Rules of Civility: A Novel

Beautifully written, and touches our hearts and memories in all the tender places. Best read when you can go to sleep and dream after reading each cluster of pages.

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...

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 -

Towels explores a narrow and fairly unexplored historical and cultural setting. He has the ability to change his writing style to fit those requirements. He is on the mark with Rules of Civility.

The Rules of Civility has interested me since publication. Everyone from the New York Times to Cosmopolitan magazine has had glowing things to say about it, making me think it was one of those rare modern day novels destined to become literature. The Great Gatsby comparisons in all the reviews finally lured me to purchase it. The Rules of Civility is a story of a threesome of friends in New York in the 1930s. Katey Kontent is the daughter of Russian immigrants, a working girl with brains and beauty. Eve is a Midwestern beauty with rich parents although she for some unknown reason wants little to do with them or their money. Tinker is the handsome, seemingly well to do stranger they meet on New Year's Eve. They vie for his affections until a big event one night throws their lives into an upheaval which places them on their final paths in life. The book was not the great read that I thought it would be. I think it was convoluted for what actually happened. It was a perfectly good first novel that in no way drew me in. I put it down for a period of three weeks in the middle of the story and didn't miss it one bit. I have no intention of reading anything else by the author. He failed to make me care for any of the characters even a little. Even with their unbelievable character outlines (Katey, a daughter of immigrants, very well educated in fine arts, a real career girl; Eve, the poor little rich girl, who must have Tinker and all he stands for although they are the traits she seems to despise in her family), the characters all seemed flat and one dimensional. You spend a lot of time wondering why they like one another and spend so much time together. I spent the entire book with the sensation that Katey was actually a man because Towles does not evoke a believable female voice in the slightest. What Towles does excel at is romanticizing and glamorizing New York. You feel as though you are walking the streets with Katey and get transported to an era of Carole Lombard and Clark Gable. You almost feel the warmth of the city lights as you read the novel. He also writes some unexpectedly beautiful prose in many of his desciptions and has a great gift at penning some very amusing exchanges between the characters. I wouldn't say this is a negative review, but I fail to understand all the glowing reviews out there. Pick this novel up if you want something light to read or have already read The Great Gatsby and feel curious about all the comparisons out there. Just don't read it under the impression that it is one of those rare, perspective changing tales that will haunt you for years.

I read Mr. Towles second book, "A Gentleman in Moscow", first. That this book then gets only four stars from me is a defect in the rating system. I did really love "Civility" but clearly less than "Gentleman". I think, though, that much of the description of what is extraordinary about Civility is a bit off base. Yes, there's NYC high society depicted here, but it's not what the book is "about". There are also great scenes of it's docks and immigrant quarters, about doormen, and painters and its dive jazz bars a bit before jazz became cool for the elite as well as the working class, all in a time when you could buy a used book for fifteen cents. For me this is a quintessentially American and NYC star-crossed lovers tale. It's told first person as (mostly) a reminiscence by the woman so crossed. The characters are many and varied and delightfully developed. The writing is witty and stylish. There's plenty of room to laugh and to cry. It's American and NYC because it's tough and ambitious and the crossing stars are entirely of the character's own making, no fateful long term family enmities lead to the fateful course, the protagonists (and supporting cast) handle all the crossing quite democratically on their own. If I had a criticism, it would be only compared to "Gentleman" where the ending was so spectacular (IMHO). Here, things just kind of wind down out of the late 30's, early 40's and sputter to a 1966 ending that's, I would say, satisfying, But, by contrast, in "Gentleman" you might be tempted to stand up and cheer. Still, Kate and the Count would have been great pals.

This is a debut novel by Amor Towles. It is set in the 1930s in New York City. The protagonist is a female. I have read numerous other reviews. I agree with many of them. The book does indeed remind me of "The Great Gadsby" set in the 1930s. Gadsby is set in the New York area in the 1920s and the protagonist narrator is a male. There is no foul language whatsoever in Gadsby. There is some foul language in this novel. I have read the other novel by Amor Towles, "A Gentleman In Moscow". That novel was written without foul language. Having said that I have to say I personally liked this novel as much as Gadsby. I think I like "A Gentleman In Moscow" better than this novel. The following paragraph may prove to be of little or no interest to some readers. I wish to remain somewhat vague at this point so as not to spoil the reading experience for someone who has yet to read this novel. First of all, it appears that there is more than one edition of this work. My Kindle edition is not identical to my audiobook edition. In any event, on my audiobook In chapter 5 there is discussion about the death of Virginia Woolf. This discussion has some details about her death which is historically accurate. Again, this novel is set in the 1930s. Virginia Woolf did not die until 1941. There is always a chance I was confused about the conversation as the female narrator is telling the story in retrospect. However in my Kindle edition, the name Virginia Woolf does not appear at all at this point in the novel and her name is replaced by another female author and the nature of death is different. I do not have a hard copy edition. I cannot help but wonder if the novel was published and then it was discovered that Virginia Woolf was still alive at this time and then there is a corrected edition. I do not know. My audiobook is narrated by Rebecca Lowman. She is excellent. The discrepancy is in the novel's chapter 5. It is listed as chapter 6 in the audiobook due to a chapter being allotted for the Preface. In summary I enjoyed this novel very much. It reminded me of some of the fine novels of the first half of the twentieth century except for the occasional foul language. The author proves that the use of such language is not necessary in his next novel. I hope Amor Towles continues to write more novels. Thank You...

I usually don't read fiction of this sort but knowing that it was authored by Towles, I lept in. I'd read Moscow and Lincoln and just loved reading words and thoughts strung together like... (here add an incredible Towles simile which defines the moment but elevates and expands one's appreciation of the subject). A wonderful story created by a master wordsmith.

Rules of Civility is a brilliantly crafted debut novel by Amor Towles, capturing the glamour and grit of 1930s New York through sharp prose and unforgettable characters. The story follows Katey Kontent, a smart and ambitious young woman navigating high society, friendships, and personal reinvention over the course of a transformative year. Towles’ writing is elegant and immersive, bringing the era to life with dazzling detail and a deep appreciation for the complexities of class, ambition, and fate. The novel reads like a modern classic, filled with sharp dialogue, richly drawn settings, and a protagonist whose journey is both compelling and thought-provoking. My wife loves Amor Towles’ books, and Rules of Civility was no exception. As his debut novel, it already showcases the skill and sophistication that make his writing so captivating. For anyone who enjoys historical fiction with style, depth, and memorable storytelling, this book is a must-read.

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.

I have written about the Rules of civility twice here already, and do not remember it any more .. But i can say again : Amos Towles is an imaginative, creative writer .This first person narrator book is written from the point of view of a young woman, energetic and intelligent. The author is quite successful in describing her life and experiences as she sees them. Many interesting similes and metaphors....

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