Just a quick review: this is Towles first novel. His second, "A Gentleman in Moscow," is a book I devoured and one which I totally enjoyed.
"Rules of Civility" takes place in New York in 1938, just as America is beginning to climb out of the terrible dungeon of the Great Depression. The story follows a young woman, Katey Content, as she makes her way through the web of friendships, jobs, romance and disappointment. It is a very good story, told well. Yes, there is similarity with "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and "The Great Gatsby" but not enough to put one off. (And those two novels take place in different time frames as well.) Towles often has a glimmering turn of phrase, wry observations and poignant details that all converge to give the reader (or the listener in this case) a wonderful portal into the characters' emotional lives as well as their day-to-day experiences.
Towles is a great teller of stories. In the end, whether it's a gentleman in Moscow or a young woman in Manhattan, he weaves a story of many threads and creates a fabric of rich characters, locations and situations. I hope he writes many more books.
If you find this at the library, read it. You will enjoy it.
Just finished it. A good read that got better and better. I liked "A Gentleman in Moscow" better though. That's just me.
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