Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, meaning we may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase.
Are you reading A Gentleman In Moscow by Amor Towles as part of your book club this month and you want to go in armed with some insightful questions? Well, you’ve come to the right place!
We’ve compiled a list of book club questions for A Gentleman In Moscow so you can start an engaging conversation about the novel with your book club members.
Of course, when discussing books at a book club, often organic questions come up based on what people have to say, so use these A Gentleman In Moscow book club questions as a guide to get you started and to inspire the conversation should it be dwindling.
Also to make your life easier, we’ve prepared a list of suggestions for what to read next, so you can offer some suggestions for the next read.
Left it too late to plan your book club meeting? Don’t worry, we have your back…
Synopsis
A Gentleman in Moscow is the breakout novel by author Amor Towles.
This story centers around Count Alexander Rostov in 1922. After being assumed an unrepentant aristocrat, he is sentenced to house arrest where he has to stay in a room in Metropol, a grand hotel.
While Rostov is under house arrest, many life-changing events are unfolding just outside the hotel’s doors.
Rostov had a reputation for being a knowledgeable man with great wit.
However, he has never worked a day in his life and was used to the finer things before his sentence to house arrest in the hotel.
While being locked away in isolation should have broken him, the new life circumstances provided an outlet to discover his true emotions.
Spoiler Alert!
Please note that the questions below contain spoilers of the book.
Generic Book Club Questions for A Gentleman In Moscow
Let’s begin the list with some generic questions to get the ball rolling. These book club questions for A Gentleman In Moscow are designed to encourage every member of your group to say something about the book.
Perhaps you have a shy member of the group or a newbie? These will help give them the confidence to speak up.
- What did you think about the book? (obvious, but we have to say it).
- What were your expectations before reading A Gentleman In Moscow?
- How did A Gentleman In Moscow make you feel?
- Which was the most interesting scene in the book, in your opinion?
- Were there any characters that you felt you can relate to in any way?
- What are the key principles you have learned from the book? What have you taken away from the story?
- Did you feel this was a slow-burning novel or a real page-turner?
- Would you recommend this book to others?
- What do you think the front cover represents?
- Let’s talk about the ending. Were you shocked?
A Gentleman In Moscow Discussion Questions
Once you’ve gone through the general chit chat, it’s time to open up a deeper and more meaningful discussion. Here are book club discussion questions for A Gentleman In Moscow we recommend you bring up…
- Think about the Count from the beginning of the novel to the end. How does his character develop? Does your opinion of him change as you learn more about him?
- Let’s talk about the women in Count’s life. How does Nina and Sofia influence him? Who else had a particular involvement in the way he turned out, do you think?
- What is it about the movie Casablanca that the Count loves so much?
- What do you think of Metropol? Do you think it sounds like a nice place?
- How do you think the author added humor to the novel? Were there any scenes you thought were funny?
- What did you learn about Russian politics, if anything?
- How do you think being under house arrest changed his view of politics and the revolution?
Educated Book Club Questions for A Gentleman In Moscow
Want to dive deeper into the philosophy and hidden messages of the book? Then you’re going to want to ask some of these educated book club questions for A Gentleman In Moscow.
- What are your thoughts on Count’s sentence? Do you think it was fair?
- Why do you think he decided to stay in Moscow instead of leaving with his family?
- How does Count find a new purpose in life after his sentence?
- What do you think the story would be like if it was set today?
- Count is trying to find purpose in his life and fulfillment. What do you think makes a fulfilled life?
- What Count more in control or out of control?
- The author writes: “Fate would not have the reputation it has, if it simply did what it seemed it would do.” Do you agree? Do you think it was Fate that bought this upon Count?
- What do you think of the Bolsheviks and their involvement in the novel?
- What do you think the author meant when they wrote: “If a man does not master his circumstances then he is bound to be mastered by them.”
- Do you think Count regretted not leaving Russia?
5 Suggestions for What to Read Next
Now you have a list of A Gentleman In Moscow book club questions for your book club meeting, it’s time to plan the next one. Here are some suggestions for books to read next.
