Book Snails Book Group discussion

Our February winner is Rules of Civility by Amor Towles. We hope you'll read with us and tell us what you think. Just remember to use spoilers when necessary when commenting

Synopsis - the last night of 1937, twenty-five-year-old Katey Kontent is in a second-rate Greenwich Village jazz bar with her boardinghouse roommate stretching three dollars as far as it will go when Tinker Grey, a handsome banker with royal blue eyes and a tempered smile, happens to sit at the neighboring table. This chance encounter and its startling consequences propel Katey on a yearlong journey from a Wall Street secretarial pool toward the upper echelons of New York society and the executive suites of Condé Nast—rarefied environs where she will have little to rely upon other than a bracing wit and her own brand of cool nerve.

Wooed in turn by a shy, principled multi-millionaire, and an irrepressible Upper East Side ne'er-do-well, befriended by a single-minded widow who is ahead of her time, and challenged by an imperious mentor, Katey experiences firsthand the poise secured by wealth and station and the failed aspirations that reside just below the surface. Even as she waits for circumstances to bring Tinker back into her life, she begins to realize how our most promising choices inevitably lay the groundwork for our regrets.

wuhu 💃🏻

Aya wrote: "wuhu 💃🏻"

[What Aya said]

Am hoping to acquire a copy soon-ish. This book is sometimes compared to The Great Gatsby, and I'm interested to know if that's an accurate comparison.

I have seen the movie (The Great Gatsby) but not read the book and I have read A Gentleman in Moscow!
Two great books to compare with!

My copy will arrive 10.th of February - looking forward to this.

I am trying to get hold of a copy too. Hopefully can start it around mid-Feb. Heard a lot about Amor Towles. Now hearing about the Great Gatsby comparison has me even more interested. Looking forward to this.

Aya wrote: "I have seen the movie (The Great Gatsby) but not read the book and I have read A Gentleman in Moscow!
Two great books to compare with!...

Whispers: Free & legal .epub or Kindle versions of The Great Gatsby are available at:
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/64317

Thanks Starman

I feel excited about this! I loved the Great Gatsby film but haven't read the book either. The Great Gatsby is one of my husband's favourite films. Loving the sound of Rules of Civility and looking forward to getting stuck in, not much left on my current read.

I'll need to order mine.

Started this tonight, only 10% in and has captured me with a warm feeling and emotional connection already. It has a nice quality feel about it and a sense of smoothness in the writing. Feel sure this is going to be a significant book for me - I hope so.

Sue wrote: "Started this tonight, only 10% in and has captured me with a warm feeling and emotional connection already. It has a nice quality feel about it and a sense of smoothness in the writing. Feel sure t..."

Hi Sue, thanks for your thoughts on this book, and I'm glad you are liking it so far. I haven't got a copy yet, but I did like Towle's A Gentleman in Moscow (I gave it 5 stars, and that's pretty rare for me).

I am starting today, it is the best thing to look in the mailbox and theres a book, I almost forgot because I listen to mostly audios.

Sue, reading A Gentleman in Moscow was like talking to a really good friend-IMO the man is a talented writer of fiction.

I just finished it. The writing is absolutely stellar. Unlike his other book, A Gentleman in Moscow, which had stellar writing and a plot, this book should be fully appreciated for its genre, a gorgeous piece of lit-ra-chure. I'm glad I experienced it.

Good to hear Candace.

How do you do spoiler alerts, please?

Candace wrote: "How do you do spoiler alerts, please?"

Good question!

Above the new Comment box you are typing in is a link: (some html is ok)
Click it for how to do a spoiler, and other formatting tricks (bold, italics, hyperlinks, etc).

Basically it's this:
< spoiler > your spoilers go here! < / spoiler >,

but withOUT the extra spaces I used inside the brackets < >

Aya wrote: "I am starting today, it is the best thing to look in the mailbox and theres a book, I almost forgot because I listen to mostly audios.

