I’ve read two of Towles’ last three novels and was thoroughly engrossed in his latest. Unusually I had expected a full length novel but instead what I got was a set of stories set in New York and a novella set in Los Angeles.

The stories ranged in size with the novella dominating the second half.

The New York stories were set early last century. A Russian couple accidently get a visa to escape the early days after the Russian revolution. Another tale tells of a bookseller who forges authors signatures and profits from the sale of the books. Then there  is a bootlegger illegally recording music in Carnegie Hall and a man who secretly figure skates in Central Park. Each story is beautifully told, almost fable-like with a moral dilemma. I enjoyed each of them although some were more touching than others.

The novella in Los Angelos follows a young lady called Eve who takes Olivia DeHavilland under her wing, protecting her from the movie business. Understandably this one is completely engrossing.

Towles captures the glamour and hardship of the era beautifully and of course it is very well written. Some of the stories stretch belief but either way they made for a thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable read.