Rules of Civility

by Amor Towles

Book Overview

From the New York Times-bestselling author of A Gentleman in Moscow and the forthcoming The Lincoln Highway, a "sharply stylish" (Boston Globe) book about a young woman in post-Depression era New York who suddenly finds herself thrust into high society--now with over one million readers worldwide

On the last night of 1937, twenty-five-year-old Katey Kontent is in a second-rate Greenwich Village...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0143121162
• ISBN13: 9780143121169
• Release Date: June 2012
• Publisher: Penguin Books
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.89 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.5" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

My favorite novel

Saw this book sitting at 3.5 stars and had to leave a review. I’ve read this book half a dozen times and continue to come back to it. His best work and I think most under appreciated

2.75 stars

RULES OF CIVILITY by Amor Towles This was a total slog to get through which was disappointing as it has a lot of glowing reviews. The descriptions of late-1930s Manhattan life were vividly written. It felt as if I was right there with Katya “Katey” Kontent and Eve Ross as they gallivanted through the city with wealthy Theodore “Tinker” Grey and his other well-to-do friends. The Great Depression did not have much of an impact on the main characters as they partied in smoky nightclubs, dined at fancy restaurants, drank alcohol and listened to jazz. Lucky them! While I understand the choice to use em dashes instead of quotation marks, I wasn’t a fan. However the dialogue was good and banter was witty. Overall, too many (beautifully written!) words, but not enough plot to make it worthwhile. Good, but not great. Rating: 2.75/5 ⭐️

Another winner

While A Gentleman in Moscow is still my favorite, I thoroughly enjoyed Rules of Civility. So much so I hunted down a copy of Eve in Hollywood to keep it going.

A different view

A different view of Edith Warton's world, told from the perspective of one who wasn't born into it, with a hero who was and then wasn't. This was a very fun read. The second book I have read by Amor Towles. The first, The Gentleman from Moscow, I am out of order. Looking forward to Lincoln Highway. The book lost some of its credibility when the narrator spoke of the one time perfect leading man being happy with his new life on the docks. He had worked so hard to create his perfect image and lived long enough in luxury that it is quite a stretch to believe him to be satisfied in such a life that was represented by the photographers second shot.

His Writing Puts You There

I loved how Amor Towles writes. His vivid descriptions of the period, his knowledge of the history and how its woven into his writing. I first found Rules of Civility when trying to find audio CDs to make my long commutes tolerable. I actually began looking forward to my drives knowing that his wonderful storytelling was awaiting me. I can also highly recommend what I think is his only other book A Gentleman in Moscow...simply wonderful!