Rules of Civility: A Novel

From the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of The Lincoln Highway and A Gentleman in Moscow, a "sharply stylish" (Boston Globe) book about a young woman in post-Depression era New York who suddenly finds herself thrust into high society--now with over one million readers worldwide

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 down at the neighboring table. This chance encounter and its startling consequences propel Katey on a year-long journey into 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.

With its sparkling depiction of New York's social strata, its intricate imagery and themes, and its immensely appealing characters, Rules of Civility won the hearts of readers and critics alike.

BUY THE BOOK

368 pages

Average rating: 7.54

424 RATINGS

|

14 REVIEWS

Community Reviews

Mrs. Awake Taco
Nov 13, 2024
4/10 stars
What was the point?

I didn’t develop an emotional connection with any of the characters, mostly because their actual emotions were so vague as to not make an impact. I finished and was like “okay? So what?” In terms of things that happened, I suppose there were plenty. But I didn’t give a fig about the characters, so it didn’t matter that there was a car wreck or an affair or an enlistment. The setting buoyed me for 2/3 of the book (even though I wanted the 20s and ended up in the late 30s… definitely not the same), but then nothing continued to happen and I continued to not care about any of the characters.

Not my cup of tea.
SharonLooksAtBooks
Oct 24, 2024
8/10 stars
What I liked: A Great Gatsby style of story set in 1939 New York about a close circle of self destructive young people that have great impacts on each other’s lives. What I disliked: This is a dialogue heavy book where the author failed to use any quotation marks!
polarbearreads
Sep 06, 2024
10/10 stars


Oh how I adore Katey Kontent! I am tempted to go back to page one and read it again. What a delight.
Book.Girl71
Aug 23, 2024
10/10 stars
Nothing like starting the year off with a 5 star bang!

It was just fabulous!

Highly recommend!
boyleschris
Jul 21, 2024
Chris's pick. 👍🏻 Fiction. A Fitzgerald-like story of three people reinventing themselves in late 30s NYC.

See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.