If your book club is looking for affordable ways to read more books, you’ll find some of these titles on Kindle Unlimited…
1. American Dirt – Jeanine Cummins
American Dirt is a New York Times bestseller and Oprah Book Club selection. The story follows a woman named Lydia, who lives in Acapulco with her son and husband, who works as a journalist.
But Acapulco’s cartels are beginning to terrorize the town and Lydia’s life is starting to feel comfortable. When her husband published a tell-all profile about the newest drug lord, their lives are about to be turned upside down.
Lydia and Luca her son are forced to flee amongst the hundreds of other people trying to reach the United States. Everyone is running from something, but where are they running to?
2. The Lost Apothecary – Sarah Penner
The Lost Apothecary is a suspenseful novel of secrets, vengeance, and sisterhood.
In the depths of eighteenth-century London, a secret apothecary shop caters to an esoteric clientele.
Rumors abound of a mysterious woman who sells deadly poisons to women in order to protect themselves from their abusive husbands or male partners. However, the apothecary’s fate is in jeopardy when her newest patron, a precocious twelve-year-old, makes a fatal mistake that leads to consequences that continue through the centuries.
Caroline Parcewell, an aspiring historian, spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone in present-day London. She is researching the unsolved apothecary murders that haunted London two hundred years ago when she stumbles upon a clue that leads her to the apothecary.
However, Caroline’s life soon collides with the apothecary in a stunning twist of fate, and not everyone will survive.
3. A Man Called Ove – Fredrik Backman
This book follows the story of Ove, a grumpy old man that the neighborhood has deemed “the bitter neighbor from hell”. However, there’s a lot more under the surface of Ove’s mean exterior.
Ove hasn’t had the best experiences with people. He has been conned and taken advantage of by people in the past. The only person he cared for, his wife, lost her life in a tragic accident.
These experiences have led to Ove having a hard shell and coming across as a curmudgeon to everyone in his neighborhood.
It’s not until a new family moves in next door and an unkempt cat enters his life that a different side of the man is revealed.
This popular best-seller was made into a Swedish movie in 2015. A Man Called Ove has also inspired an American movie titled A Man Called Otto. It’s set to release on Christmas Day in 2022 and stars Tom Hanks as Otto.
4. The Great Alone – Kristin Hannah
Set in Alaska in 1974, the story follows Ernt Allbright who came home from the Vietnam War a different man. After he loses his job and decides to move his wife and daughter north to live off the grid in America’s last true frontier.
Cora will do anything for her husband, including following him into the unknown. Their teenage daughter, Leni, has little choice but to go along.
In this remote corner of Alaska, the Allbrights find an independent community of strong men and women whose generosity make up for the lack of preparation and resources.
As winter approaches, Ernt’s fragile mental health starts to deteriorate and the perils from outside are nothing compared to what lurks within.
In their small cabin drenched in snow, they live each day with 18 hours of night cover. Soon they are forced to realize, they’re really alone.
5. The Alice Network – Kate Quinn
The Alice Network is a work of historical fiction about two women who meet after WWII.
One was a spy that was recruited for the real-life Alice Network in France during WWI, and the other was an American looking for her cousin. The two women are brought together in a story of courage and redemption.
After the end of the second World War, Charlie St. Clair is pregnant and unmarried, and about to be kicked out of her family. She’s also hoping her beloved cousin Rose might still be alive. When her parents banish her to Europe, she sees an opportunity to find out what happened to her cousin.
Eve Gardiner signs up to fight against the Germans in 1915 working as a spy. There, she’s trained by Lili, the “Queen of Spies”, who introduces her to a network of secret agents.
Haunted by the betrayal, she spends her days drinking in a crumbling London house. When an American woman asks for a name she hasn’t heard in decades, the pair work together to find out the truth.
Final Word on A Gentleman In Moscow Book Club Questions
So there you have it, those were the best book club questions on A Gentleman In Moscow. I hope that these helped you start and drive the conversation at your next meeting.
If you had any interesting questions come up about this book, let us know in the comments! We’d love to hear from you.
Disclaimer: This website uses affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission if you make a purchase through a link at no extra cost to you.
Last Updated on September 29, 2022 by Louisa
