Lynn Gilbert

Great read,

Revisado: 01-20-25

Wonderful book to listen to marvelous stories light read, but profound lessons. I’m going to read it again because I learned so much about communicating with people.

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The mystery and power of interior lives

Revisado: 09-09-24

The writing was flawless. This was one of those stories that grip you from beginning to end because you don’t know what will happen. The three people present themselves with what they want to do but not what they choose to do. Each one affects the others’ choice and the reader is left with a cliff hanger. It’s a gift that a writer can tell a story that is so intimate but is like a mystery story.

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Pitch perfect!

Revisado: 08-28-24

I thought the book was perfect. It’s an intensely intimate story and a marvelous, cultural history of a time and place. The characters are richly described and their relationships and unfolding story keeps you on the edge. This book flows naturally and perfectly balances the written word with the reader.

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Well written page turner, read with soul!!!

Revisado: 03-20-23

Spare is a riveting story, well written, rich in description of places, and with accuracy in portraying each "character."

This a tragic story of a dysfunctional family. Harry IS the "reader." It's Harry’s life which doesn't mean the book will be well read. He just happens to be great, which makes this book all the more powerful.

Now we get to see what it's like to live in a "cage," a story of life amongst royalty, hidden for years through the haze of fantasy which we have created.

Harry was in a family who could "give" abundantly, but he was given nothing, reminded that he was the spare. But then no one in the family was given much…not even a hug.

We read stories about outsiders from all stations of life, what's wrong with Harry telling his story. It’s not whining as some have complained, it’s coming to terms with his life. Will the family embrace him after this. I doubt it, they are "users."

I hope he can create a life for himself that is meaningful, something that we all are entitled to. The problem with this family's entitlement, there was no preparation for life along the way. It was not part of the package.

It took enormous courage to revisit and tell this raw story, to move away family and friends and emerge as his own person. You can't be buried under pain like that for the rest of your life and heal overnight. He took the first step. I hope he gets through to the other side...wherever that will be.

If you have read "Educated" a book that has been reviewed by over 1,287,837 readers on Goodreads, it is no different, but that family lived on the edge of poverty. Was she whining, no, just telling her powerful story. So is he.

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Pitch perfect….story and narration!

Revisado: 07-17-22

Thomas Hardy creates a rich tapestry that is a page turner.

The story, the fully developed characters, time and place, are artfully described. You become immersed in the lives of people in another century. If you like good writing, this is for you.

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An Extraordinary Experience

Revisado: 07-28-17

What made the experience of listening to A Gentleman in Moscow the most enjoyable?

Nicholas Guy Smith is the Consummate Reader. His respect for the story, the flow, and the characters is like listening to great Shakespeare. He was so good, that I looked him up on the web to find out how he prepared for a reading. When you read how he prepares you understand why he is in a class by himself.

What other book might you compare A Gentleman in Moscow to and why?

I haven't had the pleasure to read anything quite like A Gentleman in Moscow.. a dazzling tour de force. If there is another book like this, apart from Rules of Civitily by Towles, I hope someone will let me know.

Have you listened to any of Nicholas Guy Smith’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I haven't listened to other books that he reads on Audible, but he is at the very top of my list. I'm listening to Independent People, by a Nobel Prize Winner, and after that I will listen to Rules of Civility.

Any additional comments?

Reading A Gentleman in Moscow, a book that is layered, superbly crafted both in the writing, the characters, and the plot made this an uplifting experience. I felt like I was a witness to the events, and felt a profound sadness when I reached the end of the story. I love being entertained: I love learning even more. With this book I had the benefit of both. A book about a person imprisoned in a hotel for decades would appear to place limitations on a story, but in this case the reverse is true. Towles' scholarship is vast, as is his respect for the reader. We are offered new information with delicacy. I couldn't believe how much I learned: each twist in the plot, even a piece of furniture opened a world onto an unexpected aspect of history, psychology, the arts, and politics. I studied Russian literature at Sarah Lawrence College with Marc Slonim, a scholar of Russian literature, traveled to Russia twice, and still came away from this book having learned so much about Russia, and even more about history, literature, psychology, philosophy ....and the vast world at large.

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