#katey kontent

[definitedefinitions]

Denouement

dey-noo-mahn

—noun

the final resolution of the intricacies of a plot, as of a drama or novel.

the place in the plot at which this occurs.

the outcome or resolution of a doubtful series of occurrences.

“Once I was under the dryer, I pulled Agatha Christie out of my bag and proceeded hurriedly toward the dénouement.”

-Katey Konten narrating in Rules of Civility (2011) by Amor Towles

[whiskeyinyrshoes]

Just a few weeks before, no detail of my life had been big enough to merit my attention. The Chinese laundress could have ironed a hole in my skirt and I would have tossed a nickel on the drum, thanked her kindly, and worn it to the church social. After all, where I came from the mission was to pay as little as one could without stealing, so on those rare occasions when you got home and discovered you had the unbruised melon, you had good reason to suspect you didn’t deserve it. But Wallace deserved it. At least, as far as I was concerned. So, if the color of a new sweater clashed with the color of his eyes, I sent it back. If the first four shaving soaps smelled too flowery, I told the girl at Bergdorf’s to bring four more. And if the porterhouse steak wasn’t thick enough, I stood right there at the counter and watched Mr. Ottomanelli swing his cleaver until he got it right. Taking care of someone else’s life—that may have been what Wallace Wolcott was running away from, but I found it suited me just fine. Then, with our errands behind us (having “earned” it), we’d cocktail at an empty hotel bar, dine at a nice restaurant without a reservation, and stroll back up Fifth Avenue to his apartment, where we could trade novels and divvy up Hershey bars.

Amor Towles, The Rules of Civility (189)

I finished rereading this book more than a week ago and I come over all teary and verklempt every time I think about Wallace. A third read and I may be well and truly done with non-fictional humans.

[noveldays]

The New York Times bestselling novel that "enchants on first reading and only improves on the second" (The Philadelphia Inquirer) This sophisticated and entertaining first novel presents the story of a young woman whose life is on the brink of transformation. On the last night of 1937, twenty-five-year-old Katey Kontent is in a second-rate Greenwich Village jazz bar when Tinker Grey, a handsome banker, happens to sit down at the neighboring table. This chance encounter and its startling consequences propel Katey on a year-long journey into the upper echelons of New York society—where she will have little to rely upon other than a bracing wit and her own brand of cool nerve. With its sparkling depiction of New York’s social strata, its intricate imagery and themes, and its immensely appealing characters, Rules of Civility won the hearts of readers and critics alike.-Barnes & Noble

Dear Blue,

Quite simply, Rules of Civility by Amor Towles is one of the best novels I've read. Period. Not only is it filled with wonderful writing detailing the year long journey of a young woman discovering the upper echelons of 1930s New York City, it is filled with poignant meaning that I will ponder for a long while. There aren't many novels that I want to reread, but this is one that I'm sure I've missed something worth gleaning.

Katey Kontent, the protagonist of this novel, is keen, witty, and intriguing as we follow her through one life changing year. One moment, she and her best friend Eve, are working girls in New York City, looking to spend a night out, and in the next serendipitous moment, they've met the man that would change both of their lives dramatically...Tinker Grey. I enjoyed every single moment of this novel...new characters, music, and imagery. I enjoyed the sights and sounds evoked in this piece. Towles is a master of characterization and voice. I couldn't have imagined any other character narrating this novel other than Katey, whose voice has a journalistic quality to it, and a way of showing emotion without over sensationalizing. It worked so well that one could believe that Katey is a real person of which Towles is simply taking dictation.

Towles has painted New York in the 1930s to a tee. It's as if he has jumped into a time machine and zipped back to give us a walking tour of this roaring city. Being a New Yorker, it was such an alluring experience to know I am within walking distance of many of the churches Katey frequents, along with many places that may have once existed. He paints New York almost as a love/hate relationship that tends to mirror relationships within the novel; The city can draw one in like a siren with its sparkling lights, exciting people with promises of dreams while awake...yet it is a mercurial behemoth with so many facades that one may not be able to keep up. There were so many surprises to be uncovered that I  could not put it down.

Bare In Mind: This novel contains profanity, and adult content/situations.

Rules of Civility carries the weight of lives lived, pondered, and squandered. What most touched me was that I chose this novel as the one I would take into my next year (My Birthday Novel) hoping that it would carry some great meaning I could take with me. Katey is the same age as I am, and experiences a struggle that many of us do, with deciding what directions our lives will take, and who will come into these new dimensions with us. It felt for a while that I were going on my journey with another who understood, minus the many nouveau riche Katey meets. The novel contains all of the glamour, excitement, and secrecy, but also carries the question of its' worth. Is it worth what it might take to gain the American Dream? Is it worth squandering childlike wonder for the world around you? Do you really know who you are, and who your friends are? These questions and more define a beautiful experience with the novel!

I give this novel 5 out of 5 flutes of sparkling champagne and a night on the town with you.

Loads of love,

Britta

[thoughtsyouread]

I finished reading The Rules Of Civility by Amor Towles last night, and I held it against my chest for a full five minutes sighing of despair that it was over, and joy of having read it.

Katey Kontent is my new favourite literary character and I'm not ready to say goodbye to her yet. I want to read everything that happens to her, not just in 1938.

[thoughtsyouread]

Wyss: Bucky dear, you're slurring your words.

Katey: Slurring is the cursive of speech.

[aspenacre-blog]

Book Review: Rules of Civility

It's been a long time since I actually waited with bated breath for a book release. I don't really follow series', I don't read authors who come out with a book every six months  (looking at you Jodi Picoult/Nicholas Evans) so why did I want to read "Rules of Civility" so badly? The description of this book indicated an amazing character study set during a period of time where the best and worst of people shone through. The author, Amor Towles, did not disappoint. 

With a character that can keep perfect time, Towles sets a perfect pace for his debut novel. Katey Kontent starts off the book as a poor 20 something. Born to immigrant parents but having grown up in New York during the great depression (which is still happening during this novel), Katey understands the differences between the classes. In the first chapter, Katey and her friend Eve meet Tinker Grey who, to Katey, is as high society as they come. The great thing about this novel is that with the introduction of Tinker, you think it will be a love story but this couldn't be further from the truth. 

Katey and Eve?

Ultimately, civility focuses on Katey and her discoveries about high society and how it's not at all what it seems to be from the outside. These discoveries come through Katey's friendships with the people in her social circle and just outside of it. I know I'm not doing this book justice but this book is incredibly descriptive and beautiful. The dialogue and actions are very true to life which seems to be a rare occurence in even historical fiction nowadays. I look forward to Towles' future work.