A Gentleman in Moscow

What Hacker News says

1. garciasnOct 2026
   It always blows my mind that Lonesome Dove is recommended across so many different communities, especially nerd-related ones like HN. I read ~100 books a year on average and it continues to top my all time favorites list; but, in all honesty, I cannot believe it appeals to the wide audience it does due to its content.

   That said, here are some of my all time favorites (no particular order):

   01. Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)

   02. Lonesome Dove (Larry McMurtry)

   03. A Painted House (John Grisham)

   04. A Gentleman in Moscow (Amor Towles)

   05. The Great Alone (Kristin Hannah)

   06. All the Light We Cannot See (Anthony Doerr)

   07. Annihilation (Jeff VanderMeer)

   08. The First Law Trilogy (Joe Abercrombie)

   * this encompasses three long books; however, I consider them one long epic novel

   09. Mailman (Stephen Starring Grant)

   10. Demon Copperhead (Barbara Kingsolver)

   11. Lessons in Chemistry (Bonnie Garmus)

   12. Hench (Natalie Zina Walschots)

   13. Personal Librarian (Marie Benedict)

   14. In Cold Blood (Truman Capote)

   15. Life We Bury (Allen Eskens)

   16. Ordinary Grace (William Kent Krueger)

   17. God of the Woods (Liz Moore)

   18. Maid (Nita Prose)

   19. The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell (Robert Dugoni)

   20. The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store (James McBride)

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2. jameskylstraSep 2026
   The most recent book I read that I really loved was A Gentleman in Moscow: https://recleague.com/james/r/144458-a-gentleman-in-moscow. It got me on a Russia kick, which has been fun and enlightening.

   I keep track of all my favorite books here: https://recleague.com/james/collections/books

   (Full disclosure: I'm a cofounder of Rec League)

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3. testdelacc1Dec 2025
   A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles blew me away by the quality of the writing, the endearing characters and the charming setting. I’m glad I picked it up and I strongly recommend it to you.

   I haven’t been reading much in the last couple of years and I credit this book for getting me back in the game.

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4. robdimarcoDec 2025
   I read 57 books this year, a mix between fiction and non-fiction

   Top 5 fiction

   - A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

   - Trust by Hernan Diaz

   - City of Thieves by David Benioff

   - Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

   - Widow Basquiat by by Jennifer Clement

   Top 5 non-fiction

   - Boom Town by Sam Anderson

   - The Second Founding by Eric Foner

   - The Club by Jonathan Clegg and Joshua Robinson

   - The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel by Douglas Brunt

   - The Spy and the Traitor by Ben McIntyre

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5. datenyanDec 2023
   This is very cool - I like the layout too (though I couldn't find a way to see a total list of authors surveyed, which I would have liked to see)

   (As an aside, always happy to see "A Gentleman in Moscow" appear in anything to do with "best book" lists!)

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6. jorisborisDec 2023
   I like to read or watch fiction with inspiring characters.

   They are made up, but the way they solve problems provides mental models for similar, real-life situations.

   Like the Power Rangers when I was a kid.

   I'll give some examples: - The Count from Gentleman in Moscow, because he's so eloquent - Toranaga from Shogun, because of his leadership style - James Bond in GoldenEye, because he's always calm and charming - ...

   Do any fictional characters manage to inspire you?

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