City of Thieves: A Novel by David Benioff
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Book Reviews of City of Thieves: A Novel
Book Review: ONE WEEK IN 1942
Summary: 5 Stars
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David Benioff grew up a few blocks away from his Russian immigrant grandparents. As an adult, he lives in Los Angeles and writes screenplays. When he decides to write about Leningrad, he travels to Florida to meet with his grandparents; he wants to talk to them about the war. David and his grandfather talk for a week, he spoke to his grandfather about his childhood, about the war, about coming to America. But mostly they talked about one week in 1942, the week that his grandparents first met, the week when his grandfather made his best friend, and the day in that week when his grandfather killed two Germans.
I enjoyed this book very much, enjoyed the story about the 1 week in the life of Lev Abramovich Beniov who was in 1942, 17 years old. Enjoyed reading about the German corpses that fell from the sky; cannibals that sold sausage made from ground human, apartment buildings collapsing to the ground, dogs that were walking bombs, and frozen soldiers that became signposts.
Highly recommend this novel (Historical fiction), a story about friendship, war, love, and humor.
Book Review: Good Book
Summary: 5 Stars
City of Thieves is a great book. The book takes place in Leningrad, Russia during World War 2. The book is 258 pages and the two main characters are Lev Benioff and Kolya. Lev is a 17 year old kid who works as a watchman for the Red Army and Kolya is 19 and a soldier in the Red Army convicted of being a deserter. Lev is caught looting a dead German soldier and thrown in prison with Kolya. Instead of being executed the next day they are given a task of finding a dozen eggs by Thursday for the colonel's daughter so she can have a wedding cake. If they don't find the eggs by then they will be executed.
My favorite part of this book is the suspense and action and how detailed every character is. The narrator (Lev) goes into detail a lot about his life, family history, and social life.
I really like the book but I wish there was less inappropriate sex talk. The sex talk is a big part of the book but I think it is a little overdone but I still give this book 5 stars.
I would recommend this book for people who like action books with violence in a World War 2 setting.
Trent Brennan
Book Review: Entertaining historical action without lecturing
Summary: 5 Stars
I read this book over 4 days time. The final day I finished the last 150 pages as I couldn't stop reading - the storyline was too good to let go of.
Lev (the 17 year old protagonist) is a self-described ugly duckling trying to find his way and figure out what kind of person he will become during an extremely trying time - the siege of Leningrad. People starved to death. Some of them lived by consuming other people.
Kolya is a tough and self-reliant Red Army soldier who takes young Lev under his wing during a week-long quest to redeem himself, as he is a suspected deserter (he went AWOL to have sex - needless to say, the Red Army frowned on those going AWOL as it was locked in a fight to the death with the German Army). Kolya is the guy you want on your team - a cool and confident big brother.
Lev and Kolya have some incredible adventures during the week they are together - through some incredible (but not totally implausible) turns of the card, they complete their quest.
I haven't enjoyed a book this much in a number of years. Well worth your time.
Book Review: One of the greatest historical novels I've ever read
Summary: 5 Stars
I went to work sleepy for a few days reading this book too late not being able to put it down. This was one of the greatest historical novels I've ever read. Here is why I loved it so much:
1. Usually books are either plot driven or focus on characters. This one offers both captivating plot and great characters. I fell in love with both of them early in the novel. I laughed with them, cried with them, and kept wondering page after page - what would happen next.
2. The story and all people in it were very believable from both historical and cultural perspectives. Life in Russia and people's beliefs during the WW2 were portrayed exactly as described by my own grandfather and other witnesses who had lived through that experience.
3. This novel is both serious and entertaining at the same time. Despite the horrors of the war the story has the energy and dynamics of a fairy tale. It is exciting, heartwarming, and filled with great humor.
This was my first novel by Benioff and I loved it so much, I really look forward to more books by him.
Book Review: Well Imagined and Entertaining
Summary: 5 Stars
City of Theives by David Benioff was one of the most entertaining books I've read in a while, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone. Set during the seige of Leningrad in 1942, Lev, a teenaged boy, and Kolya, a young Red Army deserter, get reprieves from impending executions if they can perform one service for an NKVD colonel: find a dozen eggs in starving Leningrad for his daughter's wedding cake.
The story is a dark comedy, and the characters are perfectly realized. The entire setting of World War II Leningrad is extremely well imagined, and even the more bizarre events of the book are convincing. The length, at just over 250 pages, tells the story without cutting it short or artificially extending it. Benioff's pacing is outstanding.
If there's any knock on the book, it's that the initial setup for the book is probably unnecessary; however, the first chapter is not intrusive and doesn't take anything away from the overall work.
City of Thieves is a solid offering definitely worth your time and money.