The Talented Mr. Towles

Amor's Workshop 
   Although I do not read much fiction, my wife convinced me to read A Gentleman in Moscow and I am glad I did. She has just finished, Table for Two and I will soon start The Lincoln Highway. All of these books were written by Amor Towles and he produced them from the comfortable quarters pictured in this post. 

   The gentleman in Moscow is confined to a hotel for years. If one was placed under house arrest for a long period, Mr. Towle's place in Manhattan would be a comfortable place to be and there would be plenty to read. 

   Mr. Towles does a lot of background reading to get the facts needed for the fiction he writes, so one will find in his collection guides to Moscow and a set of encyclopedias from the 1930s which was used when writing Rules of Civility. He also has some first editions and some signed works, including a copy of Bob Dylan's Nobel Prize lecture. 

   Apart from recommending some books to read, this post is also another one about "private libraries." The last one was about Wilde's, see "Oscar's Library." 

Source: 
   The pictures are from: "Book Tour: The Author of A Gentleman in Moscow and The Lincoln Highway Guides Us Through His Personal Library," John Williams, Washington Post, May 18, 2024. An earlier profile is found in: "Amor Towles, A Gentleman in Gramercy Park," Joanne Kaufman, New York Times, Sept. 23, 2016.

The Bonus:

   Gentleman in Moscow, is recommended, but if you are unsure, there is a Wikipedia entry for it.
   If you would rather watch than read, it is available now as a streaming mini series on Paramount+. 

  The gentleman is played by Ewan McGregor. You may remember that McGregor is one of the men who rode a motorcycle from the very tip of South America to Los Angeles - see, "Long Way Up." 
  If, like Towles, you are interested in Bob Dylan, head to the University of Tulsa. See, "Bob Dylan."