City of Thieves by David Benioff (ISBN:0452295297)

English (US)

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		City of Thieves: A Novel
	
				(193 reviews)			
(1132 Readers)

			David Benioff		
	
From the critically acclaimed author of The 25th Hour, a captivating novel about war, courage, survival—and a remarkable friendship that ripples...more
 From the critically acclaimed author of The 25th Hour, a captivating novel about war, courage, survival—and a remarkable friendship that ripples across a lifetime. During the Nazis’ brutal siege of Leningrad, Lev Beniov is arrested for looting and thrown into the same cell as a handsome deserter named Kolya. Instead of being executed, 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 Soviet 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 through the dire lawlessness of Leningrad and behind enemy lines to find the impossible. By turns insightful and funny, thrilling and terrifying, City of Thieves is a gripping, cinematic World War II adventure and an intimate coming-of-age story with an utterly contemporary feel for how boys become men.   less

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
I really enjoyed this book. It takes place during the Nazi seige on Leningrad. It's about a teen who is commisioned to find a dozen eggs in war-torn Russia so a colonel can bake a cake for his daughter's wedding. If he fails, he'll be executed or left to starve to death. It's really about a boy's journey into manhood -dealing with loss, first real feelings of...more
 I really enjoyed this book. It takes place during the Nazi seige on Leningrad. It's about a teen who is commisioned to find a dozen eggs in war-torn Russia so a colonel can bake a cake for his daughter's wedding. If he fails, he'll be executed or left to starve to death. It's really about a boy's journey into manhood -dealing with loss, first real feelings of attraction towards a woman, and finding the courage to rise to the occasion. I'm sure there's more layers to it, but that's the main thing I took from it. Very well written -the story pulls you in and sticks in your brain. <p)Don't be fooled (like I was) into thinking the story is loosely based on the author's grandparents. The opening pages sets the story up for the first-person narration.</p>   hide

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
What might be expected to be a traditional WW2 novel takes a twist only the Cohen Brothers could plot as the two protagonists risk life & limb to dodge starving Russians who have resorted to cannibalism, German patrols and more to recover a dozen eggs.  
A quirky novel that keeps you turning the pages because you genuinely like the characters.  Screenwriter Benioff is at the top of his game...more
 What might be expected to be a traditional WW2 novel takes a twist only the Cohen Brothers could plot as the two protagonists risk life & limb to dodge starving Russians who have resorted to cannibalism, German patrols and more to recover a dozen eggs.  
A quirky novel that keeps you turning the pages because you genuinely like the characters.  Screenwriter Benioff is at the top of his game and the story springs to life, perhaps because it is the tale of his Grandfather.
A fantastic novel that ultimately shows the bonds of friendship, the futility of war and that it might all be true is the icing on the cake.   hide

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
Very interesting book.  Wasn't sure I'd like it when I started it, but really enjoyed the story.  War scenes reminded me a bit of Slaughter House Five.

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
First time I've read this author (got book for Christmas.)Loved it! Set in Leningrad during the German invasion in WWII, the book is filled with enlightning history. My favorite part of reading this book though was the characters. Bennioff does such a wonderful job of creating characters that are so real and endearing that you feel you are on the journey with them. Great mix of humor and drama....more
 First time I've read this author (got book for Christmas.)Loved it! Set in Leningrad during the German invasion in WWII, the book is filled with enlightning history. My favorite part of reading this book though was the characters. Bennioff does such a wonderful job of creating characters that are so real and endearing that you feel you are on the journey with them. Great mix of humor and drama. Strongly recommend this book.   hide

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
City of Thieves" is something of a coming-of-age tale with a twist. The twist is the fact that the tale is set in the besieged city of Leningrad in January, 1941. It is a city at war and surrounded by the German army and it's the story of two young intellectuals gripped in the throes of the Germans' siege of Leningrad, trying to survive not only German bombings and starvation and who have been...more
 City of Thieves" is something of a coming-of-age tale with a twist. The twist is the fact that the tale is set in the besieged city of Leningrad in January, 1941. It is a city at war and surrounded by the German army and it's the story of two young intellectuals gripped in the throes of the Germans' siege of Leningrad, trying to survive not only German bombings and starvation and who have been given a near-impossible task in exchange for their lives.
The characters of Lev and Kolya were well-drawn and engaging; the story although set in grim circumstances is touched with humor.   hide

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
Thoroughly enjoyable book. Guys would love it too . It gives a good perspective of the treatment of Russia under Nazi rule during the war. I read it in a few hours. It is a tale of two prisoners , one caught for lotting and the other deserting the army , they are given a chance to live if they find a dozen eggs for the commander's daughters wedding cake. It is well written and has humorous...more
 Thoroughly enjoyable book. Guys would love it too . It gives a good perspective of the treatment of Russia under Nazi rule during the war. I read it in a few hours. It is a tale of two prisoners , one caught for lotting and the other deserting the army , they are given a chance to live if they find a dozen eggs for the commander's daughters wedding cake. It is well written and has humorous and sad parts peppered in between.   hide

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							Scott\'n\'Shana
						
							few weeks ago						
I read this book while serving at the UN mission in the Republic of Georgia last summer.  This book rocks out.  As many of my colleagues have said, it has all the humor, violence, suspense, nasty characters (like cannibals), and dialog you want to see in a buddy story--and it's all based on some really compelling 20th Century history; if Hollywood doesn't turn this one...more
 I read this book while serving at the UN mission in the Republic of Georgia last summer.  This book rocks out.  As many of my colleagues have said, it has all the humor, violence, suspense, nasty characters (like cannibals), and dialog you want to see in a buddy story--and it's all based on some really compelling 20th Century history; if Hollywood doesn't turn this one into a film (especially with all this Twilight nonsense I keep hearing about--environmentalist vampires!?  Really!?) then it is a real opportunity missed.  Most wholeheartedly recommend.   hide

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
This is without a doubt the best book I've read this year. It grabbed me from the first sentence and didn't let go until I had finished the final word. The two main characters are funny, witty, and, most important, real. I felt that I was being given a glimpse into a world that kept going even when I wasn't reading the book. It doesn't shy away from the grisly aspects of war and...more
 This is without a doubt the best book I've read this year. It grabbed me from the first sentence and didn't let go until I had finished the final word. The two main characters are funny, witty, and, most important, real. I felt that I was being given a glimpse into a world that kept going even when I wasn't reading the book. It doesn't shy away from the grisly aspects of war and the siege of Leningrad, but it doesn't dwell on the dark stuff either. I'm recommending this book to any fan of well-written fiction. (  )   hide

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							A Reader
						
							few weeks ago						
This is a wonderful novel that centers on two young soldiers who have been given an impossible mission (find a dozen eggs!) in an unbearable situation (the Blockade of Leningrad, and its consequent famine). It is an exciting, at times funny, and very original story with great characters. Some scened will keep you on the edge of your seat. I really got a good feel for the...more
 This is a wonderful novel that centers on two young soldiers who have been given an impossible mission (find a dozen eggs!) in an unbearable situation (the Blockade of Leningrad, and its consequent famine). It is an exciting, at times funny, and very original story with great characters. Some scened will keep you on the edge of your seat. I really got a good feel for the unimagineable horrors that took place in Russia during the German invasion. Read this book!   hide

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							pupi
						
							few weeks ago						
i really love the story and the characters! looks pretty lame at first you read, but later you will change your mind. fascinating :)

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