Two people recommended this book to me, both extolling the exquisite writing. I decided it would be my next read.
As I began the book, I could not figure out why these two loved the book so much. Yes, the writing was beautiful, but it seemed so slow and pointless. But something made me continue.
And yes, I am very glad I read it. Now mind you, I did not find it to be an exciting read. Not a page-turner. Yet at the end, it was a satisfying read.
This author, Amor Towles, very cleverly puts together a story about a Russian man who is exiled for the rest of his life in an upscale hotel in Moscow. Just that fact is rather interesting, but what he does with his time there and the people he meets along the way, create the crux of the story. Except . . . a little mystery weaves its way into the plot, and the author drops small bread crumbs at chosen times to remind the reader that all is not as it seems.
The unexpected ending took me by surprise, but as I consider it, I don't know that it could have or should have ended differently.
I prefer books that move along a little faster than this one, but as I get further from it, I realize how skillful the author is and how much I really did enjoy this book. I am going to try his other one, just to see if he is as masterful in it as he was in A Gentleman in Moscow.
