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City of Thieves: A Novelby David Benioff
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:As wise and funny as it is thrilling and original — the story of two young men on an impossible adventure.
A writer visits his retired grandparents in Florida to document their experience during the infamous siege of Leningrad. His grandmother won't talk about it, but his grandfather reluctantly consents. The result is the captivating odyssey of two young men trying to survive against desperate odds. Lev Beniov considers himself "built for deprivation." He's small, smart, and insecure, a Jewish virgin too young for the army, who spends his nights working as a volunteer firefighter with friends from his building. When a dead German paratrooper lands in his street, Lev is caught looting the body and dragged to jail, fearing for his life. He shares his cell with the charismatic and grandiose Kolya, a handsome young soldier arrested on desertion charges. Instead of the standard bullet in the back of the head, Lev and Kolya are given a shot at saving their own lives by complying with an outrageous directive: secure a dozen eggs for a powerful colonel to use in his daughter's wedding cake. In a city cut off from all supplies and suffering unbelievable deprivation, Lev and Kolya embark on a hunt to find the impossible. A search that takes them through the dire lawlessness of Leningrad and the devastated surrounding countryside creates an unlikely bond between this earnest, lust-filled teenager and an endearing lothario with the gifts of a conman. Set within the monumental events of history, City of Thieves is an intimate coming-of-age tale with an utterly contemporary feel for how boys become men. Review:"Author and screenwriter Benioff follows up The 25th Hour with this hard-to-put-down novel based on his grandfather's stories about surviving WWII in Russia. Having elected to stay in Leningrad during the siege, 17-year-old Lev Beniov is caught looting a German paratrooper's corpse. The penalty for this infraction (and many others) is execution. But when Colonel Grechko confronts Lev and Kolya, a Russian army deserter also facing execution, he spares them on the condition that they acquire a dozen eggs for the colonel's daughter's wedding cake. Their mission exposes them to the most ghoulish acts of the starved populace and takes them behind enemy lines to the Russian countryside. There, Lev and Kolya take on an even more daring objective: to kill the commander of the local occupying German forces. A wry and sympathetic observer of the devastation around him, Lev is an engaging and self-deprecating narrator who finds unexpected reserves of courage at the crucial moment and forms an unlikely friendship with Kolya, a flamboyant ladies' man who is coolly reckless in the face of danger. Benioff blends tense adventure, a bittersweet coming-of-age and an oddly touching buddy narrative to craft a smart crowd-pleaser." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Review:The 900-day German siege of Leningrad (1941-43) was arguably the most punishing sustained assault on a city in history. The Russians lost roughly one civilian per minute for 2 1/2 years straight. Yet despite their dwindling supplies, their strategic stubbornness and their policy of purging some of their most loyal comrades, the Red Army held firm. "The arithmetic was brutal, but brutal arithmetic always... Washington Post Book Review (read the entire Washington Post review) Review:"[G]lorious...a wild action-packed quest, and much else besides....This gut-churning thriller will sweep you along and, with any luck, propel Benioff into bestseller land." Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review) Review:"With deftly sly humor, respect for the agony of warfare, and dialog that elevates the boys-to-men story beyond its typical male ribaldry, this second novel by screenwriter Benioff deserves a bright spotlight..." Library Journal (Starred Review) Review:"[S]plendid....By listening carefully — and making the rest up — Benioff has produced a funny, sad, and thrilling novel. (Grade: A-)" Entertainment Weekly Review:"[A] modern masterpiece, a work that is both heartstopping and heartbreaking and one worthy of occupying the same shelf as wartime classics like Catch-22 and Slaughterhouse-Five." BookReporter.com Review:"[W]ithout our ability to be moved by [Lev's] predicament, this well-crafted tale about the endless opportunities for suffering weakens into a harmless entertainment." Los Angeles Times Review:"[A] book rife with ironies and a kind of existential absurdity." Dallas Morning News Review:" Review:"A high-spirited adventure, Benioff's second novel...takes more than a little poetic license. When Benioff tells his grandfather that a few things don't make sense in the narrative, his reply: You're a writer. Make it up." Booklist' Synopsis:A writer visits his retired grandparents in Florida to document their experience during the infamous siege of Leningrad. His grandmother won't talk about it, but his grandfather reluctantly consents. The result is the captivating odyssey of two young men trying to survive against desperate odds. About the AuthorDavid Benioff is an author and screenwriter. His first novel, The 25th Hour, was adapted into a popular feature film. His short story collection When the Nines Roll Over received critical acclaim. What Our Readers Are SayingAdd a comment for a chance to win!
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