What if I told you that here’s a book, which not only pulls you into a semi-fictional world set in early 1900s Soviet Union, with a lead character who is charming, witty, humorous, affectionate and a top-notch aristocrat, a tale which binds you from start to finish while also being an extraordinarily well-written novel, making it a delightful read?

I can’t seem to put down in words how good this book is. Count Rostov, the central character of this book, is a man of varied experiences and expertise. Deemed to be an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, he gets orders to spend the rest of his life on house arrest at the Metropolitan Hotel in Moscow. What follows is a remarkable tale of the Count’s friendships, romantic encounters, political exchanges, and his role in being a father figure to a girl who’s responsibility falls upon him.

The beauty of historical fiction novels is you get a real sense of the life and ways of people while also being suspended in reality with the fictional characters set in those times. The Count’s, and by extension, the authors' breadth of knowledge blew me away. Be it Tchaikovsky’s music or the role of American films in countering the Great Depression. The detail and nuance in every sentence were extraordinary.

As we age with the Count, we start to appreciate not only the passage of time but the Count’s growth from being a hot-headed youth seeking revenge for his sister’s heartbreak, to the proud father, who wishes nothing but the best for his daughter. We laugh and cry with the Count, relishing his every move.

The Metropol hotel, its bartenders, the chef, and the head waiter all become recurring characters who we become familiar and fond. The exchanges between them over all things Russian is a lesson in history and prose.

What fate lies in store for the Count and Sofia after close to 35 years of house arrest? Read this extraordinary book to find out.

Originally published here.