Rules of Civility: A Novel

With agility and sensuous prose, Amor Towles takes us from the final days of the Depression to the cusp of World War II. He educates the reader through flashbacks starting with New Year's Eve in Manhattan in 1937 and creates a smashing narrator in the character of Katey Kontent. She is an orphan of Russian immigrants, apparently statuesque, quite pretty and smart. Not only smart with repartee, but she is a working girl who, although working in a structured secretarial pool, is determined to be the best. It is hard to believe that she is street-smart, but she can handle herself in any situation, business meeting or hobnobbing with the Gatsbyesque crowd she easily infiltrates. Towles begins with the turning point in her life. Forward to 1966 when Katey and her husband are at a show at the Museum of Modern Art when she recognizes two photographs of Tinker (Theodore) Grey. Towles does not really return to that time until the very end of the novel. In between, from 1937 on, is the story of the smart social milieu of the rich, used-to-be-rich, wannabes and some talented, "civil" young people. Katey Kontent meets Evelyn (Eve) Ross in a boardinghouse. Eve comes from wealth but wants to be a free spirit. Towles depicts her flitting from hotspots to dinner parties with aplomb while she remains a mystery. She literally and figuratively moves away from best friend Katey but carries around her phone number as the emergency contact. Eve and Katey meet Tinker Grey on 12/31/37 and there is a subtle competition for his heart. Tinker is a secretive bon vivant. Along with other WASPy characters, Dicky, Bitsy, Wallace, Mason we get reminiscences of Fitzgerald and Wharton. The most individual character was Eve's father, a wealthy man, who loved his erratic daughter and wanted to protect her. He knew he could not restrain her but his graciousness and fatherly worry was decidedly apparent. He was quite real. Towles' dialogue is filled with snappy retorts, especially from the women. I felt that Katey possessed unusual self-confidence in this era when women were more conventional. Her secret benefactor also had panache. New York is seen in all its splendor and degradation of the period. The tight group of characters Towles developed as a pre-jet jetset, who are often estranged from their families, enjoy their liquor. Sloshing from scene to scene, no one much could get through a day without a drink or the offer of one. Nothing much has changed, it appears, in haute society. Towles does a remarkable job of modeling the plot with "real" aspirations often provoked by quick decisions. Towles is clever: is Gotham, a Conde Nast periodical, really The New Yorker? Do we have a few chances to grab onto the best course for our lives? Is integrity the winner despite the menacing prejudice of real "old" money? We all have the chance to be amazed and can create a new version of ourselves at any point.

Everyone I know loves this book but I preferred A Gentleman in Moscow. That was 5 stars for me and this one was 4 1/2 stars. The writing is very good and engaging. Amor Towles is a very gifted writer and speaker (I have been to one of his Author talks). It was just a little bit too "Great Gatsby" for me with characters making some really bad choices but really no bad outcome. I did like the main character Katey, and I did enjoy her social climb. But it was sad to see the progression of Tinker's character and his outcome didn't seem realistic to me. Eve was unlikable - so selfish. The social scenes are fun and I could picture the young professionals out on the town so that was enjoyable. Some of the characters were a bit out there but I think in life we do meet a lot of different types so it did add some color to the book. Overall - I would say read A Gentleman in Moscow (which is brilliant!) and if you like that - then read Rules Of Civility.

I want to step outside my typical writing and share something I have never shared before – two novels, an author, and the most poignant understanding of personal human endeavors, loss, and life within historical context that is so penetrating, I slow my reading for fear the novel will end. The author is Amor Towles. The two books I read of his in wrong descension was his latest first, A Gentleman in Moscow, and his debut – perhaps last, Rules of Civility. The cadence of his novels is not ruled by dialogue, but intent on sharing the characters convictions, their philosophies, and their trials. The intensity with which he delves into the persona is beyond anything I have read. Interspersed with wit personified in Agatha Christie, and the poignancy of Walden and Dickens, he unveils the human spirit like no other. That combination seems well suited to today’s conflagrations of betrayal and ineptness and ignorance. It revels in the spirit of human dignity and self worth given the circumstances of the era – revealing that every era of time is in its own tapestry of a painting whether along the Seine or the trials of personhood in the Soviet Union or America. They are the inner struggle for self – and love. The words spill across the pages like a violin. Each note reverberating a different soliloquy to be embraced and coveted lest it be lost in a singular second of time. Never to be grasped again. I have never felt so moved by an author as I have with these novels. Fictional in their rule, historical in their setting and societal ambiance. Seductive in the worldly sense without the necessitation of overtly candid sex, this author has grasped the gift of tale. And the diction of words in a melodious composition just as reminiscent of an opera as a jazz quartet or a dance routine of Fred Astaire. Amor provides a glimpse into what was to see what is today. From a place of society within the frame of the political eras that existed in this time frame he portrays. The politics of which are integrated but not judged. Simply presented – as an historian might. His main characters are seemingly devoid of one common anomaly – family. And thus traverse the rails of trains traversing the countryside – devoid, yet desperate to create this fulcrum of court. Of a purpose. Of a life outside of life apparent. I finished the second – albeit debut novel today – and feel a sense of vacancy. As though I need him to fill more of the vacuous void that has eclipsed our society in such tragedy we cannot find a leveled jutty from the mountainous cliff. I personally shared the experiences of wonderous persons who have come in and out of my life through the resonance of time and situation. Leaving a mark. A memory. Long gone. Never forgotten. The basic instinct of the novels being to revel in each and every moment as a punctuated gift from God or Angels. Each person brought to us in our lives was placed there for a valuable purpose – sometimes good and sometimes bad – but always for purpose. And nothing is coincidental or random. Good Night My Friends -

