You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
Excelente novela que narra las aventuras de un adolescente que se convierte en hombre en el contexto de la defensa de Leningrado
I really enjoyed this book. It takes place during the Seige of Leningrad (St. Petersburg, called Piter) during WWII. Lev and Kolya, a looter and a deserter, respectively, are told their lives will be spared if they can bring back a dozen eggs for the wedding cake of a general's daughter. This, in a city where the people are so hungry that they have resorted to boiling down the spines of books to eat the glue, which they call "library candy."
As they seek out these elusive eggs, the reader gets to know 17-year-old Lev, the son of a famous poet who was killed by the NKVD (Russian police), and Kolya, a suave nymphomaniac who seems to keep getting the two of them into trouble. Kolya nearly gets them killed by cannibals in Leningrad, and then gets them lost on the way to Nga. Along the way, they meet girls living in a farmhouse/brothel for the Germans and hear the story of Zoya, a 14 year old girl whose feet were cut off by the Sturnbannfuhrer, Abendroth. They join up with the partisans, a group of militia whose best asset is Vika, a young female sniper, and with whom the desperately awkward Lev falls in love. The group joins up with a group of prisoners in order to get close to Abendroth, and Kolya manages to arrange a chess game between Lev and Abendroth. The scene is intense, but I won't say more to avoid spoilers.
I loved the character of Kolya. He was obsessed with talking about his favourite book, The Courtyard Hound, and Lev quickly figures out that the lines he quotes from the novel are actually his own, and he is testing them out on Lev. He is writing The Courtyard Hound. I love the weakness this shows in him, as he acts very tough all of the time; he uses the imagined author Ushakovo as a defense mechanism, to protect himself from criticism. Outside of his novel-in-progress, he is the picture of confidence, and his terrible jokes, crude comments, and risky behaviour are constantly entertaining, despite the bleakness of the setting. A hilarious character, and, I think, really well developed.
I can't imagine living under seige. Benioff portrays life in Piter and in the surrounding areas as unbearable. The hunger, the cold, and the fear of shell attacks are constant. This novel represents an aspect of WWII that I have very little knowledge of; in Ken Follett's Winter of the World, I learned/read a bit about the Russian front, so this was a nice addition to that.
In all, a really enjoyable read. Despite the depressing subject, it was action packed and funny at times. (When they realize Darling the "chicken" is actually a rooster made me laugh!)
As they seek out these elusive eggs, the reader gets to know 17-year-old Lev, the son of a famous poet who was killed by the NKVD (Russian police), and Kolya, a suave nymphomaniac who seems to keep getting the two of them into trouble. Kolya nearly gets them killed by cannibals in Leningrad, and then gets them lost on the way to Nga. Along the way, they meet girls living in a farmhouse/brothel for the Germans and hear the story of Zoya, a 14 year old girl whose feet were cut off by the Sturnbannfuhrer, Abendroth. They join up with the partisans, a group of militia whose best asset is Vika, a young female sniper, and with whom the desperately awkward Lev falls in love. The group joins up with a group of prisoners in order to get close to Abendroth, and Kolya manages to arrange a chess game between Lev and Abendroth. The scene is intense, but I won't say more to avoid spoilers.
I loved the character of Kolya. He was obsessed with talking about his favourite book, The Courtyard Hound, and Lev quickly figures out that the lines he quotes from the novel are actually his own, and he is testing them out on Lev. He is writing The Courtyard Hound. I love the weakness this shows in him, as he acts very tough all of the time; he uses the imagined author Ushakovo as a defense mechanism, to protect himself from criticism. Outside of his novel-in-progress, he is the picture of confidence, and his terrible jokes, crude comments, and risky behaviour are constantly entertaining, despite the bleakness of the setting. A hilarious character, and, I think, really well developed.
I can't imagine living under seige. Benioff portrays life in Piter and in the surrounding areas as unbearable. The hunger, the cold, and the fear of shell attacks are constant. This novel represents an aspect of WWII that I have very little knowledge of; in Ken Follett's Winter of the World, I learned/read a bit about the Russian front, so this was a nice addition to that.
In all, a really enjoyable read. Despite the depressing subject, it was action packed and funny at times. (When they realize Darling the "chicken" is actually a rooster made me laugh!)
