Table for Two: Fictions
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- Create Date：2024-04-01 04:20:38
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Amor Towles
- ISBN：0593296370
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Summary
From the bestselling author of The Lincoln Highway， A Gentleman in Moscow， and Rules of Civility， a richly detailed and sharply drawn collection of stories set in New York and Los Angeles。
The millions of readers of Amor Towles are in for a treat as he shares some of his shorter six stories set in New York City and a novella in Los Angeles。 The New York stories， most of which are set around the turn of the millennium， take up everything from the death-defying acrobatics of the male ego， to the fateful consequences of brief encounters， and the delicate mechanics of compromise which operate at the heart of modern marriages。
In Towles’s novel， Rules of Civility， the indomitable Evelyn Ross leaves New York City in September， 1938， with the intention of returning home to Indiana。 But as her train pulls into Chicago， where her parents are waiting， she instead extends her ticket to Los Angeles。 Told from seven points of view， “Eve in Hollywood” describes how Eve crafts a new future for herself—and others—in the midst of Hollywood’s golden age。
Throughout the stories， two characters often find themselves sitting across a table for two where the direction of their futures may hinge upon what they say to each other next。
Written with his signature wit， humor， and sophistication， Table for Two is another glittering addition to Towles’s canon of stylish and transporting historical fiction。
The millions of readers of Amor Towles are in for a treat as he shares some of his shorter six stories set in New York City and a novella in Los Angeles。 The New York stories， most of which are set around the turn of the millennium， take up everything from the death-defying acrobatics of the male ego， to the fateful consequences of brief encounters， and the delicate mechanics of compromise which operate at the heart of modern marriages。
In Towles’s novel， Rules of Civility， the indomitable Evelyn Ross leaves New York City in September， 1938， with the intention of returning home to Indiana。 But as her train pulls into Chicago， where her parents are waiting， she instead extends her ticket to Los Angeles。 Told from seven points of view， “Eve in Hollywood” describes how Eve crafts a new future for herself—and others—in the midst of Hollywood’s golden age。
Throughout the stories， two characters often find themselves sitting across a table for two where the direction of their futures may hinge upon what they say to each other next。
Written with his signature wit， humor， and sophistication， Table for Two is another glittering addition to Towles’s canon of stylish and transporting historical fiction。
Reviews
Libriar
，
3。5 stars。 This is my first Amor Towles book and I will definitely read more。 I absolutely loved the short stories。 I did not like the novella。 Perhaps because I did not have the background connection that Towles fans have to the story， but also because I didn't like the switch from NY to LA or the time period switch。 ARC courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley。 3。5 stars。 This is my first Amor Towles book and I will definitely read more。 I absolutely loved the short stories。 I did not like the novella。 Perhaps because I did not have the background connection that Towles fans have to the story， but also because I didn't like the switch from NY to LA or the time period switch。 ARC courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley。 。。。more
Lorraine
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Wonderful Amor Towles: I have never read an unsatisfying book by this author。 Enough said。 The book is actually a collection of short stories， not the author’s usual wheelhouse。 As in his other books， there is some humor， some seriousness， and overall an excellent purchase for any library。
Kelly Hooker
，
If anyone can get me to pick up a short story/novella collection with eagerness， it’s Amor Towles。 TABLE FOR TWO features six short stories set in New York city that explore the nuances of marriage and conversations across the table as well as the novella， Eve in Hollywood which continues the life of a character from one of my favorite novels， Rules of Civility。 I approached the short stories with a bit of skepticism， but to my surprise I really enjoyed them。 It was thought-provoking to consider If anyone can get me to pick up a short story/novella collection with eagerness， it’s Amor Towles。 TABLE FOR TWO features six short stories set in New York city that explore the nuances of marriage and conversations across the table as well as the novella， Eve in Hollywood which continues the life of a character from one of my favorite novels， Rules of Civility。 I approached the short stories with a bit of skepticism， but to my surprise I really enjoyed them。 