A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles vs. South of the Border, West of the Sun

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

www.amazon.com/Gentleman-Mo...

Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov, a Russian aristocrat is sentenced to house arrest in his residence at a luxury Hotel Metropol in Moscow. The story spans decades, as Rostov develops friendships, enmities and relationships with the staff and guests at the Metropol. I've actually listened to this story as an Audible audiobook two or three times.

South of the Border, West of the Sun

www.amazon.com/South-Border...

Hajime has arrived at middle age with a loving family and an enviable career, yet he feels incomplete. When a childhood friend, now a beautiful woman, shows up with a secret from which she is unable to escape, the fault lines of doubt in Hajime’s quotidian existence begin to give way. Rich, mysterious, and quietly dazzling, in South of the Border, West of the Sun the simple arc of one man’s life becomes the exquisite literary terrain of Murakami’s remarkable genius.

Image for A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Image for South of the Border, West of the Sun
South of the Border, West of the Sun
No reviews yet
No reviews yet

Pros

Cons

Pros

  • Thoughtful exploration of memory and desire
    × 1
  • Engaging, well-developed characters
    × 1

Cons

  • Slow-paced narrative
    × 1
  • Ambiguous ending
    × 1
  • Limited action, heavy on introspection
    × 1

Frequently Asked Questions

@tomasz_fm© 2023 Tomasz Stefaniak
feedback