October Book Pick - Rules of Civity, by Amor Towles

By far the best book I have read all year, I absolutely whipped through Rules of Civility by a phenomenally good first time author - Manhattan investment firm principal, Amor Towles.

A Yale grad with an MA in English from Stanford, Towles was clearly born to write, though his city slicker day-job's razor-sharp insight and sophisticated knowledge of old school, East Coast society's timeless code of social conduct (based on the young George Washington's Rules of Civility & Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation) undoubtedly served him splendidly in the research for this remarkable first novel.

Written with crystal clear, sparkling wit and charm in the style of its New York 1938 setting, Rules of Civility's smart and super-poised heroine Katey Kontent never fails to disappoint in an unforgettable, whirlwind year of opportune meetings and fast-paced life-altering developments involving a vibrant cast of support characters.

Not unlike an American version of the wealth, station and relationships populating Evelyn Waugh Brideshead Revisited, the rich scenic backdrop for Katey Kontent's rememberings transport the reader to a time and place resplendent of an oppulent and thrilling era for the bright young things and the survivors of the great depression, while the rest of the world was bracing for war.

Published this year by Viking Penguin and already to much acclaim, Rules of Civility will hopefully be the first of an outstanding literary career for Towles, whose voice I'd wager we'll hear much more from in the future.

Hugely entertaining, illuminating and riveting, I particularly enjoyed the referenced influence of a full, classic English and American literary passion amongst its main characters, helping shape their aspirations and ultimately their choices, some bold, some ambitious, some heartbreakingly regrettable. Despite some things not necessarily turning out as I'd hoped for the extremely likeable Katey Kontent, there's a positive message in her story that keeps the reader on his toes until the very last page.