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jeckehecke 's review for:
City of Thieves
by David Benioff
Read it because it apparently has inspired "The Last of Us" video games. It's the outrageous story of two boys / young men being send on a fool's errand to find a dozen eggs in World War II Leningrad. The novel begins with the narrator, supposedly David Benioff, Interviewring his grandfather Lev and then writing down the story, the narrator becomes young Lev. Yet this is all fake, Benioff's grandfathers were born in the US. While the framing is satisfying, don't be misled by this pseudo historical touch of it.
I cannot rate the authenticity of the novel but I found the entire story, despite all the horrors and gore, just too unrealistic, too cinematic, too orderly. I also disliked how women were depicted and the entire selling point of "boys becoming men" just disgusts me.
As you can probably tell, I did not really enjoy the novel. It was fascinating but it was also just too much fiction... I feel like the seriousness of the situation, of the war, was not taken seriously? Playing chess with an evil Nazi? Finding a dozen eggs in Leningrad when everybody is starving? This love story?
Oh, but for "The Last of Us". I don't really see the connection apart from the confusing, apocalyptic setting? I don't know.
3 stars maybe. Max.
I cannot rate the authenticity of the novel but I found the entire story, despite all the horrors and gore, just too unrealistic, too cinematic, too orderly. I also disliked how women were depicted and the entire selling point of "boys becoming men" just disgusts me.
As you can probably tell, I did not really enjoy the novel. It was fascinating but it was also just too much fiction... I feel like the seriousness of the situation, of the war, was not taken seriously? Playing chess with an evil Nazi? Finding a dozen eggs in Leningrad when everybody is starving? This love story?
Oh, but for "The Last of Us". I don't really see the connection apart from the confusing, apocalyptic setting? I don't know.
3 stars maybe. Max.