It was thought-provoking to consider what message Amor was attempting to convey in a limited number of words。 （4 stars）The novella following Eve was unfortunately less enjoyable to me。 It somehow felt too long as well as too short all at the same time。 The pace was very contemplative and I struggled to stay engaged in the story。 （3 stars）I much prefer Amor’s full-length novels but am thankful for the opportunity to branch out and try something new。 I’m averaging out my enjoyment of the full book and landing on 3。5 ⭐️ Speaking of Amor’s novels， who is tuning into the A Gentleman in Moscow mini series coming soon？ Many thanks to @viking for the ARC in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Shelley Corman
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I am really not a fan of the short story。 But when the writer of the short story is Amor Towles， one is forced to change one's mind。 His mesmerizing style of writing draws one into the story immediately and captivates throughout。 Mr。 Towles' latest offering is a collection of six short stories and one delicious novella that are sure to satisfy。 The novella is a spin-off？ of Mr。 Towels' first novel， "Rules of Civility"， in which the character， Eve， is the main character here。I had a wonderful tim I am really not a fan of the short story。 But when the writer of the short story is Amor Towles， one is forced to change one's mind。 His mesmerizing style of writing draws one into the story immediately and captivates throughout。 Mr。 Towles' latest offering is a collection of six short stories and one delicious novella that are sure to satisfy。 The novella is a spin-off？ of Mr。 Towels' first novel， "Rules of Civility"， in which the character， Eve， is the main character here。I had a wonderful time reading this book and highly recommend it。 。。。more
Kay Rohrer
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I absolutely loved A Gentleman in Moscow and unfortunately， none of Mr Towles books since have come up to that standard of literary genius for me。 The six short stories in Table for Two are very close。 They have perfect twists and pithy thoughts -- some that end the story with a bang！ But -- Eve？ It was basically a mystery with a few jarring logistical flaws that sent me flipping pages to prove I wasn't crazy。 （Maybe they have been corrected since the ARC I read。） Some grammatical errors could b I absolutely loved A Gentleman in Moscow and unfortunately， none of Mr Towles books since have come up to that standard of literary genius for me。 The six short stories in Table for Two are very close。 They have perfect twists and pithy thoughts -- some that end the story with a bang！ But -- Eve？ It was basically a mystery with a few jarring logistical flaws that sent me flipping pages to prove I wasn't crazy。 （Maybe they have been corrected since the ARC I read。） Some grammatical errors could be attributed to the speakers， but since the people speaking didn't use incorrect grammar anywhere else， it made me wonder if Mr Towles knew the correct words。 So 。。。 I give it 3 stars。 All three for the short stories。 I had high hopes for Prentice Symmins， the washed up actor who lives in the Beverly Hills Hotel， but that didn't materialize enough to redeem the book for me。 And， a question I would love to ask him -- why mention inconsequential characters from Rules of Civility in other books？ He couldn't let them go？ Didn't develop them to his satisfaction the first time？ 。。。more
Library Lea
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DNF
alli
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here for all the readers who start their reviews saying they dislike short story collections 💀
Danielle McClellan
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Amor Towles’s new short story collection Table for Two reads as something of a dream compilation for those of us who have dearly wished we could spend just a bit more time in the company of his characters and in the fully imagined settings of his novels Rules of Civility （2011）， A Gentleman in Moscow （2016）， and The Lincoln Highway （2021）。 Now it becomes clear that the author may have felt that way， too。While we get just a short whiff of the Moscow location of Towles’s Gentleman in Moscow in “Th Amor Towles’s new short story collection Table for Two reads as something of a dream compilation for those of us who have dearly wished we could spend just a bit more time in the company of his characters and in the fully imagined settings of his novels Rules of Civility （2011）， A Gentleman in Moscow （2016）， and The Lincoln Highway （2021）。 Now it becomes clear that the author may have felt that way， too。