Book Review: The Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

Greatness. . . Think The Great Gatsby

I loved this one. 

I really don't know that I can say enough about how much I enjoyed this particular book. I don't use the comparison to The Great Gatsby often, but it's well deserved in this case.

The time period might be a little later, but the voices of the characters and the descriptions reminded me so much of that classic novel. Much of the story follows the theme of materialism and consumerism as we follow Katey Kontent's chance meeting at a bar in Greenwich Village with Tinker Gray, a charming banker who seems to have it all. This introduction connects Katey with a new group of people, the upper class located in Manhattan and their world.

As Katey and her friend Eve, rub shoulders with a new social class, we learn that life is not always what it seems. The glitter often dazzles but there's still raw emotion of envy, inadequacy, and all the things that everyone experienced. This book is also about networking at its finest. Before social media's inventions of LinkedIn and Twitter, showing up at an event was often enough to propel a person to new opportunities.

What I liked about this book was that we met Katey in present times when she sees photos of Tinker Gray at an exhibition and that triggers her reminiscing of the pivotal year of 1938 she experienced. Listening to her tell her story, and the story of all her friends in the past, shows a marked change of dialog and tone, than the present tense.

I found this book just fascinating. Enjoyable and fun. Read this one!