Reading: Table for Two

I didn’t understand the structure of this book—six unrelated short stories, and one novella with some characters from Rules of Civility—till well after I was inside the novella. I wish I had had the good sense to read Towles’ own description of the collection:

As usual, Towles’ writing is impeccable and the foibles of the upper class are well-observed. My favorite from the first half was “The Bootlegger,” about a man who illicitly records concerts at Carnegie Hall—super engaging, vivid, memorable. And I absolutely loved “Eve in Hollywood,” the novella, which was an enjoyable potboiler.

I absolutely loved Rules of Civility and A Gentleman in Moscow, so it surprised me that it took me so long to get into this collection. I’ll chalk it up to busy-ness. Highly recommended.