While we get just a short whiff of the Moscow location of Towles’s Gentleman in Moscow in “The Line，” the first of six stories that make up the New York section of Table for Two， the general sensibility， gentle humor， and expert storytelling we associate with Towles and， perhaps his greatest character， Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov， reverberate through all of the stories， particularly the wry first-person narrative of “The Didomenico Fragment。” Here， retired art expert Percival Skinner recounts his attempt to broker the sale of a fragment of an important Italian Renaissance painting of the Annunciation that his family has increasingly mutilated as each successive generation has cut it into smaller pieces to pass down equal sections to their children in an ever-shrinking inheritance。 This is only one element of the story， but it demonstrates how Towles can present us readers with an absolutely absurd proposition， but in such a reasonable manner that we don’t even blink as we easily visualize the dwindling artifact。 In this story， as in others in the volume， readers are kept engrossed by one surprising plot twist after another; Guy de Maupassant would be proud。The second， and perhaps most satisfying， Los Angeles section of the book contains the novella “Eve in Hollywood，” which serves as a sequel of sorts to Rules of Civility， and reintroduces the intrepid character Eve Ross， now busy creating a new life for herself in Hollywood。 （I will note here that the novella stands alone， and will also appeal to readers who have not read Rules of Civility。）My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC copy。 The rest of my review will appear in the April 2024 issue of BookBrowse， link to follow。 。。。more
Nancy
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Table for Two is a cornucopia of delights， each story filled with wit and understanding of the human condition。First， there are six short stories。 There is Pushkin who makes the best of the worst situation both in Soviet Russia and New York City， and the wannabe writer who laments his uneventful life bereft of tragedy and hardship。 The traveler who is bullied into assuming responsibility for an affable， alcoholic， stranger。 The happily married divided by the husband’s innocent， but secret life。 Table for Two is a cornucopia of delights， each story filled with wit and understanding of the human condition。First， there are six short stories。 There is Pushkin who makes the best of the worst situation both in Soviet Russia and New York City， and the wannabe writer who laments his uneventful life bereft of tragedy and hardship。 The traveler who is bullied into assuming responsibility for an affable， alcoholic， stranger。 The happily married divided by the husband’s innocent， but secret life。 And my favorite， being a season ticket holder for the symphony， is the story of a man’s shameful， self-righteous actions against another symphony patron。 I， too， get awfully miffed at concert goers who don’t show proper respect。 But， I don’t agree with the character’s insight of “Say what you will about classical music， one thing it has going for it is that it lets your mind wander。”Then， we are gifted a story about Eve Ross from Rules of Civility。 Rules is a delightful novel set in late 1930s New York City。 Kate， the main character， becomes friends with Eve。 They fall in with a man who turns out to be quite different from appearances。 Eve is briefly engaged to him but abruptly leaves the city， on her way home to the Midwest， but stays on the train all the way to LA。 And this is where Towles picks up her story for this collection。Eve， her blond beauty marred by a facial scar from a car accident， is cool and intelligent and fearless。 She befriends a retired cop and a once famous movie star who gave up the limelight–and starvation–for the comfort of food。 Eve saves “Dehavvy” Olivia de Haviland from a boring ‘date’ set up by the studio。 Eve takes Olivia under her wing。 When Olivia finds herself blackmailed， Eve jumps in， and with the aid of her new friends， sets to make things right。It’s a fun romp through old Hollywood， full of the sparkling dialogue of classic films and with a hearty dose of noir。 Eve shines as a wonderful character we want to hear more of。Thanks to the publisher for a free book。 。。。more
Ashy Ravi
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Excellent collection of six short stories and a novella。 My favourites were， 'The line'， set in the Russian revolution and the novella， 'Eve in Hollywood'， set in a world of splendour and opulence （The 30's Hollywood！）。 Excellent collection of six short stories and a novella。 My favourites were， 'The line'， set in the Russian revolution and the novella， 'Eve in Hollywood'， set in a world of splendour and opulence （The 30's Hollywood！）。 。。。more
Lisa
