Cynthia Shannon
asked
Amor Towles:
You mentioned how the grand hotels of the 20th century played a role in how the elite traveled, and how the hotels all look and felt the same on purpose. Today though, many people are preferring to stay in AirBnBs. Do you think there's a future for the grand hotels, or do you think they'll all convert to condos, like the Waldorf in New York?
Amor Towles
Cynthia,
My experience tells me that when quality things fall out vogue and teeter on the verge of extinction, they inevitably find a new audience a generation or two later. In the supermarkets of my youth (in America in the 1970s) there was no good ice cream, coffee, beer, or bread. We made due with Sealtest, Maxwell House, Budweiser and Wonder Bread. Now, the fine ice creams, coffees, beers and breads of the past are available everywhere. I suspect the grand hotels will have their own such resurgence.
My experience tells me that when quality things fall out vogue and teeter on the verge of extinction, they inevitably find a new audience a generation or two later. In the supermarkets of my youth (in America in the 1970s) there was no good ice cream, coffee, beer, or bread. We made due with Sealtest, Maxwell House, Budweiser and Wonder Bread. Now, the fine ice creams, coffees, beers and breads of the past are available everywhere. I suspect the grand hotels will have their own such resurgence.
More Answered Questions
Lizzie
asked
Amor Towles:
I loved "Eve in Hollywood" in "Table For Two," but I never read the original novella (and haven't been able to find it). I know that the new version is more than twice as long as the original, but other than that I haven't been able to find out what the differences are. Was the 2013 version essentially part 1 of its 2023 counterpart? The entire story yet much more abridged? Or were there more substantial changes made?
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