Civility is the act of showing regard for others by being polite. It means speaking kindly to someone who hurt your feelings. It’s a simply word that packs a wallop. It’s so much easier to slam a door, Or, refuse to speak. Or, do a dozen other rude things. Sure it feels good to say something disagreeable in haste, but those words leave their mark on your soul. I will treasure my memory of having read this book, lived with its characters for nearly 400 pages and absorbed their wisdom. I know I will read it again.

Hmmm. I really wanted to like this book, having purchased after reading reviews of what appeared to be a great storyline, the key factor for me the NY setting. I was offended by the review by Chris Roberts - but can understand his rating. I gave this 3 stars, but on the Amazon scale my rating would really be 2.5. The book is about a year (1938) in the life of 20-something Katey Kontent, 'written' (narrated) in 1966 as the now middle-aged Katey has a flashback memory of this period in her life when seeing a photograph of an old flame at an exhibition. The book started off well enough, with enough description of NY, and character development (Eve, Katey & Tinker) to keep me interested. But suddenly the characters stopped developing, the action lagged and then the story ended abruptly followed by a few pages (on my kindle) of post-1938 summary, narrated 2-ish years later. Finally at the end the author, rather than Katey, appears to take over the 'narration' with several pages on 'the meaning of life'..... Specifically, my gripes are these: Quite a bit of the start of the book is devoted to developing the characters of Eve & Tinker - and then they just disappear out of the storyline! While Tinkers disappearance at that stage I admit is integral, I found it hard to fathom why I no longer had anything to read about Eve, having invested quite a bit of time on reading about her to that point. When Katey follows up the disappearance of Tinker with 2 separate romantic involvements (Wallace & Dickey), neither of those characters are at all developed either, with Wallace signing up for duty just when things get interesting (and I've spent an eternity laboriously reading a descriptive but ultimately superfluous passage on gun handling) and Dickey being passed over and written out of the story when Tinker makes a brief reappearance toward the end (before disappearing again). Wallace gets killed whilst on duty in a later 4 line piece with no emotion. It was at that point I became confused as to who Katey actually was and what she was thinking! I need to cut this short. The summary ending! I couldnt believe it -like a movie that ran out of time, several of the 'minor' characters were summed up with approximately 3 sentences each on life after 1938. Just so we know. And the information wasn't really ultimately satisfying either, not at all endearing Katey to me further. I sort of understand it, but I don't really like it, or the way it was written. Finally The Meaning of Life passages at the end. Suffering a bit of a mid-lifer at the moment due to a shock diagnosis, a lot of the authors words rang a bell with me, which made me wonder if this is really what the book is all about? It might be a bit harsh, but I'm thinking this is a bit of a self indulgent expression of something wistful going on in the authors head, which started off as a great idea, but gradually petered out to a loss-of-interest conclusion. A bit like this review probably! I don't write book reviews.... Anyway, as others have written, I really wanted to like this book due to its promised storyline & location, and while it's not a bad book it's certainly not great. Not for a regular person like me. But then again, I'm struggling with Treasure Island right now also...

I really enjoyed reading this book. No I don't think Amor Towles is the next F. Scott, but I really enjoyed the language and metaphors that some people are blasting in the reviews. Unfortunately, the pacing fell off somewhere around the middle of the book and it just wandered around for a while and then decided to stop. The very ending made sense, but Tinker's desires and goals could have been woven better into the rest of the novel so that the ending would seem to the reader the only way it could or should have ended. Instead it just sort of quietly stopped after meandering around for a while. I felt the introduction of Tinker's brother and the role that character played was completely extraneous, and should have been edited out or fixed to be more effective. The author seemed to try to use the brother to justify Tinker's choices and I didn't buy it. I actually felt that way about a lot of the secondary characters. Their roles were elevated beyond their usefulness. A tighter focus on Tinker, Eve, Katie and Anne (oh, and what about Val? His cameos weren't even long enough to generate interest, and they should have been!) while getting rid of all the girlfriends and the Texan with the maitre d', and and and would have greatly improved this book. Some of the literary allusions fell flat, and the author didn't quite seem to be able to keep a little Mike Hammer or something from his voice, although it detracted only slightly. This review sounds uber-critical for someone who says she loved reading this book, but that is because I was really paying attention, which is the biggest complement I can pay to an author. Now for a few of the things I really liked: I loved the voice of the main character. Her imperfect self was imminently knowable and believable to me, although the intro and the ending had me kind of wondering if I still cared. I loved the description of the Russian club--this author really gets the truth of these Russians and described their emotional way of relating to things beautifully. I felt like I had been there. And my favorite part was the descriptive prose and imagery. On one of the first pages, this caught my eye: "In the 1950's, America had picked up the globe by the heels and shaken the change from its pockets. Europe had become a poor cousin--all crests and no table settings. And the indistinguishable countries of Africa, Asia, and South America had just begun skittering across our schoolroom walls like salamanders in the sun. True, the Communists were out there, somewhere, but with Joe McCarthy in the grave and no one on the Moon, for the time being the Russians just skulked across the pages of spy novels." What a beautifully succinct way to set the time and arrogantly optimistic American mindset for the book! So in spite of its shortcomings, this book is worth the time it takes to read it and I do recommend it although with the caveat that you will probably enjoy the first half and then cruise through the second without the full satisfaction that might have been...

