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Rules of Civility

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Rules of Civility

By: Amor Towles
Narrated by: Graeme Malcolm, Rebecca Lowman
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About this listen

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 20th Century Coming of Age Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Urban Romance New York Witty Heartfelt City

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?)

What listeners say about Rules of Civility

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glorious stot telling

amor does it again! wandr through a park and disappear into this wonderful story! glorious story telling

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Loved it!

So beautifully written - and read - the opening paragraphs are a divine combination of words commonly used in the English language but rarely so gorgeously combined.
The story itself paints a vivid picture of relatively rare and certain types of New Yorkers at a pivotal point in the contemporary history of America. The perspective given is an interesting and delightful one, from an independent and determined young woman who knows her own mind and is prepared to stick to her own beliefs and self determination. I miss listening to this one already!

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Masterful

The narration and story are unparalleled. Highly recommend investing your time to listen to this story.

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Loved this book!

Beautifully written and expertly read, it has been a while since I have felt great attachment to characters in a book, I did not want this story to end. Rules of Civility cleverly unfolds over the year of 1938 and introduces us to an America rebounding from the depression and 4 young characters that are finding their way in a world where society and rules are changing.

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Rules of Civility

An engaging story of characters swept up in the glamorous backdrop of Manhattan in 1938. Another brilliantly written novel by Amor Towles. Highly recommend!

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Wonderful story beautifully told

A wonderful story , beautifully told , about life, fate. & love lost in 1929 NYC.

Written in a unique style. It captures from the very start.

The characters are so real, so enchanting and the dialogue is supberb.

Could not put it down.

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Boring 😴

I was looking forward to this book after reading the reviews but just couldn't get into it. Found it predictable and tedious ...couldn't finish it.

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