Rules of CivilityRules of Civility
Score Modern
What it's about
On New Year's Eve 1938, a chance meeting with a handsome banker in a Greenwich Village jazz bar launches Wall Street secretary Katey Kontent into the upper levels of New York society, where she befriends a shy millionaire, an Upper East Side ne'er-do-well and a single-minded widow, over one transforming year.
Why it's worth reading
It spent 44 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It's Amor Towles' witty, glamorous debut.
You'll love it if you liked
A Gentleman in Moscow
The Lincoln Highway
The Great GatsbyGood to know
It's stylish and full of 1930s New York atmosphere. It moves at a gentle pace.
By the numbers
- Readers68 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller58 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #65 of the 116 historical novels we rank
- #471 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #906 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
More by Amor Towles
A Gentleman in MoscowThe Lincoln HighwayIf you like this, read next
Lonesome Dove
Pride and Prejudice
The Age of Innocence
Anna Karenina
Emma
David CopperfieldExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Rules of Civility worth reading?
Yes. It spent 44 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It ranks #906 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 73.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Rules of Civility about?
On New Year's Eve 1938, a chance meeting with a handsome banker in a Greenwich Village jazz bar launches Wall Street secretary Katey Kontent into the upper levels of New York society, where she befriends a shy millionaire, an Upper East Side ne'er-do-well and a single-minded widow, over one transforming year.
How long does it take to read Rules of Civility?
About 9 hours (368 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Rules of Civility?
If you liked it, try A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles or The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.