IBR - Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

Members Starting the BR: Teddie / Chapter Champions
Challenge: Book Quest Adventures
Book: Rules of Civility by Amor Towles


Anyone is free to join in this Buddy Read! Happy Reading!

[Teddie]

We're planning to start reading this Jan 12, 2025. Everyone welcome!

[Vicki]

Through Ch. 7 / 27%

So far I really like this one. Fingers crossed...

(view spoiler)[I like how the three, Eve, Katey and Tinker met and became such good friends. The way the girls at first seemed to both possibly be vying for Tinker's attentions made me think that Katey and he would end up together. But now, after the car wreck, It looks like Tinker and Eve are becoming a couple. I'm not sure yet if it's due to his feeling guilty or if he really is falling for her, so that's yet to be decided.

I've also enjoyed all the visuals of Manhattan and New York, which I've been to once for 2 full days and leaving on the 3rd, but I'll never forget how NY City looked like the movies...taxis and umbrellas all over the place! It was pretty cool.

The references to the female authors when Katey went to visit Eve after the accident made me wonder if Eve would possibly commit suicide just because of all the references to them and then one of them saying something like, "Didn't they all commit suicide?" But I don't think that anymore. I do wonder still of Tinker and Katey will somehow end up together. (hide spoiler)]

[bamaace83]

I’m starting it tonight and I’m gonna try to get to chapter 7. I’ve went on a binge run of a billionaire romance series so I need to break it up.

[Vicki]

I finished the book and I really liked it, but my husband and I went out for dinner tonight and have to get up in the morning and take my car in for maintenance, so I will come back tomorrow to post my thoughts.

[bamaace83]

Got through Chapter 8-9ish: (view spoiler)[ I like the main three characters. I love how they are setting up the feel and atmosphere of NYC. I've done a speak easy tour of NYC and going through the alley's and such was actually a good description of one of those. I like how Eve was like I'm driving. I thought at first Eve didn't want Tinker to like Katey more and I'm kind of still thinking. I didn't connect the female authors to suicide but now that makes more sense in my brain. I also want to see if a new gentleman is introduced for Katey or Eve. I'm liking this book so far. It's different than what I've been reading and it's good so far. (hide spoiler)]

[Jammin Jenny]

25% in
(view spoiler)[I also love all three main characters and am hoping that Tinker and Katey end up together. I love the friendship between Eve and Katey. (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

Just FYI — We are out and about at places like Home Depot & Lowe’s looking at shower tile, floor tile, kitchen cabinets etc. My car is still in maintenance too so I am not sure when we’ll get home. I can’t read your spoilers on my phone but I hope you’re both liking it.

[Vicki]

I'm home now and I'm going to make some general comments because I didn't make notes for which sections things occurred.

One thing I loved and this is no spoiler was all of the allusions! I taught Great Expectations for many years to the freshman Honors English classes, so hearing Miss Havisham's name and her dining room. It's one description that remained with me a long time.

I thought the culture of New York was very well-illustrated by things like (view spoiler)[ their going to Mozart piano concerts, Carnegie Hall, and Louis Armstrong. Plus just so much about the vibes in NY which, if you've ever been there, you'll know what I mean. (hide spoiler)]

Allusions: (view spoiler)[I don't know why but I love figurative language which can make writing so much more colorful, but I absolutely LOVE allusions. I think it's because I'm transported back to history quite often, or they give me certain memories like Great Expectations and all of my students over the years I taught it to and the lengthy paragraph-long sentences he used. Then there are fun ones like Annie Oakley mentioned, someone I haven't thought about in a LONG time. Louis Armstrong was one of my dad's favorite singers and the song What a Wonderful World so I can not only "hear" his voice singing it but I can remember singing it for my dad along with Louis Armstrong when Dad was in the rehab after his stroke. (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

This mention would be in the first 27% but I forgot to mention it...(view spoiler)[I couldn't believe that Eve found earrings that were SO expensive, especially for that time! Jeez! I thought it interesting and also unbelievable that a woman would leave / forget something that expensive in Tinker's apartment. (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

60%

(view spoiler)[I don't know why but I didn't expect that Eve would get pregnant AND being Catholic that she'd abort it. I am not Catholic but from what I know of the religion, that's definitely not allowed. I wonder what her reasoning was. Was it because of her plans to go to L.A. and the baby would hold her back? Or maybe because she knew she and Tink weren't really meant to be? Is that the reason they broke up? I mean he proposed and her response made me think she held the car wreck against him by saying something about him crashing her into another light post. I was just surprised by both. (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

75%

(view spoiler)[I never suspected that Tinker was with Anne! My gosh, he was not who he projected himself to be. That one shocked me! (hide spoiler)]

[Vicki]

Finished

(view spoiler)[I thought the ending was somewhat satisfying. I guess the fact that Eve and Katey talked was positive but I wanted more from their conversation. I was happy to see that Katey saw Hank again and I thought the note he sent her was pretty clever. (hide spoiler)]

I really liked this one. I hope to come back and read others' comments and see how everyone liked the book. (view spoiler)[I wonder IF Katey and Tinker might get together. She seems happily married but if something happens to Val (dies) I think it's possible the way their relationship ended. I would love to see them all back together in some way. What could book 2 have in store for us? (hide spoiler)]

And the APPENDIX (view spoiler)[Oh my gosh! That was hilarious for the most part. Definitely gave me a good laugh! I especially liked the one that said "the Eys lift not one eyebrow higher that the other wry not the mouth." lol I kind of liked not standing too close to "no man's face with your "Spittle." That one I would say is a decent rule. lol (view spoiler)[

I'm sorry my comments are so disjointed! I finished last night and was just too tired to comment. Usually when I know that's going to happen, I take some kind of notes to remind me what happened in each section. I should've. (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Jammin Jenny]

I really enjoyed this novel set in the 1930s in New York city. It really paints a picture of life at that time, and the class structure at that time. I also enjoyed the fact that the author references Agatha Christie in the story, when talking about how Hercule and Miss Marple solve crimes and notice personal characteristics and motives.

Appendix (view spoiler)[ that was hilarious - there were actually rules of civility made by George Washington - too fun (hide spoiler)]

[Jammin Jenny]

Vicki wrote: "75%

[spoilers removed]"

Tinker was full of surprises

[Teddie]

I'm looking forward to reading this! Getting a late start but will chime in on the discussion tomorrow.

[bamaace83]

I need to come back and add the spoilers but I finished it last Monday. I really enjoyed this one and gave it a 4 star rating. Tinker was full of surprises but oddly he was my favorite character. Who all did y'all like?

[Teddie]

I'm just a few chapters in and I am just sinking into Towles writing. I loved A Gentleman in Moscow and Rules of Civility is setting up to do the same for pre-war NYC as that one did for post Bolshevik Revolution Russia / Soviet Union. Loving it.

Will be back in a bit when I get through @10 chapters.

[bamaace83]

It took me a bit to get used to how she quotes when people talk but I liked it. I think this is the first book that I've read of hers so I'm definitely going to go mark that one to read.

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

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