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A Highly Recommended Reading ExperienceSUMMARYAmor Towles， author of A Gentleman in Moscow （2016） and The Rules of Civility （2011）， has released one of the most anticipated books of 2024。 Table for Two is a series of six short stories and a novella based on Towles’ own experiences and imagination。 In the majority of these stories， life-changing events occur due to a singular conversation at a table for two。REVIEWAll of Towles's short stories in Table for Two are delightful and profound。 Reading A Highly Recommended Reading ExperienceSUMMARYAmor Towles， author of A Gentleman in Moscow （2016） and The Rules of Civility （2011）， has released one of the most anticipated books of 2024。 Table for Two is a series of six short stories and a novella based on Towles’ own experiences and imagination。 In the majority of these stories， life-changing events occur due to a singular conversation at a table for two。REVIEWAll of Towles's short stories in Table for Two are delightful and profound。 Reading them was like enjoying a fabulous meal， with each story serving as a different course。 After each course， you’ll want to pause to think， take a breath， and savor his beautiful word choice and the thought-provoking themes。 Towles’ writing is simply delicious， and the novella featuring Evelyn Ross （Rules of Civility） was a particularly enjoyable dessert， complete with whipped cream and a cherry on top。 These captivating stories are historical in nature， set around the turn of the century。 According to Towles in a recent interview， two of the characters in Table for Two will appear in one of his yet-to-be-published novels。 I can hardly wait。 Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Group Viking for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 Publisher Penguin Group VikingPublished April 2， 2024Review www。bluestockingreviews。com 。。。more
Sharon
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Amor Towles is a delightful author。 One is never quite sure what to expect， but only to know he will not disappoint the reader。 My favorite was Pushkin， an immigrant from Russia living in New York， who turned waiting in line into an art and caused him to fare far better than he would have otherwise。The longer novella gave greater insight into Evelyn Ross （Rules of Civility） who is in 1920s Hollywood， dealing with big name stars and the studios who control their every move。 The dialogue moves rig Amor Towles is a delightful author。 One is never quite sure what to expect， but only to know he will not disappoint the reader。 My favorite was Pushkin， an immigrant from Russia living in New York， who turned waiting in line into an art and caused him to fare far better than he would have otherwise。The longer novella gave greater insight into Evelyn Ross （Rules of Civility） who is in 1920s Hollywood， dealing with big name stars and the studios who control their every move。 The dialogue moves right along and we are given some very clear insights into why people behave the way they do。I received an ARC from NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking， in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Lynn
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Table for Two: Fictions by Amor TowlesI am not typically a fan of short stories， however I did enjoy this book。 Each story really did leave me wanting more， wondering "but what happened then？" My high school English teacher always said that short stories were a "slice of life" and all but the last of these fit the bill。 My advanced reading copy ebook did not have a table of contents， so I can't refer to any of the specifics， but the last story was much longer and more complete- a novella accordi Table for Two: Fictions by Amor TowlesI am not typically a fan of short stories， however I did enjoy this book。 Each story really did leave me wanting more， wondering "but what happened then？" My high school English teacher always said that short stories were a "slice of life" and all but the last of these fit the bill。 My advanced reading copy ebook did not have a table of contents， so I can't refer to any of the specifics， but the last story was much longer and more complete- a novella according to the publisher。 If you're looking for something a little different， this might be for you！ 。。。more
Dayle （the literary llama）
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I read “Rules of Civility” back in 2012 and thus began my complete adoration of Amor Towles’s writing。 In fact， the first early reader request I ever made as a new reviewer/influencer was for “A Gentleman in Moscow”， fighting my imposter nerves and sending the email because I wanted it that bad （I got approved）。 Even still， I’ve left the follow-up short story “Eve in Hollywood” sitting unread on my kindle for a decade。 But when I saw that that short was included， and expanded into a novella， as I read “Rules of Civility” back in 2012 and thus began my complete adoration of Amor Towles’s writing。 In fact， the first early reader request I ever made as a new reviewer/influencer was for “A Gentleman in Moscow”， fighting my imposter nerves and sending the email because I wanted it that bad （I got approved）。 