90% of the book is told in the third person, which is an extension of the count's reality. But there's about ten % of the book which is told by something very different. This other person has a more direct exposure to the challenges of soviet life. And that voice starts showing up in adendums at the end of chapters. It shows up in some major introductions to the larger chapters.
Author Amor Towles talks about his book, A Gentleman in Moscow, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Along the way they discuss the craft of writing, the wellsprings of persistence, and Towles's reading habits.