The Fabulous Life of Old New Yorkers

Upon looking at the cover of this book, and yes I judge books by their covers as do you (you’re a liar if you say you don’t!), all I could think of was F. Scott Fitzgerald. In all honesty, that’s not a bad assumption. The Rules of Civility by Amor Towles is about Katey, a young New Yorker, and her life in the year 1938 navigating the upper echelons of the rich.

The Depression hit and slowly the Manhattan economy is coming back, but for some people, the money never ran out. Welcome to the world that Katey and her friend Eve find themselves thrown into after by chance meeting a rich young banker, Tinker. Katey may be a secretary, but suddenly new opportunities, fabulous parties, and the crème de la crème of New York are waiting to discover her. In this year long journey, we meet a number of characters who introduce the reader to the upper crust of late 1930s society and we watch as Katey ascends the ladder.

As I read this book, I saw visions of fabulously dressed people dancing the Charleston across the page. Very Gatbsy-ish indeed! There were numerous reminders of Fitzgerald, the first being the subject matter and the second being the characters. It’s about the rich and those who are lucky enough not only to look in on them, but actually become a part of their elite society. Katey is a young woman who can hold her own and is not intimidated or in awe of those above her in station. She has no problem fitting in with her new found friends. Katey is a character reminiscent of Nick from The Great Gatsby. She isn’t rich, she isn’t from an age old society family, but she happens to meet the right people. She sees the ups and downs of how the other half lives and then is able to make her way out nearly unscathed. I enjoyed the vivid images of old New York, the stores, bars, and apartments. Towles made it easy to imagine the glamor of the time period, while simultaneously showing the regular working class side of the city.

The other characters in this book have strong voices. It isn’t often that you find a book where the secondary characters can stand on their own, and Towles wrote his characters so they were rounded. People are complicated and he had no problem with exploring their flaws. There were times when he suddenly went on winding monologues about different sports, places, or activities. They added to an understanding of the period and the people, but I’d think to myself, “Is the author just trying to be stylish?”. If he was, he did it damn well and I applaud his first novel.

If you enjoy literary fiction, the life of the rich and fabulous, and this novel, here are some suggestions:

Eve in Hollywood by Amor Towles

The follow up to The Rules of Civility, this novel follows Eve, after she heads to California and looks at her life amongst the heart of Old Hollywood.

The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty

Much like Rules this novel takes place in New York City in the 1920s/30s. It’s about a young Louise Brooks, the soon to be silent movie star, and her chaperone, Cora, who travel to New York where they discover  the rapidly changing city and society.

Doc by Mary Doria Russell

Although still historical fiction, this novel is a bit of a flight from Rules, but still has well developed characters and a strong sense of place. In the Old West, the reader gets to meet a young Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp before they were famous.

Castles and Comfort

Winter brings out the romantic in me. Not so much lovey-dovey romance, but the romantic spirit, like Byron or Shelly. I want to read a book while cuddled up and drinking a warm beverage, preferably in a mountain cabin with a roaring fire in the hearth. You get the picture. This mood makes me want a sweet and atmospheric title, something typically in England and about rural life. Perfect timing for I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith.

Originally, this book was published in 1948, but it takes place in 1930s England. It is told as a 17 year old girl’s journal. Cassandra is a bright girl with hopes of becoming a writer. The Mortmains live in a castle, literally a castle with towers and a moat, that they have a 30 year lease on. Although once a successful writer, Mr. Mortmain is now an eccentric man who keeps to himself and reads detective novels alone in the gate house. He hasn’t written in years and the family is in dire straits without an income. The novel starts out with the family struggling to find money to live on. As the novel continues, adventures and new neighbors rouse the Mortmains from the doldrums and poverty.

Cassandra is an energetic, witty, and sweet narrator. She writes from her heart and is down to earth. The ending is bittersweet and I was surprised to find that it did not wrap up the way I expected. This was the perfect book for my mood. It is relaxed and atmospheric. I got the feel for the countryside and ancient castle. As in many journals I did question the author's truthfulness and her true character at first. You never know if journal writing makes the person more bold and energetic than their actual personality, but after several chapters and hearing about how Cassandra described situations she was in and conversations she had, I got the feel for her and came to really enjoy and trust her.

Originally, I was a bit bored with the book. It was slow and didn't seem to be developing into anything other than a desperate family searching for a way out of their needy situation. After about 30-50 pages, however, the plot started to develop and Cassandra hit her stride in writing.

