July 25, 2011 manhattan in the late 1930s is the setting for this saga of a bright, attractive and ambitious young woman whose relationships with her insecure roommate and the privileged adonis they meet in a jazz club are never the same after an auto accident. Rules of civility by amor towles reading guidebook club. Below are some answers to commonly asked questions about rules of civility. Rules of civility by amor towles book club discussion. In amor towless witty and slyly brutal debut novel, rules of civility, the protagonist is one katey kontent.
If you have other questions or would like to be on my distribution list for rare news of my writing and receive an occasional short story, please register on my contact page. Armed with little more than a formidable intellect, a bracing wit, and her own brand of cool nerve, katey embarks on a journey from a wall street secretarial pool through the upper echelons of new york society in search of a brighter future. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. I immediately read another book by the same author. Rules of civility, the first novel by amor towles, chronicles a transitional year in the life of a young woman in manhattan. At the outset, rules of civility appears to be about the interrelationship between katey, tinker and eve. In amor towless debut novel, rules of civility viking, postdepression manhattanthe glittering metropolis of cocktails, jazz clubs, and glamorous apartment towers guarded by knowing doormenis also the city of profound reinvention. In towless first novel, rules of civility, his clever heroine, who grew up in brooklyn as katya, restyles herself in 1930s manhattan as the more clubbable katey, aspiring to. I was even more excited when i figured out that while it was on the other side of the state in newnan, georgia, it did happen to coincide with when i would be traveling back home from being in columbus, georgia for work. Engaging your high school students in reading the rules of civility can be. Rules of civility from the new york timesbestselling author of a gentleman in moscow, a sharply stylish boston globe book for mom on mothers day about a young woman in postdepression era new york who suddenly finds herself thrust into high societynow with over one million readers worldwideon the last night of 1937, twentyfiveyearold katey kontent is in a secondrate greenwich.
If the unthinkable happened and i could never read another new work of fiction in 2011, id simply reread this sparkling, stylish book, with yet another round of martinis as dry as the authors wit jackie mcglone, herald jazzage new york is the setting for martinis and girls on the make in rules of civility by amor towles. He is a principal at an investment firm in manhattan, where he lives with his wife and two children. The stunning debut by the millioncopy bestselling author of a gentleman in moscow by towles, amor isbn. In 20, towles retired so he devote himself to fulltime writing. Amor towles wrote rules of civility and a gentleman in moscow two of my favorite books from last year. The novel, jaffes book is about the life of office girls in a 1950s publishing house. The new york times bestselling novel that enchants on first reading and only improves on the second the philadelphia inquirer this sophisticated and entertaining first novel presents the story of a young woman whose life is on the brink of transformation. His second novel, a gentleman in moscow, published in 2016, was also a new york times bestseller and. I was determined to finish it however, and im so glad i did what a thoughtprovoking read.
Amazon best books of the month, august 2011 set during the hazy, enchanting, and martinifilled world of new york city circa 1938, rules of civility follows three. Armed with little more than a formidable intellect, a bracing wit, and her own brand of cool nerve, katey embarks on a journey from a wall. From the new york timesbestselling author of a gentleman in moscow, a sharply stylish boston globe book for mom on mothers day. On the last night of 1937, twentyfiveyearold katey kontent. Rules of civility 2011 is set over one year in america in 1938, during the great depression and after the 1937 recession. Rules of civility by amor towles the deliberate reader. This wonderful chicago tribune and sharply stylish boston globe debut novel presents the story of a young woman whose life is on the brink. Even the most jaded new yorker can see the beauty in amor towles rules of civility, the antiqued portrait of an unlikely jet set making the most of manhattan.
