Literary Fixation- Rules of Civility

For Literary Fixation this month I read the book Rules of Civility by Amor Towles.

It has a Great Gatsby vibe. I am going to try and review this without any real spoilers.

Rules of Civility mainly takes place during the year 1938. It follows Kathy Kontent and the series of people she meets and how they directly or indirectly affect her life.

New Year's Eve introduces Kathy and her roommate Eve. Two young women trying to find a cheap night on the town to ring in the New Year.

Eve comes from a wealthy midwestern family, bust she has basically shunned her background in order to become her own person. She comes across mercenary at times.

On NYE they meet Tinker Gray. A wealthy man who may not be all he seems.

It is through Tinker that Kathy gets introduced to different sections of the Upper Class of New York. Rich widow Anne Grayden, wealthy but sweet Wallace and trust fund heirs of all sorts.

A lot of the novel focuses on the choices Kathy makes and how those choices change her trajectory in life. The friends she makes, the crowds she runs with, the men she dates and the jobs she takes.

Despite the time period Kathy is an independent woman. She occasional questions her choices in retrospect but seldom allows herself to wallow in the "could have beens" (unless you consider her fairly excessive drinking wallowing).

The structure of the book is interesting. For the most part it is broken up by the seasons of the year in 1938, with a prologue and epilogue set in 1966 as Kathy reflects at a photo exhibit.

The protagonist Kathy may have her flaws but she remains a grounded character you want to succeed.

The other characters weave their way in and out of the story as they do in Kathy's life. It reminds me of how people we know in real life also come and go. Some you never see again others will always be available but they all make an impact no matter how big or small.

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I would definitely recommend this book. While it is set in the past the characters are fresh and relatable.