Rules of Civility

By: Amor Towles

Narrated by: Graeme Malcolm, Rebecca Lowman

The unforgettable debut by the bestselling author of A Gentleman in Moscow and The Lincoln Highway

On the last night of 1937, twenty-five-year-old Katey Kontent is in a second-rate New York City jazz bar trying to stretch three dollars as far as it will go.

But a chance encounter with the handsome banker at the next table changes everything, opening the door to the upper echelons of New York society and a glittering new social circle. Plunged into a dizzy world of cocktail parties, sprawling mansions and glamorous magazine offices, Katey soon learns that there are rules to play by and riches can turn to rags in the trip of a heartbeat . . .

©2011 Amor Towles (P)2011 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

Terrific. A smart, witty, charming dry martini of a novel (David Nicholls, author of ONE DAY)

This is a flesh-and-blood tale you believe in, with fabulous period detail. It's all too rare to find a fun, glamorous, semi-literary tale to get lost in . . . While you're lost in the whirl of silk stockings, fur and hip flasks, all you care about is what Katey Kontent does next (Viv Groskop)

Who doesn't want to be transported to Thirties Manhattan? (Lucy Mangan, author of ARE WE HAVING FUN YET?)

Outstanding read

Beautifully written, this draws the reader into an era and society so thoroughly that it felt like a biography. I loved the characters, the love of grammar and etiquette that shone through the book, and of course the story. The narration added another layer of joy of the book, but I will get a written copy as well. So many lines were so beautiful I want to re-read and savour them at leisure. I loved A Gentleman in Moscow and had bought this, hoping it wouldn’t disappoint. Very happy and Amor Towles is the latest addition to my list of must-read authors.

Outstanding

Beautifully written and excellently performed. A veritable treasure. Highly recommended for who like a good story.