4.5/5 rounded up. The ending felt a teensy bit too stereotypical in how things wrapped up for the main characters but overall I loved this novel and wish I hadn’t waited so many years to read it. A very different type of WW2 novel that is well worth a read. This really would make a wonderful film!
City of Thieves by David Benioff is, quite frankly, one of those books that sneaks up on you—like a snowball lobbed from a Leningrad rooftop—equal parts hilarious, horrifying, and weirdly heartwarming.
Set during the Nazi siege of Leningrad (or “Piter” as it's affectionately called), where people are more likely to eat their furniture than find actual food, we follow Lev Beniov—a scrawny, anxious, Jewish teenager—who gets tossed into a Soviet prison for a petty crime. There, he meets Kolya Vlasov, a swaggering, poetry-quoting army deserter who talks like he’s auditioning for a cigarette advert. Before they can settle into prison life (as if), the pair are given a ridiculous mission by a powerful colonel: find a dozen eggs for a wedding cake. In a city where dirt mixed with sugar is a delicacy, this task might as well be “go fetch a unicorn.”
What follows is an epic buddy quest through a frozen hellscape—and it’s honestly brilliant. One minute you’re giggling at Kolya Vlasov’s endless sex advice, the next you’re clenching your jaw as they wander into a house full of cannibals. The tone masterfully shifts between banter and brutality, and somehow, it works. This is war, but through a cracked, deeply human lens.
Kolya Vlasov and Lev Beniov are the ultimate odd couple. Kolya Vlasov’s the life-of-the-party type who could charm the buttons off your coat, while Lev Beniov is awkward, introspective, and constantly out of his depth. But their chemistry? Absolute gold. Kolya Vlasov’s outrageous confidence and cheek bounce beautifully off Lev Beniov’s wide-eyed disbelief—they’re like the war-torn Russian version of Frodo Baggins and a very horny, very opinionated Aragorn.
The writing? Sharp as icicles and just as biting. David Benioff doesn’t waste words. You feel the hunger, the cold, the constant background threat of death—but it’s told with such grim humour and guts that you keep turning pages, smirking through the dread. It’s a war story without the sentimentality. It’s not trying to make you cry (though you just might); it’s more interested in showing you how, despite everything, people endure. And maybe even crack a joke or two along the way.
In short: City of Thieves is raw, riveting, and unexpectedly funny. It’s the kind of book that makes you wish you could read it again for the first time—preferably with a blanket and some actual eggs in the fridge.
Set during the Nazi siege of Leningrad (or “Piter” as it's affectionately called), where people are more likely to eat their furniture than find actual food, we follow Lev Beniov—a scrawny, anxious, Jewish teenager—who gets tossed into a Soviet prison for a petty crime. There, he meets Kolya Vlasov, a swaggering, poetry-quoting army deserter who talks like he’s auditioning for a cigarette advert. Before they can settle into prison life (as if), the pair are given a ridiculous mission by a powerful colonel: find a dozen eggs for a wedding cake. In a city where dirt mixed with sugar is a delicacy, this task might as well be “go fetch a unicorn.”
What follows is an epic buddy quest through a frozen hellscape—and it’s honestly brilliant. One minute you’re giggling at Kolya Vlasov’s endless sex advice, the next you’re clenching your jaw as they wander into a house full of cannibals. The tone masterfully shifts between banter and brutality, and somehow, it works. This is war, but through a cracked, deeply human lens.
Kolya Vlasov and Lev Beniov are the ultimate odd couple. Kolya Vlasov’s the life-of-the-party type who could charm the buttons off your coat, while Lev Beniov is awkward, introspective, and constantly out of his depth. But their chemistry? Absolute gold. Kolya Vlasov’s outrageous confidence and cheek bounce beautifully off Lev Beniov’s wide-eyed disbelief—they’re like the war-torn Russian version of Frodo Baggins and a very horny, very opinionated Aragorn.
The writing? Sharp as icicles and just as biting. David Benioff doesn’t waste words. You feel the hunger, the cold, the constant background threat of death—but it’s told with such grim humour and guts that you keep turning pages, smirking through the dread. It’s a war story without the sentimentality. It’s not trying to make you cry (though you just might); it’s more interested in showing you how, despite everything, people endure. And maybe even crack a joke or two along the way.
In short: City of Thieves is raw, riveting, and unexpectedly funny. It’s the kind of book that makes you wish you could read it again for the first time—preferably with a blanket and some actual eggs in the fridge.
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
funny
fast-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death