Even still， I’ve left the follow-up short story “Eve in Hollywood” sitting unread on my kindle for a decade。 But when I saw that that short was included， and expanded into a novella， as the second half of this new fiction collection， I knew it all worked out as it should， cause I enjoyed it so much here and now。 All the new people Eve collects into her life and the way it all fits together into this surprising mystery/Hollywood commentary， was highly entertaining if not entirely perfect。What I enjoyed even more， though， were the 6 new short stories。 The way Towles manages maximum reader emotion in minimal pages is masterful。 Every single one leaves you aching for more and a little mournful。 They’re not happy-go-lucky tales but instead explorations on men’s foibles and self-importance。 There’s a little bit of everything between strangers and friends， work and marriage， but each one unique and worth reading。For a collection of short stories， and one long novella， it’s a rather large book， but feels digestible when you think of it as two books in one （the novella takes up nearly the entire second half）。 And I highly recommend the audio。 I flew through it， listening to the wonderful narrators， and wishing I could binge every story immediately instead of over days。 But it was also good to pause and ruminate and digest each one。 Basically， loved the audio， but I can also imagine it being just as good as a physical reader too。 I might just go pick up the hardcover and do it all over again。*I received a free early audio copy from the publisher 。。。more
Leslie Hagel
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Definitely a must read for 2024！ Amor Towles is an amazing storyteller。 His latest collection of short stories， Table for Two， transports the reader with each tale。 The format is not my favorite to read but Towles' writing is so amazing it drew me in to each tale。 The tone， atmosphere and characters vary but the majority of stories take place in New York。 The novella picks up on his character from Rules of Civility， Eve Ross， as she impulsively decides to go to Hollywood instead of returning to Definitely a must read for 2024！ Amor Towles is an amazing storyteller。 His latest collection of short stories， Table for Two， transports the reader with each tale。 The format is not my favorite to read but Towles' writing is so amazing it drew me in to each tale。 The tone， atmosphere and characters vary but the majority of stories take place in New York。 The novella picks up on his character from Rules of Civility， Eve Ross， as she impulsively decides to go to Hollywood instead of returning to her home in Indiana。 The writing is flawless and each story is a precious jewel that captures the reader。 Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for the advanced copy。 。。。more
Desi Kennedy
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I am a huge fan of Amor Towles。 I am also a huge fan of short stories。 That being said， I loved every word， every page and had to call my sister to quote some lines！！ Some of my favorite short stories were from O'Henry。 And I love them because of the twist you don't see coming。 Several of these stories were not the same sort of twist， but there was a feeling of awe for me at the end。 I am a huge fan of Amor Towles。 I am also a huge fan of short stories。 That being said， I loved every word， every page and had to call my sister to quote some lines！！ Some of my favorite short stories were from O'Henry。 And I love them because of the twist you don't see coming。 Several of these stories were not the same sort of twist， but there was a feeling of awe for me at the end。 。。。more
Homerun2
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Amor Towles is such an amazing story teller。 Each of these stories， plus the novelette continuing the story of Eve from Rules of Civility， is different in setting， tone， mood and characters。 But each is a great capsule of personalities and the time and place where they occur。Don't expect Gentleman from Moscow。 But do let yourself be carried into each tale and appreciate the language， the humor， and the cleverness of the story。 He weaves the most wonderful scenarios。 From revolutionary Russia to Amor Towles is such an amazing story teller。 Each of these stories， plus the novelette continuing the story of Eve from Rules of Civility， is different in setting， tone， mood and characters。 But each is a great capsule of personalities and the time and place where they occur。Don't expect Gentleman from Moscow。 But do let yourself be carried into each tale and appreciate the language， the humor， and the cleverness of the story。 He weaves the most wonderful scenarios。 From revolutionary Russia to 30s Hollywood， from peasants to movie moguls -- it's all highly enjoyable。 I received an advance review copy for free， and I am leaving this review voluntarily。 。。。more
Caroline Hedges
