City of Thieves: A Novel by David Benioff
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Book Reviews of City of Thieves: A Novel
Book Review: Moby Dick was just a whale
Summary: 5 Stars
Moby Dick was just a whale--
A number of years ago, my wife and I, to escape our uninsulated, freezing, Maine "summer camp," heated by a fireplace and two kerosene space heaters, escape to a heated library and sit in a discussion group led by a retired professor. After watching a film the professor would discourse on the film and the well known classic book underlying the film. In this case the subject was Moby Dick.
Following the film, with only slight prodding, the audience, would then engage in extrapolating the professors penetrating claptrap with further extrapolations until we had nonsense heaped upon nonsense----- a pyramid standing on it's head.
After one of the pseudo intellectual mental masturbation I decided to ask a simple question, "Did any one ever think that Moby Dick was just a whale and that Melville had simply written a wonderful story?"
That is my reaction to the pontificating critical reviews on "City of Thieves"
I considered the book to be excellent. A perfect literary connection of logic fitted into the horrible factual story of the tragedy of Leningrad in World War II. To be able to tell such a story with believable interjections of humor demonstrates a great gift.
After reading "City of Thieves" I ordered and read Mr. Benioff's earlier novel, " 25 hours" as well as Harrison Salisbury's overwhelming book, the non- fiction "900 days," that Mr. Benioff used and reccomended as source material for "City of Thieves."
My conclusion is that Mr. Benioff is a fine talent who we shall hopefully see a lot more of. Originality, with a strong foundation of fact and the ability to portray conflicting human emotions in a realistic manner is always in short supply.
Book Review: Great book. Well told story!
Summary: 5 Stars
I picked up this book thinking the premise of two people, one a 17 year old boy, and the second an apparent young Russian army deserter, set in the siege of Leningrad during WWII would make for a good stretch of reading.
I was correct. This author takes a very absurd situation - a mission to find a dozen eggs in the midst of chaos - into a journey across the absurdity of war that is both exciting and humorous. What sets this story apart is the story is told from the perspective of Lev, a young 17 year old. Lev is still a boy, with boyish concerns. While it seems a cliche to argue Lev grows up during this mission - it is still true. And yet, who cares?
Well imagined scenes tumble around a growing and believable relationship between Lev and Kolya - the army deserter. The humor of these situations, and the comedic scenes between Lev and Kolya are very well-written and believable.
Benioff has written a novel that plays like a movie because it is so well written. The story moves a long almost too quickly, and the foreshadowing device at the beginning of the book makes the story seem all the more wondrous. This is one of those 'turn-back' to the front kind of stories. A clever little device he employs!
In short, this is a light read, but a great read. You will be very hard-pressed to put this book down after a few pages. Not a "war story" per se, either. Like most good novels, the reader will be transported right to the frozen lakes and woods, the bombed-out buildings and the desperate nature of the 900 days of Leningrad with little effort.
Not to be missed!
Book Review: Well-written, cinematic adventure story
Summary: 5 Stars
A fantastic book, set during the World War II siege of Leningrad. The strange-but-somehow-believable premise, in which a young Jewish looter and an AWOL Russian soldier are spared from execution by a Soviet army colonel, who sends them on a near-impossible mission to find a dozen eggs for his daughter's wedding cake (or else), launches an enthralling story of war, survival against all odds, and unlikely friendship. Benioff has a writer's gift for detail and dialogue, and maintains the fine balance between humor and seriousness needed to make a coming-of-age story set during such a grim time in history work. Juxtaposed against this tragic, absurd background is the comical odd-couple relationship of the two main characters, which echoes many memorable partnerships in literature and film (I'd be surprised if no one's bought up the movie rights). Even the seemingly throwaway observations they make in their conversation, whether they're talking about girls and sex or great literature, are filled with memorable lines, the kind of honest insight that emerges when life hangs on a thread.
Supposedly, Benioff based this book on the real-life experiences of his Russian grandfather, but the writing (especially the portrayal of the irrepressible Kolya) has a vivid fictional feel that suggests he took a few creative liberties with the source material. But, never mind -- what matters is that he tells a great story, in a setting that feels both lived-in and lyrical. Highly recommended; couldn't put it down.
[Also, kudos to Ron Perlman for an excellent audiobook narration. Imagine Hellboy doing a Russian accent!]
Book Review: Unusual and moving read
Summary: 5 Stars
If you study the cover of CITY OF THIEVES, you see two bundled men walking through a barren field of snow pursuing a chicken. In essence, that's the set up for David Benioff's incredibly original and moving novel. Although, in truth, these two Russians aren't pursuing a chicken, rather a dozen eggs for Colonel Grechko's daughter's wedding cake. If they can locate eggs in a city with scarcely any food or warmth, their lives will be spared from execution.
Set in Russia, 1942, a year after the Germans began bombing Leningrad. A Jewish, teenage boy Lev is arrested for stealing off a dead German and finds himself in jail with an outspoken Army deserted named Kolya. The two make an unlikely pair as they begin a journey that seems hopeless.
Along the way we witness incredible cruelty and desperate acts of survival in a landscape that seems hopeless. Kolya pushes his little chess-playing buddy day and night past enemy lines, telling him stories and boasting of his female conquests to keep Lev from falling asleep as they search, hungry, frightened, exhausted. The friendship that forms is heartwarming. The courage these men demonstrate is utterly moving. The humor lightens the journey for the reader.
Marie Estorge
Author of CONFESSIONS OF A BI-POLAR MARDI GRAS QUEEN
and STORKBITES: A MEMOIR
Storkbites: A Memoir
Book Review: deep look at the atrocities of war
Summary: 5 Stars
During the Nazi siege of Leningrad, seventeen year old Lev Beniov remains in the city alone as his dad "officially" vanished several years earlier and his mom and sis were evacuated. However, he is unable to stay in hiding as he needs food, but he is caught looting. The Germans execute looters on the spot. Yet Nazi Colonel Grechko offers Lev and equally guilty twenty year old Russian army deserter Kolya a chance to live. They are to obtain twelve eggs in five days for his daughter's wedding cake; failure means death.
They quickly know the black market has nothing for sale. Thus the duet works their way behind the Nazi line as they assume nearby farms are their best bet. Lev and Kolya stumble onto a Nazi death squad sexually abusing Russian women and help the partisans kill the Nazi beasts. As they witness more atrocities, the unlikely duo becomes friends while Lev is attracted to kick-butt partisan sniper Vika.
This deep look at the atrocities of war stars a coming of age odd couple who forge a friendship out of surviving the abuses they encounter in spite of Kolya being a confident extrovert and Lev a self mocking introvert with the latter telling their story. The story line is fast-paced with plenty of action; much of which accentuates the abuses, carnage, and the scarcities the civilian population face. Readers will want to join Kolya and Lev on their quest to find the Holy Grail: a dozen eggs.
Harriet Klausner