Amazing, amazing, amazing. Who would have thought that a lengthy book about a man who is court ordered in Russia to live the rest of his days in a hotel would be so good? This story line shows how friendship, romance, and most importantly family are created not always by conventional means, but usually by circumstantial awareness.
The Gentleman (I forgot his name since he has like 10) has a fairly good demeanor during this time period, and while he takes advantage of the time by establishing a routine, we see that all the interactions between people are connected through a thread. There are impressions made on people that effect his life in large ways. We also see that the fact that he has not stepped out of the hotel in years, he is still able to discern the happenings of the culture around him.
Now, let's talk about the writing of the book. So many times we see that people must have taken a creative writing class, learned about figurative language, maybe even the benefits of alliteration. And then it either becomes over done or contrived. Not so with Amor Towles. His writing is beautiful. It has the right amount of description along with the flowery language needed to keep the story light and airy (although, don't be deceived- there are nail biter moments).
Read it.