I very much enjoyed this novel. It was pleasant and lovely. The narration was one of my favorite parts and the characters were memorable. I enjoyed the eccentric family and Cassandra’s details about them. The last chapter of the book was so well done and the last lines will forever remain in my memory. 

If this is a novel you enjoyed as well, try reading The Montmaray Journals by Michelle Cooper. They are also about an impoverished family who use to be something more. The novel is written as a journal from young Sophia’s perspective. If you want something a little more offbeat, but still a coming of age story in an eccentric atmosphere, try Swamplandia! by Karen Russell. I would certainly tell any Jane Austen lovers to give this one a read as well and vice versa. 

Manly Classics...Beer and Bulls

Ernest Hemingway. That name stirs up thoughts of Key West, drinking, and misogynistic bastards. Oops did I just say that? Well anyone who knows anything about Hemingway probably knows he isn’t exactly kind or favorable to his two dimensional women.

Hemingway’s novel The Sun Also Rises is about hedonistic ex-pats living in Paris. Our main character is Jake, a newspaper writer. This was Hemingway’s first novel and as with the other novel I read, seems kind of useless. Things happen, but with emotions that linger beneath the surface and thoughts that are never spoken. Hemingway uses his words sparingly, and sometimes it makes the story seem pointless.

The characters are complicated. What they want, where they come from, why they are who they are is never explained. The reader is thrown into their lives and is taken through their current daily happenings. All the characters seem to do is drink and party. They travel all the time and have lovers, some sort of writing careers, and are almost unbelievable. The thing that saved them for me was all of their flaws. One of the men was not particularly popular with the group. Most of them had money troubles, yet continued to spend. They were all overly indulgent with liquor, but seemed to know how to enjoy a good wine and a fabulous meal.

Hemingway’s writing style is stark. He was not one to over explain or get overly detailed. This is what he is known for. He was a newspaper writer prior to being a novelist, and one can see the influence of that profession upon his novel writing. Get to the point and don’t be overly wordy about it, seems to be his motto. The events and things that Hemingway does emphasize are significant to him. These are the things that are important to life; appreciating a good wine, a sporting event, the sun and sand on a beach.

As for the recurring woman in this book, she’s not much to call home about. Brett is a heart breaker and someone who doesn’t seem to care who she hurts as long as she gets her way. She’s a bitch. Her relationship with the men in the novel is complicated. She has been intimate with at least two of these men and then goes on trips and meets other men, yet she is engaged. I did not understand how she functioned and why her behavior was so confusing. Why would her fiancé remain with her when she publicly goes off with other men? Why would she stay in the relationship when she is involved with other men and says she is in love with Jake and he with her? She isn’t realistic. The thing is she actually was based on a woman in Hemingway’s life. As much as I hear Hemingway is a misogynist, his novels always seem to focus around a woman. Maybe he doesn’t understand the female sex, but he sure does enjoy their presence and writing about them.

Jake is a good ole boy. He’s easy going and adventurous. He’s a man who seems to make friends easily and knows what he wants. Jake is always helping Brett out of her complicated situations, which was another one of my annoyances. Brett, for all her independence, was unable to function without a man at her side. Hemingway’s men are men. They have emotions and will be private with their sentiments, but are adventurous, drinkers, and love taking life by the throat. However, most of them, as stated before, don’t have themselves together.

This novel is known for the bullfighting. Jake and his friends travel to Pamplona for the annual fiesta and running of the bulls, an event that still occurs to this day and my father won’t let up on my sister about not seeing when she was in Spain. Anywho, this is where some characteristic violence enters the scene and Hemingway’s testosterone does a manly dance (I couldn't explain said dance to you, but I hope you know a man who dances and can base your manly dance on him). Description of the bull fights, the matadors, and violence on the scene, although not grotesque, are finally talked about towards the end of the novel. I suppose I expected a bit more emphasis on the bull fighting since I thought this was a novel about that subject.

Hemingway was one of his own characters or his characters were him. Whereas many authors’ novels are more enjoyable and adventurous than the author was themselves, Hemingway is known to be everything and more that he wrote about. He lived a full life of adventure, love affairs, violence, and in the end tragedy. Hemingway believed in writing the truth, so all of his novels are based on real life events or people.

If you enjoy the straight to the point style that Hemingway crafted, Joan Didion has a similar sparse style. If you’re looking for more of the man-man writing that is so fundamentally Hemingway, try The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane. This is a novel about a soldier’s emotional and physical well-being during the American Civil War. Crane was also a journalist, but his style is more detailed than Hemingway.

Happy Reading!