This story comes together so patiently and beautifully that you don’t mind that Towles obviously puppeted all of his characters into their places. The narrative switches between the leads as their storylines intersect, diverge, and braid together again; they observe one another, make piercingly astute observations and conclusions about one another, and then each proceeds to do exactly as he or she pleases. Serious, stoic Emmett, recently released from a boys’ work camp, is determined to do his best by his little brother Billy. Billy, who worships Emmett, is adorably innocent as well as stunningly perceptive; he thinks they ought to retrace their absent mother’s journey down the Lincoln Highway. Their road trip is complicated by the presence of two of Emmett’s former buddies from the work camp, Duchess and Woolly, who have their own ideas of where Emmett should be driving. What ensues is a roundabout journey by car, on foot, and by train that is shaped by accident as well as by intention. The book has weaknesses – coincidences are too pat, and the characters unrealistic in their quirks (even solid Emmett and practical Sally are somehow TOO solid and practical), but the writing is so beautiful that you can’t help but enjoy the ride.
Tag: author-amor towles
A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles
I loved this book so much. A gentleman is sentenced to lifetime house arrest by a Bolshevik tribunal; his house arrest is to be in the grand Metropol hotel. The main character is everything you want in a storybook gentleman: urbane, sympathetic, and clever; the tone of the book is pleasant but also insightful. Every page was a delight to read, the characters were really well developed, the hotel is painted so beautifully that I really would love to visit someday, and you get a beautiful overview of the first few decades of the Soviet Union.