There have been many paeans to New York City through the years. Amor Towles, in “Rules of Civility,” has written one that may best sum up the vibrant existence of those fortunate enough to prowl the steel canyons. A chance encounter by the protagonist, saddled with the unfortunate name of Katey Kontent, and charmer Tinker Grey on New Year’s Eve in 1937 leads to a lifetime of on-again, off-again relationships with acquaintances that take the reader on a voluptuous tour of the world’s most dramatic city and its denizens. There’s not much in the way of an intricate plot. There are no mysteries, echoes of mafia pistols, dramatic sobs of dismay, or deep philosophical meanderings. It’s a world of enjoying parties, good food, scoping windows through binoculars, and earnest conversations on cold, stone stoops. Relationships come and go like the East River tide, nothing too dramatic or spectacular, but seeming to always steer personal beliefs and actions to new headings. That’s about all there is to the plot. So where’s the attraction? Without a doubt it’s to be found in Towles’ glorious writing. This is a man who can speak in a woman’s voice without it being annoying. Careers are carefully outlined with either prosperity or poverty being the closing act. Fine restaurants, neighborhood haunts, glamorous hotels, waterfront environs, cold, wintry streets, verdant Central Park, and apartments, both dazzling and dowdy, are all explored by the characters in the novel, all searching for the comforting embrace of something to cling to. The author is marvelously adept at bring the atmosphere and environment of a huge city to his work. His quiet inclusion of various words of inspiration and knowledge from past luminaries, pinnacled by George Washington’s 110 Rules of Civility (thoughtfully listed at the back of the book), resonate with the reader as appropriate ways to behave. Some of his characters follow the precepts, others do not. In today’s world, some might sound fussy and a little silly but the reader has to be affected by their inclusion. Actually formulated by French Jesuits in 1595, the rules were copied by Washington at age 16 in his notebook of penmanship. But in the late 1930s and early 1940s of Towles’ book, the rules of courtesy and manners were very much in vogue, as they should be today. I urge readers to have a look at the book if, for nothing else, one’s personal behavior needs a lube job. There is also the chance that the beautiful look at NYC will inspire some further research and possibly a visit to the city that never sleeps. I loved the book and its lyrical backdrop and references. Indeed, my personal behavior has been well greased. Schuyler T Wallace Author of TIN LIZARD TALES

Amor Towles is a magnificent writer. His turn of a phrase, his ability to make even the mundane so significant, his tongue in cheek humor —all add up to a book you cannot put down and yet you don’t want to end!

I loved this book so much I reread it 4 months later. I think he’s an author of such charm and warmth. His skilful use of metaphors greatly enriches the writing, and they are incredibly witty and natural, never feel forced or jarring. A fabulous cast of characters where even the bit parts are fully fleshed out, believable people with human flaws. I particularly loved Eve, Anne and Wallace. He also draws perfectly the picture of late 30’s New York. The story of a year that, although pivotal for Katey as an individual, could have been a year in anyone’s life and yet was made so engaging and interesting through his writing techniques. A solid 5/5 from me, not because it’s perfect but because I don’t think I could have got greater enjoyment from it. One of my favourite extracts, Katey’s response to receiving a summons from Anne – ‘I tore the letter into a thousand pieces and hurled them at the spot on the wall where a fireplace should have been. Then I carefully considered what I should wear.’ Perfect!

There's not much I can say that other reviewers haven't already said. This book is gorgeous. The protagonist is wonderful, the writing style is the best I have encountered in a long time. This book meanders along and I enjoyed every minute of the journey. It is difficult to explain exactly why it is so good, the best I can come up with is to compare it to a classical music composition, it builds and shines and sweeps over you and you don't want it end and you can't stop thinking about it when it does.

chaque expression est nouvelle, chaque millimètre des sentiments est explorée, les personnages sont attachants, les détails rutilants et ma foi on ne veut pas terminer ce livre tant il esr intéressant Kudos en piles!

Brillante, divertida, emotiva, original, dinámica y muy bien escrita. Me ha gustado tanto como Un caballero en moscú. Esta la leí en inglés, y la otra traducida al castellano. Ambas me han encantado. Espero su nuevo libro.

10/10 book, must read