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Amor Towles can write a really good story！ Pushkin’s story was the first and for me the best。 The ultimate passive gentleman。 Life happens to him and he is perfectly content with the smallest of moments。 We live in a society that praises those who are constantly busy， productive and striving for money and status。 But sometimes， being more Pushkin is what we all need。The writing is so addictive。 Reading this was like enjoying a smooth， creamy milkshake。 So good。Thanks Netgalley for the ARC。
LoneStarWords Deb Coco
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。。。he listened with satisfaction to the sounds rising from the streets eight stories below。 The honking of horns， the shouting of drunkards， the barking of dogs， even the siren of a police car — together they all combined to form the symphony that is the city of Manhattan on a warm summer night。Table for Two: FictionsAmor Towles•A huge thank you to @prhaudio for this early gifted copy of my most anticipated book of 2024。 And that quote sums up why I’ve been waiting so anxiously - one of my favor 。。。he listened with satisfaction to the sounds rising from the streets eight stories below。 The honking of horns， the shouting of drunkards， the barking of dogs， even the siren of a police car — together they all combined to form the symphony that is the city of Manhattan on a warm summer night。Table for Two: FictionsAmor Towles•A huge thank you to @prhaudio for this early gifted copy of my most anticipated book of 2024。 And that quote sums up why I’ve been waiting so anxiously - one of my favorite writers in my favorite setting - a recipe for perfection。•I’ve loved and raved about everything Towles has written - his prose is something I can only describe as classically elegant and his stories are transportive。 I’m not normally a reader of short stories， but tell me Amor Towles wrote them and I’ll dive in。 I admit to being under the assumption that all of these stories have a NYC setting and they do not。 There is one set in Russia， 5 （I believe） set in NYC， but the bulk of the rather large book （almost 500 pages or 13 hours on audio） is a novella that expands upon the story of the character Evelyn Ross from Rules of Civility。 This takes us back to the golden years of Hollywood and reads like a ‘caper’ — I loved Rules of Civility， but I didn’t have the same affinity for this addition to that storyline。•The NYC stories are perfection。 My two favorites were The Ballad of Timothy Touchett and The DiDomenico fragment - one a literary “thriller” and the other a tale of art history。 The rest of the city stories unfold in all the classic NYC haunts， from Central Park to Carnegie Hall， The Met， Gramercy Park， The Carlyle Hotel - everything I’d hoped this collection would be is there。 I admit to wanting more of them - I would have been so content to stay in that world。•If you love Towles， you’ll want this for your shelves and I’ll be picking up my signed copy in a few weeks in NYC。 I think this might have worked better broken into two books， but that is just my opinion。 I do believe the book jacket lets the reader know what they are in for。 And the cover is everything。 Out 4/2。 。。。more
Leila Coppala
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Amor Towles is a wonderful writer。 These stories really make you think。 My complaint is really just a personal preference; I prefer novels or novellas to short stories。 I feel like most short stories suffer from their length。 It's hard to fully develop characters， settings and story lines in a short story format。 I feel most of these stories would have been more engaging if they had been lengthened and fleshed out more。 I love Towles' novels， and I would still recommend this book to everyone。 Th Amor Towles is a wonderful writer。 These stories really make you think。 My complaint is really just a personal preference; I prefer novels or novellas to short stories。 I feel like most short stories suffer from their length。 It's hard to fully develop characters， settings and story lines in a short story format。 I feel most of these stories would have been more engaging if they had been lengthened and fleshed out more。 I love Towles' novels， and I would still recommend this book to everyone。 Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for the eARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Amy Ashworth
