This is the best book I have read this year and I read one a week. It was hard to put down after such a striking beginning. I felt like I was back in 1938. My vocabulary improved as well. There is a great deal to discuss in this novel for book clubs.

Amazingly well-written for an author's first work -- highly recommended!

Loved this book! The main character was an intelligent woman making her way in the 1930's. There were many twists, and I appreciated the vocabulary. The story was so descriptive that I truly felt like she was a real person, and I really wanted to be her friend!!

This book started slowly for me but I loved the writing and the characters.

A very good book and we decided we liked it more than we realized after we discussed it.

This story was a piece of marzipan. Beautiful, yet small (not a voluminous tome) on the outside, yet complex, sublime, layered with flavor and completely satisfying on the inside. I noted "Insightful" twice in my word selection to describe, "Rules of CIvility". There were several passages as well as single sentences that were remarkable simply because of the images or feelings they represented to the reader (me!). Towles is nothing if not pithy when conveying a large idea. Technically, the text was tight and the editing spot on. Perhaps I wished for a different conclusion, but that's what happens after you eat a confection. One always wants a little more.

If you enjoy romantic American biographical novels or fiction set in NYC during the glory days of the 20's and 30's, such as The Paris Wife or The Great Gatsby, you will enjoy this as well. Believe it or not, it was written by a male author, so it has some masculine input rather than just being a romanticized "chick" novel. The author wove in George Washington's Rules of Civility, which enriched the theme of the novel.

Amor Towles paints the 1930's NYC social scene with both wannabes and those in charge. His intriguing characters captivate the reader as he brushes in historically accurate local color. The philosophizing of Thoreau and George Washington plied their influence on the young characters --and added fuel to our discussion. Our book club enjoyed the author's website and jazz playlist, too. We nearly field-tripped from RI to Canal Street to take him up on his offer to attend!

This was the first book for Amor Towles. The plot was weak but he defines the characters beautifully. The Rules at the end were very interesting and some still apply to good manners today.

Enjoyed the book, not so much the ending. But if you like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Towles' writing will appeal to you.

This book was a HUGE hit with our book club! We read it MANY books ago and still talk about it! HIGHLY suggest!

delightful...absorbing character study, extremely well written...

Well written characters & story. The book brings to life the cool vibe & sophistication of 1930's New York City. Strong female characters. Led to good discussions about chance encounters, the decisions we make, and first impressions.

I did find the beginning a little slow but then it took off and there were parts that were so wonderful I had to listen to it again. (I audiobooked it.)
The chapter involving the flying of paper airplanes was exquisite; I will remember it always.
I also have an interest in George Washington and was enthralled that he had written a tenet on comportment.

Beautifully written fun book.

Prior to picking up "Rules" I read a review that stated that this reader's original rating would have been a four, but after going back and rereading the prelude they changed their mind and gave it a five. This holds true for me too. Towles wrote a great story with unexpected twists, ah ha moments and ironies. My thought - Often times a photo tells a thousand words....but they are always open for interpretation.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a great story and so well written. I found it hard to put down. I really enjoyed the focus on the strong protagonist and the fun Manhattan social setting that allowed her character to thrive.

It helped me sleep at night. May cause drowsiness.

Overall, we liked the book. We were all intrigued by the opening, and enjoyed a look at the nicer side of NYC in the late 30\\\'s. In general, we didn\\\'t \\\"like\\\" most of the characters, but then most of them were users of others, and social climbers, grasping for a foot hold in a world that appeared brighter and better.

I enjoyed this book and the story immensely. It was fun to be transported to another time through a relateable character in a circumstance that is relative to life today.

The main character shares her thoughts, feelings and flaws with you which makes her interesting. You feel as though you've walked in her shoes, worn her dress and swigged her gin.

I had never heard of this book before it was suggested for our book club. What an amazing surprise. Well written and engaging... everyone in our club enjoyed. It brought all of us back to thoughts of The Great Gatsby so much that we are now reading Mr. Fitzgerald for our next book.

