The Fairfax Library Book Discussion Group will meet Wednesday, February 13th in the meeting room of the Fairfax Library to discuss our February book, A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles.
Here are some links for additional background information:
Four-minute tour of the Hotel Metropol in Moscow
Interesting review and analysis of the novel
Author interview
Coming up, we have the following book to look forward to reading and discussing:
March 14 - Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Thanks for reading with us!
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. In the transcript at the opening of A Gentleman in
Moscow, the head of the tribunal and Count Rostov have the following exchange: "Secretary Ignatov: I have no doubt, Count Rostov, that some in the galley are
surprised to find you charming; but I am not surprised to find you so. History
has shown charm to be the last ambition of the leisure class. What I do find
surprising is that the author of the poem in question could have become a man
so obviously without purpose. Rostov: I have lived under the impression that a
man’s purpose is known only to God. Secretary Ignatov: Indeed. How convenient
that must have been for you. "
To what extent is A Gentleman in Moscow a novel of
purpose? How does the Count’s sense of purpose manifest itself initially, and
how does it evolve as the story unfolds?
2. Over the course of Book Two, why does the Count decide to
throw himself from the roof of the Metropol? On the verge of doing so, why does
the encounter with the old handyman lead him to change his plans?
3. The Count’s life under house arrest is greatly influenced
by his relationship with four women: Nina, Marina, Anna, and Sofia. What is the
nature of the Count’s relationship with each of these women? How do those
relationships differ from his relationship with the members of the
Triumvirate—Andrey and Emile?
4. The majority of A Gentleman in Moscow is told in the
third person from the Count’s point of view. There is, however, an overarching
narrator with a different perspective than the Count’s. Initially, this
narrator appears in footnotes, then in the Addendums, then in the historical
introductions of 1930, 1938, and 1946. How would you characterize this
narrator? How does he differ from the Count in terms of his point of view and
tone of voice? What is his role in the narrative?
5. In the 1946 chapter, Mishka, Osip, and Richard each share
with the Count their perspective on the meaning of the revolutionary era. What
are these three perspectives? Are you inclined to agree with one of them; or do
you find there is some merit to each?
6. One of the pleasures of writing fiction is discovering
upon completion of a project that some thread of imagery has run through the
work without your complete awareness–forming, in essence, an unintentional
motif. While I was very conscious of the recurrence of tolling bells, keys, and
concentric circles in the book, here are a few motifs that I only recognized
after the fact: Packages wrapped in brown paper such as the Maltese Falcon,
Mishka’s book of quotations, the Russian nesting dolls discovered in the
Italians’ closet, and the Count’s copy of Montaigne (in Paris). The likeness of
stars such as the freckles on Anna’s back and the beacon on the top of the
Shukhov radio tower. Sailors (often in peril) such as Robinson Crusoe,
Odysseus, Admiral Makarov, and Arion in the myth of Delphinus. What role do any
of these motifs play in the thematic composition of the book?
7. How does the narrative incorporate the passage of time,
and does it do so effectively? Thematically speaking, how does the Count’s
experience of Time change over the course of the novel and how does it relate
to his father’s views as embodied by the twice-tolling clock? Do you agree with
the Count’s conclusion that we experience time differently as we grow older? What does the novel suggest about the
influence of individuals on history and vice versa?
8. At the opening of Book Five, the Count has already
decided to get Sofia out of Russia. What occurs over the course of Book Four to
lead him to this decision? Why does he choose to remain behind?
9. Near the novel’s conclusion, what is the significance of
the toppled cocktail glass in Casablanca?
10. This is a novel with a somewhat fantastical premise set
half a century ago in a country very different from our own. Nonetheless, do
you think the book is relevant today? If so, in what way?
11. Is there a danger that Towles’ sympathetic portrayal of
the Count glosses over the part many Russian aristocrats played in the
oppression of the peasants and later, the working classes which eventually led
to the Revolution?
12. How did you interpret the ending of the novel? Was it a
satisfactory conclusion to the story?
13. A reviewer,
Annalisa Quinn, comments that “Towles never lets anyone merely say goodbye when
the could bid adieu, never puts a period where an exclamation point or dramatic
ellipsis could stand.” How did you feel about the author’s apparent delight in
extravagant language?
14. During his time at The Metropol the Count forges
friendships which crow age, class and political boundaries. How does he make
friends so easily? What is the novel’s overall message about friendship?
15. In a review of A Gentleman in Moscow Ron Charles points
out that “the whole enterprise depends on how deeply you fall in love with the
Count.” Did you fall in love with Count Rostov as a character? Why or why not?
16. How are work and purpose portrayed in the novel? Do you
agree with the implication that a sense of purpose is an essential ingredient
for a fulfilling life?
17. Discuss the different ways in which the historical
events taking place outside the Metropol are conveyed to the reader. Do these
snippets of information tell us enough about the state of the Soviet Union
during this period? Is the light tone of the novel at odds with the horrors of
Stalinist Russia?
18. One of the Count’s favorite stories is the evolution of
the moths of Manchester. Is his story also one of evolution? Are there any
other evolutions throughout the novel?
