A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

This is the classiest piece of historical fiction I think I have ever read. It’s the story of Count Alexander Rostov who, after the Russian Revolution, is confined to the elegant Metropol hotel in Moscow for the term of his natural life. Life, however, comes to him in his captivity and we meet the most fascinating array of characters against the backdrop of all the political machinations that took place during the period between 1922 and 1956. Not only is the story fascinating, it’s also beautifully told, with a lightness and elegance of touch that leaves me desperate to read more of this writer. Along the way we also learn what it is to be a true Russian gentleman, reminding me somehow of some of those English period pieces where to be a gentleman is the be all and end all of polite society.