So i was worried as i picked rules of civility as our instore book club. In towless first novel, rules of civility, his clever heroine, who grew up in brooklyn as katya, restyles herself in 1930s manhattan as the more clubbable katey, aspiring to. But those little tidbits are not the bulk of this quite plotty pacey novel, which is a this book was strange for me, at points, it was a 5, at other points a 1. Suggested book and reading club discussion questions for rules of civility. Jul 09, 2018 rules of civility 2011 is set over one year in america in 1938, during the great depression and after the 1937 recession. Rules of civility by amor towles book trailer duration.
Aug 14, 2011 in towless first novel, rules of civility, his clever heroine, who grew up in brooklyn as katya, restyles herself in 1930s manhattan as the more clubbable katey, aspiring to. Rules of civility, the first novel by amor towles, chronicles a transitional year in the life of a young woman in manhattan. Are dicky vanderwhile, wallace wolcott, bitsy, peaches, hank and. Apr 1, 20 our book for this month is amor towles novel rules of civility. Armed with little more than a formidable intellect, a bracing wit, and her own brand of cool nerve, katey embarks on a journey from a wall street secretarial pool. Rules of civility by amor towles book club discussion. The book was designed with twentysix chapters, because there are fiftytwo weeks in the year and i allotted myself two weeks to draft, revise and bank each chapter.
In amor towless debut novel, rules of civility viking, postdepression manhattanthe glittering metropolis of cocktails, jazz clubs, and glamorous apartment towers guarded by knowing doormenis also the city of profound reinvention. I was one of the few folks in our book discussion that even saw the book as a comedy. Katey and eve stretch their few dollars out each evening on the town. This was a great discussion and we used our entire allotted time to discuss it.
The civility of his books title is very often a puton. Its so nice to be able to finally discuss i read this last summer and skimmed it for this months book club. The stunning debut by the millioncopy bestselling author of a gentleman in moscow by towles, amor isbn. June 27, 2012 amor towles debuts with a crisp, 1930s manhattan love story, while george pelecanos and sapphire return with. I used this deepseated familiarity as the foundation for inventing my version of 1938 new york in rules of civility.
How does rules of civility compare to a gentleman in. And one attendee said it best when, after having this subject come up several times in meetings, she noted the clear indication that rules of civility was written by a man is that katey kontent is not obsessed with her relationship with her late mother. Rules of civility by amor towles book club discussion questions. I know many of you have read rules of civility tracy. Answer flag after reading a gentleman in moscow, im curious. Amor towles recreates the beautiful atmosphere of this era and fills the pages with people and events that take you back to this time of witty conversation. I may or may not have skipped out on another meeting to come to this book club. Jun, 2011 rules of civility by amor towles book trailer duration. Jul 26, 2011 this sophisticated and entertaining first novel presents the story of a young woman whose life is on the brink of transformation. These little nuggets are katys own rules of civility and they made the book worth reading. Commentary on the role of jazz in the book is included here. Rules of civility is a beautifully written novel set in postdepression new york city.
Climbing the manhattan social ladder in rules of civility. His second book, a gentleman in moscow came out in 2016. Rules of civility takes its name from the famous guide to decorum that george washington copied down as a young man, which tinker keeps with him. After a few weeks of preparation, i started rules of civilityon january 1, 2006, and wrapped it up 365 days later.
His first novel, rules of civility, published in 2011, was a new york times bestseller and was named by the wall street journal as one of the best books of 2011. I was so glad to hear that a lot of the other readers really enjoyed it as well. True civility is stiff and prim traits nowhere in evidence in a splashy, dishy novel like rules of civility. Our book for this month is amor towles novel rules of civility. Find discussion questions and reading group guide for rules of civility by amor towles. But amor towless novel is a different endeavour and puts its own retro stamp on self. Her writing has appeared in the awl, the av club, the chicago reader, and chicago magazine. Yet uncivil behaviors that do not cross the illegal threshold impose costs.
It tells the story of kate, a wise and wellread working girl, who suddenly finds herself maneuvering through the sparkling upper echelons of high society. Katey kontent, daughter of russian immigrants, and evie ross, from the sleepy midwest, are an ambitious, wisecracking pair who, despite lack of money and connections, aim to set. How author amor towles developed his writing skills authorcuts duration. Katey kontent narrates her own journey through the year 1938, from the future perspective of 1966, after she runs upon photographs of a man named tinker grey. Rules of civility amor towles, 2011 penguin group usa 352 pp. This 52page guide for rules of civility by amor towles includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 26 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis.
