I recently read a book gentleman in Moscow and I found it so inspirational that I just had to share it a gentleman in Moscow is a story about a Russian aristocrat named "count Alexander Elliot Rostov" who at the beginning of the novel is facing charges for having written a revolutionary poem back when he was in college because the count has friends in high places the Bolsheviks spare him from death and instead his punishment is to be placed under house arrest in the luxurious Metropole Hotel where he lives for the next thirty years now you might be thinking that being forced to live in a luxury hotel for the rest of your life does not sound like much of a punishment which is what I thought and that reading a story that takes place entirely in one location doesn't sound very interesting which is also what I thought but that's a testament to what a masterful storyteller the author is he not only makes his unlikely protagonist so endearing and lovable but he vividly brings to life the world within the Metropole Hotel such that you never feel bored or claustrophobic.
for me this was one of the first lessons that the book made me reflect upon this notion of what captivity really means you and I might not be under house arrest but how many of us truly explore the world around us rather than just floating through life taking for granted the same things we see every day the count thought he knew every part of the hotel until he befriends a young girl who gives him the key that opens up the world around him quite literally she gives them a key that opens up every door in the hotel from the basement to the rooftop this book reminded me of the simple super power that we all possess which is the power of observation your world no matter where you are and how small it is is only limited by your curiosity and your imagination also woven into these beautifully written passages are these poignant reminders of what it means to have dignity and what it means to be a gentleman or a gentle person really the count's may be of a higher class but it is abundantly clear that having manners integrity loyalty and speaking and acting intentionally have nothing to do with class and everything to do with your innate character in a way.
this book reminded me of the comedy / drama life is beautiful the author takes serious subject matter in this case the turbulent times after the Bolshevik Revolution and he infuses these universal truths about life but in a way that's not cheesy and he's not like hitting you over the head with the moral of the story because above everything else it's just a great story there are heroes villains memorable supporting characters adventure history suspense and even a love story it's just that good I can make a dozen more videos on different aspects of this book that I found inspiring but if I had to sum it up when I finished reading the last page I felt like I had finished a delicious satisfying meal I felt content happy and ready to take a nap and when I woke up from that nap I was ready to live my life a little differently which i think is a sign of a really inspirational book so if you were in need of a great summer read and you want to feel inspired I highly recommend that you check out a gentleman in moscow