Rules of Civility
The stunning debut by the million-copy bestselling author of A Gentleman in Moscow
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4.3 • 202 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
The unforgettable debut by the million-copy bestselling author of A Gentleman in Moscow, The Lincoln Highway and Table for Two
'Irresistible'
Daily Telegraph
'Impossibly glamorous'
The Times
'Fabulous'
Observer
On the last night of 1937, twenty-five-year-old Katey Kontent is in a second-rate New York City jazz bar trying to stretch three dollars as far as it will go.
But a chance encounter with the handsome banker at the next table changes everything, opening the door to the upper echelons of New York society and a glittering new social circle. Plunged into a dizzy world of cocktail parties, sprawling mansions and glamorous magazine offices, Katey soon learns that there are rules to play by and riches can turn to rags in the trip of a heartbeat . . .
Praise for Amor Towles
'He makes it all seem effortless'
Tana French
'A masterful writer'
Washington Times
'One of the best of today's historical novelists'
Express
'A supreme storyteller'
Publishers Weekly
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In his smashing debut, Towles details the intriguing life of Katherine Kontent and how her world is upended by the fateful events of 1938. Kate and her roommate, Evelyn Ross, have moved to Manhattan for its culture and the chance to class up their lives with glamour be it with jazz musicians, trust fund lotharios, or any man with a hint of charm who will pay for dinner and drinks. Both Kate and Evelyn are enamored of sophisticated Tinker Grey, who they meet in a jazz club; he appears to be another handsome, moneyed gent, but as the women vie for his affection, a tragic event may seal a burgeoning romance's fate. New York's wealthy class is thick with snobbery, unexpected largesse, pettiness, jealousies, and an unmistakable sense of who belongs and who does not, but it's the undercurrent of unease as with Towles's depiction of how the upper class can use its money and influence to manipulate others' lives in profoundly unsavory ways that gives his vision depth and complexity. His first effort is remarkable for its strong narrative, original characters and a voice influenced by Fitzgerald and Capote, but clearly true to itself.
Customer Reviews
Loved
Delicious!! Stayed up too late too many nights reading this book.
An engrossing love story that I could not put down
This is the story of Kate , the daughter of a Russian emigrant , finding her way in pre ww2 New York .
The story starts on New Years Eve 1937 when she and her girlfriend Eve are at a speakeasy where they encounter a handsome man about town , Theodore Grey . The consequences of this meeting will shape the rest of their lives.