Rules of Civility

Achingly stylish . . . [a] witty, slick production, replete with dark intrigue, period details, and a suitably Katharine Hepburn-like heroine * Guardian *
Terrific. A smart, witty, charming dry martini of a novel -- David Nicholls, author of ONE DAY
Gripping and beautiful * Sunday Times *
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 * Observer *
Irresistible . . . A cross between Dorothy Parker and Holly Golightly, Katey Kontent is a priceless narrator in her own right - the brains of a bluestocking with the legs of a flapper and the mores of Carrie Bradshaw * Daily Telegraph *
Jazz-age New York is the setting for martinis and girls on the make in Rules of Civility by Amor Towles. As glamorous as it is gut-wrenching, this is [a] must-read * ELLE *
Rules is more of an homage to an era, a ballsy treat of a novel with a pinch of mystery and oh so many neat one-liners * The Times *
Impossibly glamorous . . . Towles conjures up vintage New York so marvellously that it made me feel nostalgic for a place I've never been to * The Times *
Set against a soundtrack of clinking glasses and saxophones, the book is a love letter to the city and the era, so confidently written it instantly plunges you into Thirties New York. Towles creates a narrative that sparkles with sentences so beautiful you'll stop and re-read them. A delicious and memorable novel that will leave you wistful - and desperate for a martini * Stylist *
Amor Towles' stylish, elegant and deliberately anachronistic debut novel transports readers back to Manhattan in 1938 . . . Filled with snappy dialogue, sharp observations and an array of terrifically drawn characters . . . Glittering * NPR *
A fizzy, finely observed tale . . . It's also a loving evocation of the chance social alchemy of Village jazz joints, Wall Street coffee shops, Midtown Champagne palaces, and Lower East Side former speakeasies * New York Times Book Review *
It's the Depression, and a gal Friday with a mouth like Dorothy Parker's is dallying with the smart set . . . turns out she's not the only climber. A joyridethrough the ups and downs of 1930s high society * Good Housekeeping *
If the unthinkable happened and I could never read another new work of fiction . . . I'd simply re-read this sparkling, stylish book, with yet another round of martinis as dry as the author's wit * Herald *
Who doesn't want to be transported to Thirties Manhattan? -- Lucy Mangan, author of ARE WE HAVING FUN YET?
Rattles along at the pace of a riotous night out in the book's vividly evoked Manhattan. It is atmospheric, satisfying Great Gatsby-lite complete with fish-out-of-water first-person narration, country house parties and a fabulously wealthy male protagonist who is not all that he seems * The Times *
Elegance and hardship drip off the page * Daily Mail *
This book feels special . . . Towles was born to write * Sun Herald *
Even the most jaded New Yorker can see the beauty in Amor Towles' Rules of Civility, the antiqued portrait of an unlikely jet set making the most of Manhattan * San Francisco Chronicle *
Impressive . . . the great strength of Rules of Civility is in the sharp, sure-handed evocation of Manhattan in the late '30s * Wall Street Journal *
Put on some Billie Holiday, pour a dry martini and immerse yourself in the eventful life of Katey Kontent * People *
Smashing . . . remarkable for its strong narrative, original characters, and a voice influenced by Fitzgerald and Capote, but clearly true to itself * Publishers Weekly *
The best novels are the ones that completely transport you to another time and place. This beautifully written debut does just that. With wit, wisdom, and rich language, Towles introduces a cast of unforgettable 1938 New Yorkers, who change the book's heroine in surprising and absorbing ways -- J. Courtney Sullivan, author of FRIENDS AND STRANGERS