Sue, reading A Gentleman in Moscow was like talking to a rea..."

What a lovely way to describe it Aya. A Gentleman in Moscow is going on my "To Read" list, also as recommended by Star Man.

Candace wrote: "I just finished it. The writing is absolutely stellar. Unlike his other book, A Gentleman in Moscow, which had stellar writing and a plot, this book should be fully appreciated for ..."

Wonderful Candace.

Good one for February!

For those who've finished the book: (view spoiler)[Dicky said he thought maybe Kate had been too hard on Tinker. What did you think? (hide spoiler)]

I have just finished the first chapter

It is funny, in the prologue - as soon as I read "Tinker Grey" I knew that I had seen the movie, I just can´t remember it! duh

page 23, it is quite funny how he describes Washington Square and mentiones Edith Wharton´s The Age of Innocense, if you haven´t read it I can recommend it.

Aya wrote: "I have just finished the first chapter

It is funny, in the prologue - as soon as I read "Tinker Grey" I knew that I had seen the movie, I just can´t remember it! duh

page 23, it is quite funny ho..."

There's a movie? I'll have to look for it - thanks, Aya!

Hmm..Candace, I have tried to find it online. It seems that Netflix has done a series, but I don´t find the movie. Maybe I´m wrong and that is why I don´t remember..

I just remember having seen the prologue - a man and a woman in an artgallery looking at Tinker Grey - it must it? That may have been a promo?

Aya wrote: "Hmm..Candace, I have tried to find it online. It seems that Netflix has done a series, but I don´t find the movie. Maybe I´m wrong and that is why I don´t remember..

I just remember having seen th..."

I just looked for it on IMDB, and found that it is in development. Will be interesting to see!

Thanks Candace, I might have seen a trailer of sorts, that explains my loss of memory - haahhh

I am at chapter six now and really enjoying the storytelling, I had a good laugh at page 60 when KK was playing cards with herself and three imaginary persons and the phone rang.."we all looked up in surprice"..lol

I like all the book references - I have added Thoreau - Walden to my tbr.

:-) I re-read that piece Aya as I needed to check they were imaginary people, a fun idea.

I've made quite a few notes and noted Walden too. It's been quite educational, there have been names and references that I've looked up as I've gone along, wondering if they are specific to the book and found out they do exist. I also had to get a translation for some of the American terms which were used at that time! I'm glad I did look the detail up as it added to the feel.

82% through now so will be finishing in the next few days, if I get a chance. I've got some questions that I've wondered about which may become clear by the end of the book but I look forward to being able to discuss it. You're right Aya, it is lovely storytelling.

I just finished Chapter 1. Reading it at work, so I am going terribly slow. I like the mood of the writing. It is giving a leisurely, cozy feeling and is transporting straight into a different time. (view spoiler)[ The Washington square New Year scene was weird and hilarious. (hide spoiler)]

Just finished with an emotional feeling of wow.

I am not reading the spoilers yet, I am still at chapter six and loving this book so much that I find it difficult to continue - arhh the end is near buhu! It is rare that I don´t want to finish a book.

oh..and because the writing is so good I tend to read even slower, I don´t want to miss a thing.

Aya wrote: "I am not reading the spoilers yet, I am still at chapter six and loving this book so much that I find it difficult to continue - arhh the end is near buhu! It is rare that I don´t want to finish a ..."

Savor the goodness :)

Yes definitely Candace, and also Aya, in response to not wanting to miss a thing, this is a book I feel I need to read again because there is so much in each paragraph and most lines even, that I don't feel I will have absorbed it all.

Finished chapter nine and on the first page (110) KK describes a Bentley like a man IMO - it is fun how the author shines through when it concerns cars LOL - just my opinion of course.

Aya wrote: "Finished chapter nine and on the first page (110) KK describes a Bentley like a man IMO - it is fun how the author shines through when it concerns cars LOL - just my opinion of course."

That's pretty funny!