For better or worse, there are few things so disarming as one who laughs well at her own expense

For better or worse, there are few things so disarming as one who laughs well at her own expense

Amor Towles is a master at creating characters who are both charming and flawed, and one of the most endearing qualities of his protagonists is their ability to laugh at themselves. In his novels, such as "Rules of Civility" and "A Gentleman in Moscow," Towles presents characters who are not afraid to poke fun at their own shortcomings and mistakes, making them all the more relatable and lovable to readers.

One of the most memorable characters in Towles' work is Katey Kontent from "Rules of Civility." Katey is a young woman living in New York City in the 1930s, trying to make her way in the world despite her humble beginnings. Throughout the novel, Katey faces numerous challenges and setbacks, but she never loses her sense of humor or her ability to laugh at herself. Whether she's making a social faux pas at a fancy party or getting herself into a sticky situation with a handsome stranger, Katey always manages to find the humor in her own missteps.

Similarly, in "A Gentleman in Moscow," Towles introduces readers to Count Alexander Rostov, a Russian aristocrat who is sentenced to house arrest in a luxury hotel in Moscow during the tumultuous years of the Soviet Union. Despite his privileged background and the drastic change in his circumstances, Count Rostov maintains a sense of grace and humor that endears him to both the other characters in the novel and to readers. He is quick to make light of his own predicament and finds joy in the small pleasures of everyday life, even as the world around him is falling apart.