The member who hosted our book club found questions on the author\\\'s website. If you live in a certain area of New York City, he claims he will even try to attend your meeting.

Though this might have not been one of the best books our club has read, \\\"Rules of Civility\\\" made for a really great book club discussion.

I loved the descriptions. "Leather the color of summer skin".

I adored this book- it was truly one of my top picks of the year. Beautifully written and fascinating characters that stayed with me for a long time after I'd finished it.

It was beautifully written, and the story line was rich with complexity. One of the interesting things about the book was that it took place in the late 30\\\'s, which is a time period that it is not typically covered in novels.

Beautiful writing. You can visualize every character and you fully understand each one. You get wrapped up in their lives, their decisions, their motives. Very lively book club discussion regarding the book and decisions made on a personal level.

excellent first novel, quite brilliant. A fascinating slice of life in Manhattan between the Depression and the War, among the haves and wish-they-hads.

Look through the peephole into 3 lives in 1938. The time era is interesting and lively. This is an easy read that transports you to that time vividly set in New York City. cheers

This was one book that was a joy to pick up and read - it transported you into another world and left you with little pearls of wisdom along the way. The whole group thought this book was a winner!

This book was the November selection for my book club, and I really loved it! The characters were so well fleshed out, and there were layers to each of them. There were a lot of characters, yet all of them were invaluable to the story.

There were many little tidbits that I felt showed brilliant insight into the human condition.

My final word: I loved this book! The characters were so full and rich, that I mentioned at our book club that I could read additional books based on each of the other characters. Brilliant, sweeping, intriguing, fast moving. This is one grand tale!

Couldn\'t put it down

This book inspired more conversation than just about any book our club has read. Some said it was a bit slow to get going but all enjoyed the story.

Comedic but touching look at NYC society in 1038.
Main character highly sympathetic.

I discovered another author! That is what I say, usually to myself, when I want to read everything written by the author of a book I just read. And that’s how I feel about Amor Towles after reading RULES OF CIVILITY.

Simply put, this book is about a year in the life of a 25-year-old woman in New York in 1938. Her story begins when she is living in a boardinghouse and working as a secretary in the typing pool at a law firm. She soon becomes involved with people who have plenty of time and money to drink and party--and not just on weekends.

A story like that may not sound appealing. It didn’t to me. But in the hands (head?) of Towles, you should be pleasantly surprised, as I was.

RULES OF CIVILITY actually begins in 1966 when that woman attends an exhibition of photographs at the art museum. By chance, two of the pictures are of an old friend. So most of the rest of the book is her flashback, with that friend as one of the major influences on her year.

I never get emotional about a novel. It’s fiction. But at two points in this book, I got choked up, almost cried. It’s that good.

Our club enjoyed this read. We liked the characters and found them interesting in the ways they played into Katey's life. The beginning at the photography exhibition was a great way to start the story. Very Gatsby like in character.

Loved this book! Amor Towles takes us back to 1938 and shows us New York City in all its glory and muck. Our heroine, Katie, is street smart, tough, and engaging. Her observations of the city and the many characters weaved throughout her story of a life-changing year, are so very interesting. Enjoy!

Beautiful writing style

This well-written novel with its characters inhabiting New York City in the sparkling 1920s sparked a discussion about the choices we make when young, how we choose to overcome adversity, and how all that glitters is not, well, you know the ending to that cliché. One of the characters was someone you'd like to know better... author Towles has hinted at a sequel. Looking forward to it!

I read A Gentleman in Moscow first and liked it so much I wanted to read Towles’ first book. It was very different but I was not disappointed. It’s an interesting read with flawed characters but a great look at that era in New York. I highly recommend this book and await another book by this excellent writer.

At the top of my current list of recommendations, a “must-read” story, especially for New Yorkers and fans of historical fiction. How often do you read two absolutely amazing novels in a row?! Rush to buy this book and then read the other by the same author, also fabulous.