I have seen a book or two by the author before. The books looked heavy and came heavily recommended. The Gentleman in Moscow was on my To-read list for a while, but for some reason, I never got around to reading it. Given the tone of this book, I am considering reassessing my status and reading his other books too.
This is a lighter historical fiction with its heavy moments. Each person has multiple facets but sometimes comes away as a caricature. This took the seriousness of the narrative down a notch or two for me. That did not take away the good reading experience I got from it. Once I readjusted my expectations from the book, the simple writing and the adventure flow kept me going. I actually read it in two very long sittings.
The story is of a boy who lets his temper get the better of him, and a shot of bad luck leads him to spend a few years in a correctional facility. He has been released to take care of his brother. We get to know the steady character in him who yearns to do something different from his father and earn a comfortable spot for himself. Unfortunately for him, two friends he would rather leave behind have decided to sneak out with him. They intend to use the situation to their advantage to serve their own goal.
Given the voice up till that point, I wish they had continued down the Lincoln Highway together; I would have appreciated that kind of a story better. They do not stick together, and what happens when they split up forms the bulk of the narrative.
It shows the struggle of ordinary people who may have big plans with less funding to kickstart those plans. Money is a powerful motivator. The highlight of the book was the writing. It was smooth and managed to convey the point (I suppose) the author was trying to make.
It is the kind of narrative that makes one curious about the author’s other works. I would recommend this to fans of the genre.
Superfluous Reading 