Person
Every book Amor Towles recommended on podcasts
Amor Towles appears on literary and writing podcasts as a celebrated novelist who discusses the meticulous craft of fiction, historical research, and the journey behind his acclaimed works. Based on his interview appearances, Towles approaches writing with a strong historical consciousness, immersing himself deeply in the cultural sensibilities and literature of the eras he depicts. When discussing the preparation for his novels, such as The Lincoln Highway, Towles explains that he reads widely within the period's literary canon to capture its authentic voice and thematic concerns. He references Flannery O'Connor's collection of short stories A Good Man is Hard to Find, James Baldwin's debut novel Go Tell It on the Mountain, Sloan Wilson's The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, and Raymond Chandler's The Long Goodbye as crucial texts he reviewed to absorb the mid-century American mindset of 1954. In addition to discussing his research habits, Towles reflects upon the publication and reception of his own major works, including Rules of Civility and A Gentleman in Moscow, noting how early bookstore support and passionate champions helped propel his career. He also shares insights into how minor characters from his previous books, such as a charismatic troublemaker from Rules of Civility, can unexpectedly inspire entirely new creative endeavors like his short story and novella collection Table for Two.
Books recommended by Amor Towles
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A Gentleman in Moscow
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles is a historical novel that follows an aristocratic count who is ordered to spend the remainder of his life inside a luxury Moscow hotel.
Discussed“but for my novel a gentleman in Moscow Otto really loved the book and so he included it in his first editions Club the year that it came out”
Where to get it
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A good man is hard to find
Discussed“planning o Connor's uh first collection of short stories uh A Good Man is Hard to Find I I read um James Baldwin's first novel uh Go Tell It on the Mountain I read the man with a gray flannel suit and I read uh Raymond Chandler's uh long goodbye”
Where to get it
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American Pastoral
American Pastoral is a critically acclaimed 1997 novel by Philip Roth that examines the disintegration of a successful American family during the turbulent social upheavals of the late twentieth century.
Discussed“suddenly late in life he's writing this series of of longer increasingly long and complex Works um you know like American pastoral and things like that”
Where to get it
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Go Tell It on the Mountain
Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin is a powerful debut novel that portrays a young boy coming of age within a strict religious family in Harlem.
Discussed“planning o Connor's uh first collection of short stories uh A Good Man is Hard to Find I I read um James Baldwin's first novel uh Go Tell It on the Mountain I read the man with a gray flannel suit and I read uh Raymond Chandler's uh long goodbye”
Where to get it
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Rules of Civility
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles is a captivating debut novel set in 1938 New York City that follows a young woman whose life changes after an encounter in a jazz club.
Discussed“then I wrote Rules of Civility and then when that became a seller I retired from the firm and and I I think that in retrospect for me that worked out”
Where to get it
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Table for Two
Amor Towles's short story collection Table for Two brings together witty and intricately crafted narratives set in New York and Hollywood.
Discussed“but so you have the six New York stories and you have even Hollywood that's a part of this collection called table for two and that which will come out in April and I'm at work at my next novel”
Where to get it
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The Communist Manifesto
Discussed“the surrealist Manifesto of Breton or or the the the Communist Manifesto is amazing”
Where to get it
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The Long Goodbye
The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler is a celebrated hardboiled detective novel featuring the private investigator Philip Marlowe.
Discussed“planning o Connor's uh first collection of short stories uh A Good Man is Hard to Find I I read um James Baldwin's first novel uh Go Tell It on the Mountain I read the man with a gray flannel suit and I read uh Raymond Chandler's uh long goodbye”
Where to get it
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The man in the gray flannel suit
Discussed“planning o Connor's uh first collection of short stories uh A Good Man is Hard to Find I I read um James Baldwin's first novel uh Go Tell It on the Mountain I read the man with a gray flannel suit and I read uh Raymond Chandler's uh long goodbye”
Where to get it
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Underworld
Underworld is a sprawling, multi-layered masterpiece by Don DeLillo that examines the second half of the twentieth century in America through the lens of a single baseball and a trajectory of waste, nuclear threat, and cultural anxiety.
Discussed“and underworld even better you know”
Where to get it
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White Noise
White Noise by Don DeLillo is a celebrated postmodern masterpiece that examines consumer culture, academic life, and airborne toxic events through sharply stylized dialogue.
Discussed“you work your way towards White Noise and you're like oh that's a masterpiece”
Where to get it
Books Amor Towles wrote
- Table for Two
- A Gentleman in Moscow
- Rules of Civility
- The Lincoln Highway
- Mysterious Bookshop Presents the Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2023
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amor Towles Sees Dead People | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 4 |
| The Mindset Behind An Unforgettable Novel (Amor Towles Interview) | How I Write | 2024-02-14 | 8 |
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“I have a collection of short stories which is coming out in April called table for two”