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The short stories that make up the first part of Towles’ Table for Two showcase his ability to craft characters and situations into memorable imprints that leave the reader with vivid snapshots。 In “The Line，” the reader follows a couple from a budding communist Russia to New York， where standing in line represents an accepted and acceptable choice。 In “The Ballad of Timothy Touchett” Towles crafts a story that will probably make it down into high school literature books as a well-crafted cautio The short stories that make up the first part of Towles’ Table for Two showcase his ability to craft characters and situations into memorable imprints that leave the reader with vivid snapshots。 In “The Line，” the reader follows a couple from a budding communist Russia to New York， where standing in line represents an accepted and acceptable choice。 In “The Ballad of Timothy Touchett” Towles crafts a story that will probably make it down into high school literature books as a well-crafted cautionary with the cadence and tone of an American tall tale。 I loved “I Will Survive” – it was only as I pondered the events and the minor tragedies of this story that my eye snagged on the title and recognized its import。 My favorite was “The Bootlegger，” in part because I recognize myself in situations where righteous indignation reveals my complete lack of perspective。 The novella， “Eve in Hollywood” further demonstrates Towles’ prowess as a writer of historical fiction。 Readers who enjoyed Rules of Civility get the full story of Eve’s journey to Los Angeles， to the Golden Age of Hollywood and its gilded underbelly。 I have had the pleasure to read two short story collections in the past month， and recommend the exercise to all of my novel-reading friends。 You only realize how much you’re starving for a good small meal when you get a hold of fantastic short fiction。 Each of the stories is a masterful amuse-bouche or entrée in the prix fixe meal that is A Table for Two。 My thanks to Penguin Group Viking and Netgalley for access to the ARC。 Opinions stated herein are my own; I receive no remuneration for my review。 。。。more
Ricki Nordmeyer
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I was so fortunate to receive an advanced reading copy of Amor Towles' upcoming work billed as short stories and entitled Table for Two。 I consider him one of the preeminent authors of our time。 At first it does seem to be a series of unrelated short stories but they soon intertwine to create the story of an enigmatic young woman and those she encounters on her cross country train trip escaping from New York and ultimately ending up in Hollywood of the 30's 。 Skirting the famous and infamous of I was so fortunate to receive an advanced reading copy of Amor Towles' upcoming work billed as short stories and entitled Table for Two。 I consider him one of the preeminent authors of our time。 At first it does seem to be a series of unrelated short stories but they soon intertwine to create the story of an enigmatic young woman and those she encounters on her cross country train trip escaping from New York and ultimately ending up in Hollywood of the 30's 。 Skirting the famous and infamous of that era， the characters are wonderfully drawn， from the over the hill actor， to an elderly widower， a。 angry jobless screen photographer a former vice cop and a sweet Olivia de Haviland to whose aid our heroine arrives。 Similar to his Gentleman from Moscow， the setting revolves around a magnificent hotel， in this case The luxurious Beverly Hills Hotel。 And there's murder。 I hated for it to end， as I want to find out what Evelyn does next。 。。。more
Claire McWhorter
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A set of short stories and one novella， Table for Two reminded me why I love Amor Towles’ writing。
Cameron Watson
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My first Amor and it did not disappoint。 The first half of this book consists of a series of perfectly crafted short stories。 All a glimpse into old world New York。 Funny and curious， The Bootlegger and The Didomenico Fragment were particular favourites of mine。 This was then followed by a novella， a continuation of The Rules of Civility that stands alone。 A switch to the opposite coast， a glimpse of old Hollywood。 Perfectly crafted characters， an elegant， wry humour and writing that makes you n My first Amor and it did not disappoint。 The first half of this book consists of a series of perfectly crafted short stories。 All a glimpse into old world New York。 Funny and curious， The Bootlegger and The Didomenico Fragment were particular favourites of mine。 This was then followed by a novella， a continuation of The Rules of Civility that stands alone。 A switch to the opposite coast， a glimpse of old Hollywood。 Perfectly crafted characters， an elegant， wry humour and writing that makes you nostalgic for a place and time you have never visited。 Nothing Towles does is particularly experimental， or new， but his writing feels like writing should。 The gold standard of prose。 。。。more
Shirley Freeman
