A Gentleman in Moscow was my book club’s pick for February, otherwise I likely would never have picked it up. Amongst our tiny group one person noped out, one person was struggling 100 pages in (unknown if they finished it), but I found myself curious and kept going. While the writing could ramble, sometimes giving asides that have no pertinence to the story, I found myself drawn into the tiny world of Count Alexander Rostov sentenced to live the rest of his life at the Metropol hotel in Moscow.
Starting in 1922, the Russian revolution has been underway for five years and is nearing the time of complete control by the socialist party. Rostov has the double black mark of being from the nobility and having written an inflammatory poem. However, there are party officials who have some sympathy. Instead of being put against a wall and shot he is sentenced to a life term of imprisonment with the threat of being shot should he ever leave the hotel. In the beginning, Rostov approaches his sentence as if he were Robinson Crusoe with a need to master his circumstances. To that end he establishes a routine but it isn’t long before the chains begin to chafe.
An incident at the barber shop causes him to shave off his distinctive mustache. Which causes a young girl, Nina, to approach him in one of the dining areas of the Metropol. Thus begins a long friendship. Nina teaches Rostov the secrets of the hotel and he teaches her whatever he can based on her questions. But Nina isn’t his only friend. Rostov, ever the gentleman, becomes friends with the front desk clerk, the head chef, the maitre d’, the head seamstress, and the bar tender at the posh club. He also befriends diplomats, reporters, and those whose business brings them back time and time again. Years pass and Rostov moves from being a passive person living at the hotel to becoming head waiter at the exclusive dining room of the Metropol. It is unclear whether this happens due to financial reasons or whether Rostov feels the need for some form of industry.
Rostov’s world is turned upside down when Nina, now a young mother, appears with her five year old daughter, Sofia, and asks Rostov to care for Sofia. Nina intends this to be for a short time but never returns. So he begins a new phase of life as an adoptive father. While Sofia is content with her life lived exclusively in the hotel, Rostov has bigger dreams. When an opportunity comes Rostov is determined to help Sofia defect to the West.
If you are interested in Russian historical fiction, I think this is a worthwhile read as it gives an interesting view of what followed the revolution. If you like stories that focus on interpersonal relationships and how they can be a lifeline, this is a lovely read.