Katey Kontent is a name you don’t forget. It’s a little too on the nose, maybe, but in the hands of Amor Towles, it works. When I first picked up Rules of Civility, I expected a standard piece of historical fiction—something pretty, slightly dusty, and ultimately forgettable. I was wrong. It’s a sharp, vodka-soaked social climb through 1938 Manhattan that feels more like a noir film than a period piece.
Amor Towles didn't just write a book; he built a time machine. But it's not the kind of time machine that shows you the history books. It shows you the bars. The cheap diners. The way the light hits a particular corner of Greenwich Village at 2:00 AM.
Most people know Towles from A Gentleman in Moscow. That book is great, don't get me wrong. It’s whimsical and confined. But Rules of Civility Amor Towles is different. It’s grittier. It has teeth. It’s about the exact moment when your life could go one of two ways based on who you sit next to in a jazz club.
The George Washington Connection You Might Have Missed
The title isn’t just a fancy phrase Towles liked. It refers to a real document: George Washington's Rules of Civility & Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation.
Washington didn't write them, actually. He copied them down as a schoolboy exercise. They were originally composed by French Jesuits in the 1500s. There are 110 of them. Some are practical, like not cleaning your teeth with the tablecloth. Others are deeply moral.
In the novel, these rules haunt the character of Tinker Grey. Tinker is the golden boy—handsome, wealthy, seemingly perfect. He lives by a literal interpretation of these rules. But here is the kicker: Towles uses the rules to show the gap between "manners" and "morals."
You can have the best manners in New York and still be a hollow shell. That’s the central tension. Katey watches Tinker attempt to navigate a cutthroat high society using a 200-year-old guidebook for being a gentleman. It’s tragic. Honestly, it’s a bit cringey if you think about it too long, but Towles makes it heartbreaking.
The Spark: A Chance Encounter at The Village Vanguard
The story kicks off on New Year’s Eve, 1937. Katey and her roommate Eve are at a jazz hole-in-the-wall. They have no money. They are sharing a single gin fizz. Then enters Tinker Grey.
One car accident later, everything changes.
The dynamics of this trio are fascinating. Usually, in these types of books, the two girls would fight over the guy. Towles is smarter than that. He plays with the idea of "social mobility." Eve takes the accident as an opportunity to claim a life she didn't earn. Katey takes it as a reason to work harder.
It’s about the hustle.
1930s New York wasn't just about the Depression; it was about the reinvention of the self. Everyone was pretending to be someone else. Katey changes her name (it was originally Katya). Tinker hides his origins. Eve hides her scars. It’s a masquerade.
Why the Ending of Rules of Civility Still Divides Readers
Let's talk about that ending. No spoilers, but it isn't a "happily ever after" in the traditional sense.
Some readers find it cold. I find it realistic.
Katey Kontent is a survivor. By the time we reach the end of the year—and the book spans exactly one year—she has climbed the ladder of the publishing world. She has moved from a secretarial pool to the upper echelons of Condé Nast. But she’s lost things. People.
Towles uses a "frame narrative" technique. The book starts in 1966 at a photography exhibit. An older Katey sees a picture of Tinker Grey from 1938. This sets the whole flashback in motion. This matters because it adds a layer of nostalgia and regret to every single page. You know while you’re reading that these people aren't in Katey's life anymore.
It makes the parties feel a little more desperate.
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The Real Stars: The Locations
If you’re a fan of New York City, this book is basically a map of ghosts. Towles spent years researching the specific locations.
- The Stork Club: The place to see and be seen.
- Cheroff’s: The gritty reality of the working class.
- The 21 Club: Where the real power lived.
Towles has mentioned in interviews that he wanted the city to feel like a character that was constantly evolving. The New York of January 1st is not the New York of December 31st. The weather changes, the fashion shifts, and the looming threat of World War II starts to cast a long shadow over the final chapters.
Writing Style: Why It Ranks So High for Prose Lovers
Amor Towles has a very specific "voice." It’s polished. Some critics call it "mid-century chic."
He avoids modern slang entirely. He uses long, flowing sentences that mimic the rhythm of jazz. But then he’ll hit you with a one-liner that cuts through the BS.
"If we only fell in love with people who were perfect for us, there wouldn't be so much fuss about it."
That’s pure Katey.
She’s cynical but romantic. It’s a tough balance to strike. Most "strong female leads" in historical fiction feel like modern women wearing a costume. Katey feels like she actually belongs in 1938. She smokes like a chimney, drinks like a fish, and reads Dickens because she actually likes him, not because it makes her look smart.
Common Misconceptions About the Book
People often lump this in with The Great Gatsby. I get it. New York, parties, mysterious rich guy.
But Gatsby is about the impossibility of the American Dream. Rules of Civility is about the cost of the American Dream.
Gatsby is a dreamer. Katey is a pragmatist. She knows exactly what she’s doing when she accepts an invitation or switches jobs. She isn't pining for a lost love; she’s trying to figure out how to live a life that doesn't feel like a lie.
Also, can we talk about the photography?
The book is obsessed with the "unposed" shot. This is a nod to Walker Evans and the gritty, real-life photography of the era. Towles is obsessed with the idea that a grainy, black-and-white photo tells more truth than a polished portrait. This reflects the characters perfectly. Tinker is a polished portrait; Katey is the grainy, candid shot.
Actionable Takeaways for Your Next Read
If you’ve finished the book and are looking for what to do next, or if you’re about to start, keep these points in mind to get the most out of the experience:
- Read Washington's Rules first. You can find them online for free. Just skim the first twenty. It makes the chapters where Tinker appears so much more meaningful when you realize he’s literally checking boxes in his head.
- Listen to the soundtrack. Towles has a curated playlist for the book. It features Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman, and Duke Ellington. It changes the atmosphere of the reading experience entirely.
- Look up the 1930s Condé Nast archives. Katey’s career path is based on the real-world hustle of that era. Seeing the actual layouts of Vogue or Vanity Fair from 1938 helps visualize her world.
- Watch "The Thin Man" (1934). The banter between Nick and Nora Charles is exactly the kind of energy Towles captures in the dialogue between Katey and her friends.
- Visit the locations. If you’re in NYC, go to the sites. Many of the buildings are still there, even if the bars have changed names. Standing on the corner of 2nd Avenue where the book begins gives you a weird sense of vertigo.
Rules of Civility isn't just a book about the past. It’s about the decisions we make in our twenties that echo for the next forty years. It’s about how easy it is to become someone you don't recognize, and how hard it is to get back to who you were.
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The most important thing to remember is that Katey Kontent doesn't want your pity. She wants your attention. And through Amor Towles' meticulous, vibrant prose, she earns it on every single page.
To truly understand the legacy of this work, one should look into the "Amor Towles universe." While his books aren't direct sequels, they share a certain DNA—an obsession with dignity, the passage of time, and the way a single hotel lobby or a chance meeting can rewrite a person's entire destiny. Whether it's a count in a hotel or a secretary in a jazz club, Towles is the master of the "pivot point" in a human life.