Random House Books for Young Readers Rules of Civility

This is an excellent book - very well written and very difficult to put down. The prose is very compelling too, and the writing is very witty as well.

Reviewing “Rules of Civility” is a pleasure. The novel resembles classic American literature, reminiscent of Hemingway's style. The storytelling is engaging, with exquisite language. The plot unfolds at a delightful pace, and the writing's depth and elegance are captivating. Unlike many modern American novels, this one doesn't seem tailored for film or TV adaptations. Reading it is refreshing, like a breath of fresh air. It was an absolute delight, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I’ve read quite a lot of books during this COVID period. I read A Gentleman In Moscow and liked it enough to buy another Amor Towles book. While I liked A Gentleman In Moscow, I really loved Rules Of Civility. It’s about choices, second chances, social class, and hope. Best book I’ve read in awhile.

Im Mittelpunkt der Geschichte steht eine Sekretärin mit dem drolligen Namen Katey Kontent, die in der Silvesternacht des Jahres 1937 gemeinsam mit ihrer Freundin Eve die Bekanntschaft von Tinker Grey macht. Ein Treffen, durch das sie unvermittelt Zugang zur besseren Gesellschaft Manhattans erhält und das ihr ganzes Leben verändert. Als Leser darf man Katey und ihre Freunde über einen Zeitraum von etwa zwei Jahren begleiten - von Job zu Job, von Dinner zu Dinner, von Cocktailparty zu Cocktailparty. Das Buch ist gleichzeitig Gesellschaftsroman und Liebesgeschichte. Vor allem aber ist es ein grandioses Portrait von New York in den 1930er Jahren. Es ist erstaunlich, wie gut es Towles gelingt, diese Ära lebendig werden zu lassen. Obwohl "Rules of Civility" Jahrzehnte später geschrieben wurde, wird man bei der Lektüre unweigerlich an die Romane von Scott F. Fitzgerald und Edith Wharton erinnert. Nicht die schlechteste Voraussetzung, um zu einem modernen Klassiker zu werden. Bemerkenswert finde ich auch, dass ein männlicher Autor einer weiblichen Ich-Erzählerin so gekonnt seine Stimme leiht. Katey ist eine moderne, selbstbewusste und clevere Figur, und sie klingt immer eindeutig weiblich. Towles' Schreibstil ist elegant und makellos. Kaum zu glauben, dass dies sein allererster Roman ist. Er wird sich mit seinem zweiten Buch vermutlich schwer tun - es gibt einfach kaum etwas zu verbessern. Mein einziger Kritikpunkt ist, dass es in dem Buch keinen erkennbaren Spannungsbogen gibt; die Handlung verläuft relativ gleichmäßig und ohne echte Höhen und Tiefen. Trotzdem ein beeindruckendes Debüt, das mir ausgezeichnet gefallen hat.

Reminiscent of the plays by Noel Coward, Rules of Civility is a literary jaunt in 1930's Manhattan. Our narrator, Kate Kontent, the daughter of Russian immigrants, born in Brooklyn, and living in New York City works for a Law Firms typing pool, residing in a woman's boarding house, and frequents jazz clubs, and out-of-the-way bars. Kate is an unusual young woman, seemingly centered for her age, intelligent, and a card-carrying bibliophile, she meets a handsome banker in a hole-in-the-wall jazz dive. Kate's roommate and best friend, Eve, is a typical Midwestern girl, who also is centered, forthright, blond, and very pretty. In the beginning, both women vie for Tinker's (Theodore Gray)) affections, when a drastic twist of fate occurs, changing the trajectory of all their lives. The story is about New York's wealthy elite, following Kate and Eve's immersion and rise in that gilded world. Although Eve remains true to her middle-class sensibilities, she views this elite world with almost a cheeky disdain. Whereas our protagonist, Kate, comes from an immigrant working-class background, though she adapts or fits right into this lofty existence of doorman-fronted upscale apartments, expensive restaurants, and exclusive gatherings, as she appears to be one of them. At the same time, however, she is a woman true to herself. Curiously, at the center of the tale is Young Washington's Rules of Civility & Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation. There are 110 rules written by the young first president to follow when engaging with society or “polite society. For example: 10th When you Sit down, Keep your Feet firm and Even, without putting one on the other or Crossing them 17th Be no Flatterer, neither Play with any that delights not to be Play'd Withal. 22nd Shew not yourself glad at the Misfortune of another though he were your enemy. This is a “Manners maketh the Man” guide to being a gentleman in polite society, and its use and application in the novel becomes clear much further in the book. The only reason I came to this novel is Towel's most recent text, A Gentleman in Moscow, was such a great pleasure to read. One has to admit that Rules of Civility is a much different text, though it includes the charm, wit, and stylish prose expected of a first-rate novel. Recommended for a quiet Sunday afternoon.