A Gentleman in Moscow vs Death in St. Petersburg: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Saint petersburg, Aristocracy, History, Fiction
A Gentleman in Moscow
“21 June 1922 APPEARANCE OF COUNT ALEXANDER ILYICH ROSTOV BEFORE THE EMERGENCY COMMITTEE OF THE PEOPLE'S COMMISSARIAT FOR INTERNAL AFFAIRS”
More
A Gentleman in Moscow is a 2016 novel by Amor Towles. It is his second novel, published five years after his New York Times best seller, Rules of Civility (2011).
Death in St. Petersburg
More
"After the final curtain of Swan Lake, an animated crowd exits the Mariinsky theatre brimming with excitement from the night's performance. But outside the scene is somber. A ballerina's body lies face down in the snow,…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate A Gentleman in Moscow highest: A Gentleman in Moscow 4.5 · Death in St. Petersburg 3.9.
- Death in St. Petersburg is the quickest read — about 5 hours vs 8 for A Gentleman in Moscow.
- A Gentleman in Moscow has the widest readership — 9423 ratings behind its score.
Scores by source
| A Gentleman in Moscow | Death in St. Petersburg | |
|---|---|---|
| Hardcover | 4.3 (850) | 3.6 (10) |
| Google Books | 5.0 (1) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (9423) | 4.0 (50) |
Reception
| A Gentleman in Moscow | Death in St. Petersburg | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 9423 | 50 |
| Editions | 28 | 7 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 16396 | — |
| Pages | 472 | 304 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: A Gentleman in Moscow or Death in St. Petersburg?
A Gentleman in Moscow has the higher combined reader rating across sources (A Gentleman in Moscow 4.5/5, Death in St. Petersburg 3.9/5).
Which is shorter to read: A Gentleman in Moscow or Death in St. Petersburg?
Death in St. Petersburg is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Death in St. Petersburg (304 pages, ≈ 5 h 38 m); A Gentleman in Moscow (472 pages, ≈ 8 h 44 m).
Which is harder to read: A Gentleman in Moscow or Death in St. Petersburg?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — A Gentleman in Moscow: Moderate; Death in St. Petersburg: Moderate.
Have both books been made into films?
A Gentleman in Moscow: 1 film adaptation; Death in St. Petersburg: no film adaptation on record.