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This Book Perfectly Captures the Essence of 1930s Manhattan Glamor

Updated: Mar 10

Amor Towles might be best known for A Gentleman in Moscow, but his debut novel Rules of Civility is equally as stunning. Set in 1938, the story follows the intersecting lives of second-generation American Katey Kontent and alluring banker Tinker Grey as they navigate life in Manhattan. Towles is a master at setting the scene, at capturing the essence of a place--just as he did with Moscow's Hotel Metropol, he makes Manhattan come alive. And not just its physical settings (from The Plaza to the dockyards), but its more ineffable character, as well--the senses of anticipation and excitement, despair and unease, regret and shame, possibility and greed. Is it a love story? Kind of. As with A Gentleman in Moscow, it's difficult to categorize. It's a Bildungsroman, an exploration on life in a transition period--both for New York and the world at large, a study on upward mobility and social climbing, and an ode to the ripple effects of chance encounters. Its tone is a powerful blend of emotions--it speaks of yearning and striving, hope and sadness, and the end page left me in tears, it was so moving. I'm heading to New York City next week, and am looking forward to seeing it through new eyes, to following in the footsteps of Katey, Tinker, Eve, Ann, and Dick...



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