This is the third book I’ve read by the author of A Gentleman in Moscow and Rules of Civility, and once again the characters of this book really bring the story to life.
In the beginning of the story the reader is led to make some expectations based on the epigraph, the big map of the United States on the first few pages, and the first few chapters. However soon things spin in an unexpected direction, and the adventure truly begins.
Amor Towles tells a great story – through his characters who themselves tell a great story. The skill of the writer here comes from the discovery of the common elements of these stories in unexpected ways. There are plenty of characters explaining through their various viewpoints what is happening so that you have the chance to make these discoveries at your own pace.
At first I wasn’t sure I was satisfied with the resolution of the book, but then the more I thought about it the more I saw that the writer was staying true to the guidelines set out by his characters, and there shouldn’t have been any expectation for a traditional ending. But what a great ending it was!
If all this is hard to follow, the book certainly isn’t, and the characters were extremely likable. Two of my favorite characters really carried the heart and soul of the book, and despite a somewhat dark stage near the end of the novel it was a pretty lighthearted read.
If there was something I would have wanted more of, it would have been a more tightly contained story. There were enough characters that some felt like extra baggage, and while interesting they didn’t add enough to be worthy of the investment in learning about them. However, I do sense a spin off in the future for some of these people.
So all in all a great book, and worth the slightly long read. It made me want to go back and give the older books of his another read.
Next I’m reading Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead.
