If you are having difficulty navigating this website please contact us at member.services@bookofthemonth.com or 1-877-236-8540.

Get your first book for $9.99 with code CHIRP at checkout.

Join today!

We’ll make this quick.

First, enter your email. Then choose your move.

By tapping "Pick a book now" or "Pick a book later", you agree to Book of the Month’s Terms of use and Privacy policy.

Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
Historical fiction

Rules of Civility

3peat author

Amor Towles is officially a 3-time author at BOTM, which is a pretty big deal!

Debut

We love supporting debut authors. Congrats, Amor Towles, on your first book!

by Amor Towles

Excellent choice

Just enter your email to add this book to your box.

By tapping "Add to box", you agree to Book of the Month’s Terms of use and Privacy policy.

Quick take

As refreshing and sophisticated as a well-made martini. This book revives the New York high society of yesteryear.

Good to know

  • Illustrated icon, Icon_Movieish

    Movieish

  • Illustrated icon, Icon_LoveTriangle

    Love triangle

  • Illustrated icon, Icon_Acclaim

    Critically acclaimed

  • Illustrated icon, Icon_Nyc

    NYC

Synopsis

On the last night of 1937, twenty-five-year-old Katey Kontent is in a second-rate Greenwich Village jazz bar when Tinker Grey, a handsome banker, happens to sit down at the neighboring table. This chance encounter and its startling consequences propel Katey on a year-long journey into the upper echelons of New York society where she will have little to rely upon other than a bracing wit and her own brand of cool nerve.

With its sparkling depiction of New York’s social strata, its intricate imagery and themes, and its immensely appealing characters, Rules of Civility won the hearts of readers and critics alike.

Read less

Why I love it

As fans of The Gentleman of Moscow know, Amor Towles has a gift for capturing a certain time and place in history and putting his readers immediately there. His debut novel is Towles at his most playful: Rules of Civility is set in the jazz clubs and swanky bars of late 1930s New York City, when a plucky young woman who’s barely scraping by gets swept up into the world of Manhattan’s elite. The book is a gem, with dialogue so cinematic you could imagine Katharine Hepburn firing off Towles’s lines.

Read less

Member ratings (4,080)

  • Frida D.

    Newton, TX

    The lingering feelings upon finishing this book…Katey did hit it off with Henry, they were both kindred unwavering spirits.The turn of fortune so to speak was reminiscent of ‘Tender is the Night’. ❤️

  • Stephanie W.

    Staunton, IL

    IMO, a great story should do 3 things: educate, invoke an emotional response (or many), and leave the reader with a sense of longing upon conclusion. I will be rereading this for years to come. 5/5 ⭐️

  • Lorna D.

    Monett, MO

    Amor Towles has a way with words. He can take you to a place not many writers can. Pat Conroy’s prose and story telling would compare. Great Gatsby vibes only better. I liked it as much as his others

  • Erin J.

    Eden Prairie, MN

    I'm sad it took me this long to read Amor Towles. Rules of Civility is a glittering gem—a slow burn with engrossing characters you'll become emotionally attached to. One of my all-time favorite books.

  • Sadra L.

    San Marino, CA

    Amor Towles always keeps the reader intrigued as the characters relationships unfold & keeps you guessing. Will Kate & Tinker live happily ever after? Choices in one’s life may lead to different paths

Create a free account!

Sign up to see book details, our quick takes, and more.

By tapping "Sign up", you agree to Book of the Month’s Terms of use and Privacy policy.