flat at this point.

Amor Towles writes beautiful prose. It's descriptive, yet light and not too dense. It skips along, making it really enjoyable. Mostly, though, I love the characters he has written. Each one has their own, distinct traits. I think I recognised something in all of them of the people I've known in my time. They are so real.

You will learn something about a dark time in Russian history. I never realised just how terrible communism really was. Plus, it's a beautiful story.

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Created Mar 14, 2019 at 6:47am • Submit your own review...