Book Summary: Table for Two by Amor Towles
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.
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 a noirish tale that takes us through the movie sets, bungalows, and dive bars of 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.
Book Review: Table for Two by Amor Towles
With his latest offering “Table for Two”, Amor Towles solidifies his reputation as a modern master storyteller. This delectable collection dishes up six delightfully quirky short stories set in New York City around the turn of the millennium, along with a rich, multi-layered novella that whisks readers back to Hollywood’s Golden Age. It’s a literary feast that had me constantly going back for more.
The book opens strong with “The Line”, a charming little yarn about Pushkin, an endearingly gentle soul in post-Soviet Moscow whose life revolves around the endless queues for basic necessities. Towles brings this strange yet strangely relatable world to vivid life through gorgeous details and sly humor. I found myself grinning from ear to ear at Pushkin’s quaint adventures navigating Moscow’s ramshackle bureaucracy of lines.
From there, “The Ballad of Timothy Touchett” takes a wickedly satirical poke at the insular world of literati and the insecurities that plague many aspiring writers. The story of Timothy, a young creative writing striver who gets in over his head forging signatures for a rare bookshop, is both rollicking fun and a biting commentary on ego and validation in the arts. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t see more than a little of my younger, douchier self in Timothy.
The collection really hits its stride with the moving “Hasta Luego”. This deceptively simple tale of a chance airport encounter that leads a businessman to assist a lovable, larger-than-life stranger struggling with alcoholism is an absolute gut-punch of humor and heart. I found myself inexplicably misty-eyed multiple times reading this one. Towles’ empathy for his characters is something truly special.
That emotional richness carries over into “I Will Survive”, which shrewdly uses the story of Nell investigating her stepfather’s secret roller-skating habit as a jumping off point to explore wider themes of marriage, sacrifice, and the unsung heroism of modern motherhood. As a husband and father myself, this one resonated deeply – Towles lends such grace and wisdom to the tangled dynamics of family life.
If “I Will Survive” is the understated tear-jerker, “The Bootlegger” is the out-and-out comedic showstopper of the New York stories. Following the farcical escalation when a cranky old man is caught recording a concert at Carnegie Hall, this riotously funny yet poignant tale is an utter delight from start to finish. Towles’ sharp satirical voice and zany characters had me laughing out loud over and over.
The New York stories reach their apex with the intricate, multi-layered “The DiDomenico Fragment”. On one level, it’s a juicy tale of art world intrigue centered on an obscure Renaissance painting split into fragments. But Towles embeds so much sly commentary on class, values, tradition and human nature into this polished gem of a story. I was in awe of the craftsmanship—it’s a true masterclass in short fiction.
Of course, the centerpiece is the lush, engrossing novella “Eve in Hollywood” which follows the indomitable Evelyn Ross, a fan-favorite character from Towles’ beloved novel “Rules of Civility”, as she forges a new life for herself amid the sun-dappled dreams and noir shadows of 1930s Hollywood. With its kaleidoscope of shifting perspectives and locales, from movie lots to high society soirees to scrappy working-class haunts, it’s a transporting immersive experience that vividly conjures the essence of Golden Age Tinseltown.
More than that though, Towles uses Eve’s story as a rich metaphor to explore the eternal human yearning for reinvention and the delicate dance of ambition and morality. I was in raptures over the sheer ambition and skill in this piece – it’s a staggering, sustained sequence that lingers long after reading. Literary fiction of the highest caliber.
While all the stories in “Table for Two” are exceptionally well-crafted, Towles’ extraordinary gift is truly his boundless empathy and generosity as an observer of human nature. His characters, even the eccentric oddballs, leapt off the page as vibrantly real, flawed yet deeply relatable people. I saw reflections of myself, my loved ones, and people in my life in every story. That level of insight and emotional resonance is a rare quality.
If I had one small quibble, it’s that the New York stories did start to blend together a bit in their overlapping milieus and thematic concerns around midway through the collection. A few of them occupied maybe a bit too similar tonal and narrative spaces to truly stand out individually. But that’s a minor critique in an otherwise practically flawless book.
At its core, “Table for Two” is a “Greatest Hits” celebration of everything that makes Towles such a wonderful novelist – his gorgeous, lyrical prose; his deft characterization; his boundless wit and compassion; his insights into human nature; and above all, his ability to absorb readers fully into the vibrant worlds he creates. This is a book that lingers and savors, like a long, luxurious meal at your favorite restaurant. Every story is an exquisitely-crafted delicacy to be relished slowly.
I devoured “Table for Two” in one glorious binge-read, yet I’m already craving a second helping. For fiction lovers everywhere, this collection is a required reading—a sumptuous banquet that will leave you thoroughly sated yet ravenous for more from this master chef of modern literature. Amor Towles has crafted a feast for the senses and the soul. Come hungry, and prepare to have your heart, mind and funny bone well and truly nourished.
