Reviews

I so greatly enjoy Amor Towles’ writing style, but found this story not as engaging as A Gentleman in Moscow. I loved the character development and several of the passages will stick with me for sure.

dawnsc's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

4.75

ktrain3900's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This fast-paced jaunt through 1938 New York's creme de la creme features almost impossibly witty characters who speak with a tinge of noir, and who exist on the fringes of a Wharton novel, had she come along a generation later. I found it fun, escapist fiction, requiring the reader to apply a dash of good ol' suspension of disbelief. The exploits of our intrepid heroine, the preposterously named Katey Kontent, are exhausting - just how does one balance the heavy work schedule with the heavy social schedule? - but I was 25 once, with that sort of bounding boundless energy. While it's good for a first novel, it's still a first novel: did it need the preface and epilogue; do we believe a bold broad like Katey would be such a Dickens fan (and was it only because she was named a bit like a Dickens character); could it have done without some of the dated racisms and still felt genuine? I'm not sure, but overall, I wouldn't kick this book out of bed.

Content Warnings

ceplutnicki's review against another edition

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emotional reflective slow-paced

3.25

kelly_inthe419's review against another edition

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4.0

Towles is such a beautiful writer. I read A Gentleman in Moscow a couple years back and am finally getting around to his debut novel. It’s a very character driven story as seen through the eye of a young woman in 1930s New York City and traces one momentous year. Katey is smart and funny and no one’s fool. Tinker is not who she thinks, or wants him to be. The twists at the end were surprising, a little sad, and perfect for the story. Highly recommend.

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