What follows are some questions for discussion that might have surfaced in my reading group. Some books i will skim but this one every line is worth reading. At the outset, rules of civility appears to be about the interrelationship between katey, tinker, and eve. In amor towless witty and slyly brutal debut novel, rules of civility, the protagonist is one katey kontent. Diane parfitt i loved a gentleman in moscow and was ready to read another book by towles.
Apr 01, 20 our book for this month is amor towles novel rules of civility. You may submit your thoughts or questions to me at my. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Here are our discussion questions for rules of civility. This detailed literature summary also contains topics for discussion on rules of civility by amor towles. Here are some basic questions to get a book club discussion going i mean, lets. Bookbrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfictionbooks that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. Rules of civility takes its name from the famous guide to decorum that george.
Join us on goodreads where you can find more information about the online version of the book club. Armed with little more than a formidable intellect, a bracing wit, and her own brand of cool nerve, katey embarks on a journey from a wall street secretarial pool through the upper echelons of new york society in search of a brighter future. Set in new york city in 1938, rules of civility tells the story of a watershed year in the life of an uncompromising twentyfiveyear old named katey kontent. You may also submit your thoughts or questions there. June 27, 2012 amor towles debuts with a crisp, 1930s manhattan love story. Did you find her relatable even though her story takes place 75 years ago. These stories were available for awhile as an ebook. Rules of civility is a book to draw discussion on so many levels, the lyrical writing, the defined characters, the complete conjuring up of 1930s new york and the moral dilemmas a. If you have other questions or would like to be on my distribution list for rare news. These are just a few of the questions raised in see now then.
This sophisticated and entertaining first novel presents the story of a young woman whose life is on the brink of transformation. Discussion questions for rules of civility by amor. In the fall of 2012, the novel was optioned to be made into a feature film. Aug 25, 2011 still, towles gets the emotional heft of things right. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. Here are some basic questions to get a book club discussion going i mean, lets try not to gossip the whole time. So i was worried as i picked rules of civility as our instore book club selection for. The novel examines how, by changing your attitudes, behaviors, and manners, you can reinvent yourself, and how katey, tinker, and eve all did this in 1938.
According to towles, the book was inspired by a business trip two years earlier as he mused. Below are some answers to commonly asked questions about rules of civility. Elegant and captivating, rules of civility turns a jamesian eye on how spur of the moment decisions define life for decades to come. Everything about this novel, set in 1930s new york, is achingly stylish from the authors name to the slinky jacket design. Even as young man, i was a fan of the 1920s and 1930s, eagerly reading the novels, watching the movies, and listening to the music of the era. Author steve paskoff explains the myopia of illegality. Besides eve, katey spends most of the book talking to men. If you have other questions or would like to be on my distribution list for rare news of my writing and receive an occasional short story, please register on my contact page. Manhattan in the 1930 s with all its charm, sophistication and jazzage dynamics is the highlight of this book. If you cant make a meeting in person or you just cant wait until the meeting to start the discussion, no problem. Aug 31, 2011 rules of civility takes its name from the famous guide to decorum that george washington copied down as a young man, which tinker keeps with him.
Are dicky vanderwhile, wallace wolcott, bitsy, peaches, hank, and anne grandyn as essential to kateys story as tinker and. After rules of civility was published, i wrote a series of six interlinked short stories called eve in hollywood, which follow her to tinseltown in 1938. For more information, all resources are linked below. Forni writes, our contentment and happiness are a matter of personal attitude. Here are some basic questions to get a book club discussion going i mean, lets try. How does rules of civility compare to a gentleman in moscow. Nov 09, 2012 note that we rarely have this discussion in the other direction. I suppose you cant rush a good thing, but i hope it doesnt take five years for the release of his next novel. Nov 29, 2018 rules of civility, his first novel, was published in 2011 and then his second and only other novel, a gentleman in moscow, was published in 2016. Commentary on the role of walker evanss photography in the book is included here. His second novel, a gentleman in moscow, published in 2016, was also a new york times. Another book authored by amor towles a gentleman in moscow. Set in new york city in 1938, rules of civility tells the story of a watershed year in the life of an uncompromising twentyfiveyearold named katey kontent.
