A romantic & nostalgic read, with an edge

I saw RULES OF CIVILITY by first-time author Amor Towles dismissed by one reviewer as “The Great Gatsby meets Breakfast at Tiffany’s, as told by Mary McCarthy.” Is that a criticism? Quite a mashup, I say. And I also think this first novel is more original than that. I really enjoyed this romantic ride through an interesting year (1938) in the life of an independent young woman trying to start her career in Manhattan. Great dialogue and settings, some surprising plot twists, and a very sympathetic central character: what more do you want? And I dare you to finish the book (with Kleenex nearby) and not go back and reread the opening chapter where Katey walks through a Walker Evans photo exhibit and spies the two photos of Tinker, sending her mind back in time. A wonderful opening to a very engaging and adult slice-of-life story.

There are many nice passages in the book; I liked this one particularly:

“In our twenties, when there is still so much time ahead of us, time that seems ample for a hundred indecisions, for a hundred visions and revisions—we draw a card, and we must decide right then and there whether to keep that card and discard the next, or discard the first card and keep the second. And before we know it, the deck has been played out and the decisions we have just made will shape our lives for decades to come.”