On Thursday, September 8, New York Times best-selling author of Rules of Civility, Amor Towles ’83, introduced his new book A Gentleman in Moscow to a packed crowd at Wellesley Books.
Towles began the reading with an introduction to the book’s setting and context, the luxurious Hotel Metropol at the center of the Russian Revolution. He then explained, “The book is not about the history of the Metropol or of Russia. It’s a book about individuals, particularly the Count and the people he meets. It’s about a search for purpose. … It’s about the lightness that people pursue in the even the most dim situations.”
He then read a comical scene between the Count and a young girl dressed in yellow, which spoke to the novel’s playful perspective and aristocratic tone of voice. The evening closed with Towles answering questions about his writing process. “I’ve written since I was a kid,” Towles said, “through high school, college and grad school.” Describing his time in high school, Towles has listed Nobles English teacher Dick Baker among the major influences on his work.
The event was the first in the fall series for Wellesley Books. Book sellers welcomed the crowd and thanked them for their support saying, “We know Amazon can do a lot of things, but they can not bring a real live author to a real live audience.”
Look for our review of the book in the upcoming fall edition of Nobles magazine.