Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

5++ stars A Gentleman in Moscow will stay with me for a long time. Amor Towles has written a beautiful, at times heart-breaking, story that I could not put down. Count Alexander Rostov has easily become one of my favorite protagonists of all time. I was so excited to read this novel from the minute I learned it was being published. I loved Rules of Civility and could not wait to see what Towles would write next. The danger in such anticipation is that a book can rarely live up to that type of expectation. A Gentleman in Moscow not only met my expectations, but instead far surpassed them. I have read many wonderful books so far this year, and this novel is at the top. Towles writes so cleverly and lyrically, and I felt that I was at the Metropol with Rostov and his many friends. His use of footnotes and foreshadowing added so much to the tale. I have thought a lot about the ending, and without spoiling it, I have come to terms with it though I keep debating with myself whether I would have wished it were a little different. Towles incorporates so much about life under Bolshevik and later Communist rule in Russia. While I was familiar with the general history of Russia during that time period, I certainly had not thought through how completely isolating it must have been to live there following the Russian revolution and how much truly changed for most Russian citizens (even those who were not enemies of the state). If you do not read another book this year, read A Gentleman in Moscow. I give it my highest rating. As a side note, the cover is just perfect for the story.