Reviews, discussion questions and links for rules of civility. Rules of civility by amor towles 7 nov sometimes, im overly excited to talk to my book club about a book i liked and that was the case with rules of civility. Amor towles most recent novel, a gentleman in moscow, has received a lot of attention this year, but i had very little interest in it because i thought the title sounded boring. They are used in towles rules of civility as a reference by one of the key characters to appear refined in high. Buy rules of civility by amor towles online at alibris. He is an author whose best book is a gentleman in moscow. With no better plans or prospects, my roommate eve had dragged me back to the hotspot, a wishfully named nightclub in. Rules of civility by amor towles 9780143121169 booktopia. The first novel by the author of the gentleman of moscow, rules of civility is a. Rules of civility is, on one level, a delicious story about a young woman in manhattan in. Amor towles recreates the beautiful atmosphere of this era and fills the pages with people and events that take you back to this time of. He graduated from yale university and received an ma in english from stanford university, where he was a scowcroft fellow.
His second novel, a gentleman in moscow, published in 2016, was also a new york times. Manhattan in the 1930s with all its charm, sophistication and jazzage dynamics is the highlight of this book. Buy a discounted paperback of rules of civility online from australias leading online bookstore. Death in the ladies goddess club julian leatherdale. Its 1938 as the story opens, and katey has just about had it with the narrow options facing a young woman in depressionera manhattan. Katey kontent narrates her own journey through the year 1938, from the future perspective of 1966, after she runs upon photographs of a man named tinker grey. We are around the same age as the main character, katey. With its sparkling depiction of new yorks social strata, its intricate imagery and themes, and its immensely appealing characters, rules of civility won the hearts of readers and critics alike. Rules of civility amor towles, 2011 penguin group usa 352 pp. When a friend recommended the new novel by amor towles, gentleman of moscow, i did a little research and discovered that his first novel, rules of civility, received high praise, too. Refined manhattan shines with glamorous civility filled with snappy dialogue and sharp observations, amor towles elegant debut novel transports readers back to new york city circa 1938. Love, new york and all that jazz books the guardian. Amor towles new york, new york, 2011 about amor towles amor towles was born and raised just outside boston, massachusetts. And if your reading group is meeting for dinner in new york somewhere.
According to towles, the book was inspired by a business trip two years earlier as he mused. Climbing the manhattan social ladder in rules of civility. The san francisco chronicle glamorous gotham in one to relisha book that enchants on first reading and only improves on the second. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. When i learned that he was speaking in my state, i was thrilled. Buy a cheap copy of rules of civility book by amor towles. I realised then that this book will be unforgotten by me. His second book, a gentleman in moscow came out in 2016. His first novel, rules of civility, published in 2011, was a new york times bestseller and was named by the wall street journal as one of the best books of 2011. Are dicky vanderwhile, wallace wolcott, bitsy, peaches, hank and anne grandyn as essential to kateys story as. On the last night of 1937, poor 25yearold katherine katey kontent, and her friend eve ross, meet rich theodore tinker grey, a handsome banker, at the hotspot jazz club.
Here are some basic questions to get a book club discussion going i mean, lets try not to gossip the whole time. Besides eve, katey spends most of the book talking to men. Set in new york city in 1938, rules of civility tells the story of a watershed year in the life of an uncompromising twentyfiveyearold named katey kontent. Rules of civility by amor towles book trailer youtube. Finally, in 2006, he made another effort, this time succeeding with what would become his 2011 debut novel, rules of civility. Rules of civility by amor towles, 9781410443243, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Rules of civility by amor towles offers what i see as a more unique perspective on the 1930s and 40s. Born and raised in the boston area, amor towles graduated from yale college and received an ma in english from stanford university. And by the way, the title of the book comes from rules of civility and decent behaviour in company and conversation, a list of 110 rules compiled by george washington as part of a school exercise when he was sixteen.
However, after reading this book, im pretty sure ill read anything amor towles writes. One of my book clubs picks for our book flight in september, and i hadnt quite finished it before our retreat. Our book for this month is amor towles novel rules of civility. On the last night of 1937, twentyfiveyearold katey kontent is in a secondrate greenwich village jazz bar when tinker grey, a. Rules of civility by amor towles the next book on the shelf. Im convinced he can make just about any subject absolutely compelling. Rules of civility by amor towles discussion questions.
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