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I'm not a huge short story fan， but I really liked every single story in this collection。 There is also a great novella based on one of the characters，Eve， from Towles first novel， Rules of Civility。 The six short stories are very different from each other， but each takes place mostly in NYC and each involves a relationship， usually a marriage， with an interesting nuance or twist。 The novella imagines Eve's life in 1930s Hollywood after she makes an impulse decision to stay on the train to CA an I'm not a huge short story fan， but I really liked every single story in this collection。 There is also a great novella based on one of the characters，Eve， from Towles first novel， Rules of Civility。 The six short stories are very different from each other， but each takes place mostly in NYC and each involves a relationship， usually a marriage， with an interesting nuance or twist。 The novella imagines Eve's life in 1930s Hollywood after she makes an impulse decision to stay on the train to CA and not get off in IN where her parents are waiting。 One does not have to have read Rules of Civility in order to fully enjoy this novella。 Coming in April 2024。 。。。more
J。
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This is a collection of sophisticated stories primarily set in New York City。 They a wry， witty and astute in their observations of human nature。 If you enjoy Amor Towles writing you these will not disappoint。Thanks to NetGalley for an eGalley of this title。
Vlorini
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Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to preview this book。 Although short stories are generally not my cup of tea， these were magnificent。 The twists and turns and the brilliant writing once again puts Amor Towles at the top！
Linda
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Not being a devoted short story fan， I nevertheless really enjoyed several of those included in this book。 The author’s ability to create memorable characters is outstanding and is only surpassed by the unique situations he manages to put them in。Thanks to NetGalley and Viking Press for the ARC to read and review。
Patricia Baker
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absolutely fabulous book of stories。 so well written。 almost wanted to read it again， except I have a big stack of TBR books。 think my two favorite stories are the one with the cut up painting and the Eve takes on blackmailers。 could not imagine who would want to cut up a famous painting in order to give parts to surviving family members。 how is that even a thing？ then Eve meets Olivia， a star under contract in Hollywood。 Eve has her own reasons for relocating from NY to CA。 she is one smooth op absolutely fabulous book of stories。 so well written。 almost wanted to read it again， except I have a big stack of TBR books。 think my two favorite stories are the one with the cut up painting and the Eve takes on blackmailers。 could not imagine who would want to cut up a famous painting in order to give parts to surviving family members。 how is that even a thing？ then Eve meets Olivia， a star under contract in Hollywood。 Eve has her own reasons for relocating from NY to CA。 she is one smooth operator。 Especially liked Prentiss， the overweight aged out movie star now in no demand but keeper of secrets。 loved this book。 。。。more
Diane Ferbrache
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I don't usually read short stories。 I tend to find them disappointing， lacking the depth of novels。 In this case， however， I loved every one！ Towles is a master of the language and even his short stories suck you into the story and the lives of his characters。 The stories are only tangentially connected， sharing the NYC setting and a character or two with a passing acquaintance between stories。 They are filled with humor and emotion， but I admit I kept looking for the thread that pulled them tog I don't usually read short stories。 I tend to find them disappointing， lacking the depth of novels。 In this case， however， I loved every one！ Towles is a master of the language and even his short stories suck you into the story and the lives of his characters。 The stories are only tangentially connected， sharing the NYC setting and a character or two with a passing acquaintance between stories。 They are filled with humor and emotion， but I admit I kept looking for the thread that pulled them together。 SIGH！ I just can't find as much satisfaction in short stories that I do in a novel。 But Towles is close to winning me over。 The second half of the book is a novella that follows a character from Towles' novel Rules of Civility。 Set in the 1930s， Evelyn Ross leaves NY on a train bound for Chicago， but decides along the way to continue her journey to Los Angeles。 In LA， she starts a new life filled with characters she meets in her hotel。 It's a mystery filled with twists and turns and a story of friendship and renewal and some movie stars even drop in， A great story！Towles continues to write engaging stories that pull readers into the lives of wonderful characters。 Short stories or novellas or lengthy novels， no matter。 They are wonderful！ 。。。more
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Reference
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