Table for Two
By Amor Towles
- Release Date: 2024-04-02
- Genre: Short Stories
Description
A New York Times Bestseller
“This may be Towles’ best book yet. Each tale is as satisfying as a master chef’s main course, filled with drama, wit, erudition and, most of all, heart.” —Los Angeles Times
“The book spans the 20th century, bringing characters into tableaus of deceit and desire. Beneath his coifed prose Towles is a master of the shiv, the bait and switch; we see the flash of light before the shock wave strikes, often in the final sentence. . . . Table for Two delivers the kick of a martini served in the Polo Lounge.” – The New York Times Book Review
Millions of Amor Towles fans are in for a treat as he shares some of his shorter fiction: six stories based in New York City and a novella set in Golden Age Hollywood.
The New York stories, most of which take place around the year 2000, consider the fateful consequences that can spring from brief encounters and the delicate mechanics of compromise that operate at the heart of modern marriages. Told from seven points of view, “Eve in Hollywood” describes how one of Towles’s most beloved characters, the indomitable Evelyn Ross from Rules of Civility, crafts a new future for herself—and others—in a noirish tale that takes us through the movie sets, bungalows, and dive bars of 1930s Los Angeles.
Written with his signature wit, humor, and sophistication, Table for Two is another glittering addition to Towles’s canon of stylish and transporting fiction.
Reviews
Table for Two
5By No names thanksWonderful stories. Consistently good tales, each one a gem.Brilliant
5By LBtotheZBrilliant in every way. The story telling, the characters, the language, the twists, the morals. Loved every second while reading this collection of stories.Table for Two
5By ssoftyIn every short story and novella in this book, a phrase or sentence about human nature or behavior stopped me in my tracks. Stopping so that I could read it again and think about it more slowly. What could be better? I loved it.Great stories.
5By Cut woodVery enjoyable. What nice writing.Table for Two
3By ev kusterAfter much extraneous verbiage, Towles finally discovers a plot one third of the way through. It then takes off as a wild whodunnit, but ends with a yawn.Compelling stories, wonderfully written
5By Peonies+MagnokiaA departure from reading a traditional novel - in the best way.Great!!
5By timlozierAmor Towles is a wizard with words. So good!!Table for Two - please read me!
5By ellejeuneBravo! Again I am unable to explain why this book is so amazing because I’m not a writer but the brilliance is shocking and I’m so sad to have completed it!It’s so good!!! Exceptional
5By Shaye bae baeAmor Towles is our generation’s greatest living author. This book, along with all his others, is compelling, suspenseful and full of life’s wisdoms, it’s truly hard to put down. His writing takes you to a higher level and your magically transported into the scene with just the right amount of description and I just love how he goes into the minds of his characters. As I read each short story in his book, I kept thinking how does he come up with these incredibly creative stories that you can’t stop reading. The addition of Rules of Civility Eve’s time in Los Angeles read like many of the short stories but combined into a beautiful short novel with a detective novel feel. Loved, loved, loved this book!The short storys are great, the Novella is a bit slow to get started
3By Left Out (objectivity)I am a big fan of the author. He is a storyteller, philosopher and humorous all rolled into one. The short stories were all very interesting. I thought the Novella was very slow to get to the set up. Too much focus on philosophy in each sentence and not enough on the storyline. Got a little bit annoying. However, about 3/4 of the way through, no surprise, he pulled it all together and the last section of the book was a good read. (Not so sure about the need for the general philosophic comment on the last page or two but didn't hurt the story.) If you haven't read his other books, I would read those first. If you have, I think you wouldn't enjoy this.Wonderfully fresh
5By suhollanI like everything written by Amor Towles. His writing is imaginative. When he uses humor it is quite subtle. I loved his short stories. The novel about Eve makes me want to re-read Rules of Civility. I continue to love this author’s style and be amazed at his talent. Pure genius.Not my favorite Towles book
4By Disappointed in ClearwaterWhile I enjoyed the book it is my least favorite. What I love about Mr. Towles books is the character development. This book being short stories does not allow that rich development of characters and relationships. Go in to reading this book with lower expectations!Not Bad, But…,
3By juliusaThese were not bad, just not up to par. Too much like O’Henry style, with minor moralistic twists. Enjoyable but predictable. Worth a read, but not his best.Towles talents in short snip its!
5By BigFanOfItI am glad I read this book. I tend to shy away from this type of collection, but no longer will. You get the best from Towles in short, complete, entertaining stories. One of my favorites in a long time!From couples to Eve Ross …
1By Bonnie reads too muchTable for Two begins with a series of short stories about couples and their relationships. Then begins the continuing adventures of Eve Ross from Rules of Civility. The background is helpful but not essential to enjoying the novella. Each story is charming with purposefully developed characters. I thoroughly enjoyed it.Jghh
5By Pura graciaNnkkTable for Two
5By CheckeredbandanaExcellent literary work.A gem
5By ECC4812Love his POV. He is my favorite contemporary author.Not my cup of tea
1By Anon519As great as A Gentleman in Moscow, this and The Lincoln Highway were disappointing.