This is a coming of age tale for people in their twenties, as it explores aspirations. Finally, in 2006, he made another effort, this time succeeding with what would become his 2011 debut novel, rules of civility. Reviews, discussion questions and links for rules of civility. Jul 20, 2011 rules of civility by amor towles caused a stir last year on account of the sizeable advance paid by the british publisher for this first novel reputedly. If you are interested, there is additional content regarding rules of civility at including brief essays. From the new york timesbestselling author of a gentleman in moscow, a sharply stylish boston globe book for mom on mothers day about a young woman in postdepression era new york who suddenly finds herself thrust into high societynow with over one million readers worldwide on the last night of 1937, twentyfiveyearold katey kontent is in a secondrate.
Aug 02, 2011 refined manhattan shines with glamorous civility filled with snappy dialogue and sharp observations, amor towles elegant debut novel transports readers back to new york city circa 1938. Are dicky vanderwhile, wallace wolcott, bitsy, peaches, hank, and anne grandyn as essential to kateys story as tinker and eve. From the new york timesbestselling author of a gentleman in moscow, a sharply stylish boston globe book for mom on mothers day about a young woman in postdepression era new york who suddenly finds herself thrust into high societynow with over one million readers worldwide. Rules of civility by amor towles reading guidebook club. The novel, jaffes book is about the life of office girls in a 1950s publishing house. Set largely in 1930sera new york city, amor towless rules of civility tells the story of katey kontent, a young woman dissatisfied with the options presented to her by the stratefied society around her. Amor towles recreates the beautiful atmosphere of this era and fills the pages with people and events that take you back to this time of witty conversation, lavish parties and soaring ambitions. A love letter to a great american city at the end of the depression, readers will quickly fall under its spell of crisp writing, sparkling atmosphere and breathtaking revelations, as towles evokes the ghosts of. If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel that. We will be reading and discussing rules of civility by amor towles. Although the cover of the book grabbed my attention since i saw it in a bookstore a few months ago, for some reason i didnt buy it and then i regretted my decision when i saw it mentioned on your blog. Manhattan in the 1930s with all its charm, sophistication and jazzage dynamics is the highlight of this book. On the last night of 1937, twentyfiveyearold katey kontent is in a secondrate greenwich village jazz bar when tinker grey, a handsome banker, happens to sit down at the neighboring table. Amazon best books of the month, august 2011 set during the hazy, enchanting, and martinifilled world of new york city circa 1938, rules of civility follows three friendskatey, eve, and tinkerfrom their chance meeting at a jazz club on new years eve through a year of enlightening and occasionally tragic adventures.
A few friends who had read both didnt like rules of civility as much. Amor towles answers questions on his novel, a gentleman in moscow. I find it difficult to start another book as it will be a hard act to follow. On the last night of 1937, poor 25yearold katherine katey kontent, and her friend eve ross, meet rich theodore tinker grey, a handsome banker, at the hotspot jazz club. Rules of civility is a book to draw discussion on so many levels, the lyrical writing, the defined characters, the complete conjuring up of 1930s new york and the moral dilemmas a definite reading group thumbs up. At the outset, rules of civility appears to be about the interrelationship between katey, tinker and eve. Rules of civility 2011 is set over one year in america in 1938, during the great depression and after the 1937 recession. Partway through rules of civility, the novels autodidact protagonist goes to work for a book publisher that is conservatively described by its celebrated fiction editor as being decades behind. So, if youve come this far, i owe you my heartfelt thanks.
The book was rated by the wall street journal as one of the ten best works of fiction in 2011. Discussion questions for rules of civility are listed. Born and raised in the boston area, amor towles graduated from yale college and received an ma in english from stanford university. Book club may 2019 rules of civility by amor towles. Refined manhattan shines with glamorous civility filled with snappy dialogue and sharp observations, amor towles elegant debut novel transports readers back to new york city circa 1938. We are around the same age as the main character, katey. We also have an online book club and discussion page. Are dicky vanderwhile, wallace wolcott, bitsy, peaches, hank and anne grandyn as essential to kateys story as tinker and eve. Armed with little more than a formidable intellect, a bracing wit, and her own brand of cool nerve, katey embarks on a journey from a wall. And in the end, i was one of the few folks in our book discussion that. Amor towles answers questions on his novel, a gentleman in. Katey kontent narrates her own journey through the year 1938, from.
Its 1938 as the story opens, and katey has just about had it with the narrow options facing a young woman in depressionera manhattan. In 20, towles retired so he devote himself to fulltime writing. All the major characters, from tinker the banker, to bitsy the socialite, to anne, the older confidante kates other admirers, wallace and dicky, skirt stereotypes of. I am only two months late, but i just wanted to say how much i enjoyed reading the rules of civility discussion you hosted.
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