Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov, in his thirties when the story begins, is placed, somewhat unbelievably, under house arrest rather than being sentenced to death or sent to Siberia by the Bolsheviks in 1922. While at university in 1913, he wrote a revolutionary poem which resulted in the sentence of life-long house arrest in the Metropol hotel, where he had plush apartments. Moved to a gloomy and drab attic room, this is the story of his relationships with staff and guests – chefs, doormen and bartenders, and a young actress and a girl of nine among the clientele. Over the course of decades, the count gradually treats others as equals and then friends. This is a genteel story of manners and prejudices in the mold of a classic Russian novel, recounting how the protagonist handles various twists of fate and how he changes as a person faced with lifelong imprisonment. The denouement is both exciting and surprising, though somewhat unbelievable also.
Amor Towles is an American novelist born in 1964. This is his second novel, with both finding critical acclaim. With his knowledge of Russian history and luxury Swiss hotels, he presents a story full of wit and socio-political comment, with fine writing and a certain overall elegance. However, he seems to be trying to recreate an old-fashioned Russian novel and does not quite have the ability to present convincing characters and believable relationships. The love affair between Count Rostov and Anna Urbanova is one such example. Another is the flowering of a friendship with a nine-year- old Nina in the hotel. The author is particularly weak on descriptive narrative.
The novel seems to be content to live within the bubble of the hotel and not treat the rise of communism with the seriousness it deserves. As a side note, the book unforgivably gives away the ending of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, arguably the greatest work in literature. It is certainly helpful to have seen Humphrey Bogart’s film Casablanca, for the novel owes much to the ending of the film. Readable and entertaining, but ultimately lacking the charm and sophistication it purports to offer.
