Books: A Gentleman In Moscow By Amor Towles

(Drivebycuriosity) - Imaging you are forced to spend the rest of your life in just one place. This is the basic idea of the novel "A Gentleman In Moscow", set in the Russia`s capital (amazon ). The plot stretches from the 1920s to the 1950s and follows an aristocrat who`s life got fundamentally changed by the Russian Revolution. The new rulers kept him alive, even though he didn`t fit anymore into a world ruled by Stalin and his followers, but they sentenced him to a lifelong house arrest. "Several duly gated officers of the current regime determined that for the crime of being born as an aristocrat, he should be sentenced to spend the rest of his days in a hotel". Fortunately this aristocrat was allowed to stay comfortably in a big classy hotel that is endowed with fine restaurants, bars and other amenities. 

The plot describes a life in a micro-cosmos, almost like a spaceship, and shows how Russia changed under the dictatorship of Comrade Stalin and the ruling Bolsheviks and how the protagonist adapted and responded to all new challenges.

 

                Brightened By Saffron 

There are many parts of the book I love. Many chapters are humorous and sarcastic and Towles spiced the text with philosophical & analytical musings about life in a Marxist system, sprinkled with a bit erotics. There are mouthwatering descriptions of food, for instance "The onions thoroughly caramelized, the pork slowly braised, and the apricots briefly stewed, the three ingredients came together in a sweet and smoky medley that simultaneously suggested the comfort of a snowed-in tavern and the jangle of a Gypsy tambourine". 

And "One first taste of the broth - that simmered distillation of fish bones, fennel, and tomatoes, with their hearty suggestions of Provence. One then savors the tender flakes of haddock and the briny resilience of the mussels. One marvels at the boldness of the oranges and the absinthe. And all these various impressions are somehow collected, composed, and brightened by the saffron - that essence of summer sun".  

The aristocrat had learned from experience that giving consideration  to appetizers before entrées can only lead to regrets. For instance, the very last item on the menu was osso buco - a dish that was best preceded by a light and lively appetizer." 

And we learn that a Barolo is a full-bodied red from northern Italy and is the perfect accompaniment to the osso-buco from Milan." And the chef of the restaurant declares: "Tell your boys that my lamb is served rare. If someone wants it medium, they can go to the canteen".

There is basic wisdom, like. "If a man does not master his circumstances then he is bound to be mastered by them".

And "A new generation owns a measure of thanks to every member of the previous generation. Our elders planted fields and fought in wars; they advanced the arts and sciences, and generally made sacrifices on our behalf. So by their efforts, however humble, they have earned a measure of our gratitude and respect".

 

               The Moths Of Manchester  

I also learned an interesting fact about evolution and the speed of natural selection. "For thousand of years, the peppered moths of Manchester had white wings with black flecking. This coloring provided the species with perfect camouflage whenever they landed on the light grax bark of the region`s trees. But when Manchester became crowded with factories in the early 1800s, the soot from the smokestacks began to settle on every conceivable surface, including the barks of the trees; and the lightly speckled wings that had served to protect the majority of the peppered moths suddenly exposed them remorseless to their predators. Thus the pitch-black varieties that had represented less than 10 percent of the Manchester moth population in 1800, represented over 90 percent by the end of the century.

 

              Stalin`s Terror

But the most important part of the book are Towles`s descriptions of the terror by Stalin the ruling Marxists  (Bolsheviks). He starts softly by making fun of the socialist revolution, the Bolsheviks in command and their bureaucracy. "The Bolsheviks assembled whenever possible in whichever form for whatever reason. In a single weak, there might be committees, caucuses, colloquiums, congresses,and conventions variously coming together to establish codex, set courses of action, levy complaints, and generally clamor about the world`s oldest problems in the newest nomenclature". 

As a result of the communist revolution merits and talents didn`t count anymore, instead incompetent people got promoted for their relations with higher ranks.  

Later in the book Towles describes the terror executed by the Bolsheviks. Their politics lead to widespread hardship for the agricultural provinces of old Russia, and the death by starvation for millions of peasants in Ukraine. But the lead correspondent for the New York Times in Russia claimed that "these rumors of famine" were grossly exaggerated and had probably originated with anti-Soviet propagandists - and he won the Pulitzer Prize for that.

Towles also he depicts nicely the rise of Krushchev as the leader of the Soviet Union.   

"A Gentleman" is funny, philosophical and historical educating - highly recommend.