I was searching for a new book to read, and "Table for Two" was listed in top 10 in 2024. I was trying to borrow it from the library but I had to wait. So I looked up the author Amor Towels, and I saw he had severals masterpieces and "A gentleman in Moscow" was one of them.
"A Gentleman in Moscow" is a great masterpiece that combines history with characters, and it showcases such a wealth of knowledge from the author. The book is so smartly choreographed, it's intriguing yet not a complete relaxing read. I sometimes had to put down the book and google certain words, cuisines or a piece of history.
There are so many scenes of the Count Alexander Rostov talking about food. He is so knowledgable about food, and wine, and the pairings of the two. It was so beautifully written, it furthered my admiration for the author . It was bougie, it was elegant and it was indulging.
The most memorable scene for me was at the beginning of the book, when the count had to ask someone to buy things for him from outside of the hotel since he can not leave the hotel for the rest of his life. It was all necessities that he he requested, but he also asked for a delicate piece of cake to indulge on at night. When reading that, who the Count Alexander Rostov is is so clear to me at that moment. I smiled. He is someone who has had a luxurious life, indulged in fine things and food. Although circumstances have changed, he still is who he was.
Another memorable scene for me was when the Count stepped outside of the hotel for the first time in 20 years. The author didn't elaborate too much, or described too much on what was going through the Count's head. But it's how it should be written. Because there wasn't too much to think about, he did it out of emergency and out of love. He simply stepped out of the hotel because he loved that little girl. It was almost a natural thing for him to do that he didn't need to think too much.
I often caught myself admiring the author in between the lines he wrote. From those words, you can tell he is such an intelligent, vastly knowledgable on a lot of subjects, and someone who's an elite but not annoying.
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