Rules of Civility



Rules of Civility by Amor Towles



Grade: A

Profanity: A little, including a few scattered F-bombs

Graphic content (sex, murder,etc.): A few sexual innuendos, but nothing graphic

This was October's Book Club pick. I am a bit fascinated with the 20's/ 30's era, so I figured I'd enjoy this book... And it didn't disappoint. : )  Here is my back cover summary:

On the last night of 1937, twenty-five-year-old Katey Kontent is in a second-rate Greenwich Village jazz bar when Tinker Grey, a handsome banker, happens to sit at the neighboring table. This chance encounter and its startling consequences propel her on a yearlong journey toward the upper echelons of New York society -- where she will have little to rely upon other than a bracing wit and her own brand of cool nerve.

While other members of my Book Club complained that it was hard to get "into" the story in the beginning, I enjoyed it from start to finish. That may be because of my inner "wish-I-had-moved-to-New-York-and-lived-a-glamorous-city-life-when-I-was-younger" self though. Katey's life, while filled with it's fair share of drama and sadness, is never a dull one. I really enjoyed her character and the way she interacted with everyone else in the book.

While I wouldn't call the ending "happily-ever-after" per se, I was fairly pleased with it. There are several twists and turns in the book that I didn't see coming, so Towles did a great job in keeping me interested. I think it flowed well, and I chuckled often... mostly at Katey's wittiness. There are a few sad moments, but nothing that brought tears to my eyes. And there are a couple semi-scandalous moments, but nothing that made me blush. ; )

I really enjoyed reading Rules of Civility and do recommend it, especially if you're a Great Gatsby fan. (SO excited for the movie!!!) I think it had a slight hint of The Bell Jar too... Have you read it? What did you think?