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
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Community Reviews
What was the point?
I didnât 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 âokay? So what?â In terms of things that happened, I suppose there were plenty. But I didnât give a fig about the characters, so it didnât 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.
I didnât 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 âokay? So what?â In terms of things that happened, I suppose there were plenty. But I didnât give a fig about the characters, so it didnât 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.
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!
Oh how I adore Katey Kontent! I am tempted to go back to page one and read it again. What a delight.
Chris's pick. 👍🏻
Fiction. A Fitzgerald-like story of three people reinventing themselves in late 30s NYC.
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