Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov is a Russian nobleman, who grew up in his family estate Idlehour near Nizhny Novgorod. He has lived the life of a typical gentleman of leisure, well educated and widely travelled. When the Bolsheviks come to power, he works to help his grandmother, the Countess escape to Switzerland, and moves to the Metropol Hotel in Moscow as he is trapped by the closed borders. He is brought to trial, and would have likely endured the same fate as the Romanovs, but a poem attributed to him was seen as a call to action against the ruling class. His life is spared, but he is sentenced to life imprisonment at the Metropol.
Count Rostov refuses to despair and give the Bolsheviks the satisfaction of having bested him. He keeps his spirits up, and goes about making the best of his situation, and continues to live his life as a true gentleman. His observations on the nature of the human condition, and the equanimous elegance with which he deals with his trials and tribulations are a treat to read about, as much as his thoughts on the literature and cuisine from the far reaches of the Soviet empire. Despite having his life limited to the four opulent walls, he grows as a human being, forming deep friendships, romances and even a parental relationship.
An absolute delight to read and an ending that is in equal parts joyous, poignant and sad.