If you are looking for an engaging and accurate and compelling depiction of the World War II Siege of Leningrad, then David Benioff’s City of Thieves is a must-read book for you.

I was extremely impressed with Benioff’s portrayal of the events during the Siege. His facts are spot on, intense and filled with enough imagery of life during that period of time to fill all of the reader’s senses. The word-paintings are delivered through two main characters, Lev and Kolya. Seventeen year old Lev is narrator, while his “companion”, Kolya is a somewhat aggressive individual. That these two are paired together, makes the novel all the more fascinating and interesting. Each one brings their own sense of self to the equation, in a classic “buddy” type of duo.

They didn’t start out as buddies, but as cell mates in a prison. Lev was there due to the fact that he looted from a dead German pilot who parachuted and fell to his death in the freezing Russian temperatures. Kolya is there because he is deemed an army deserter. They are two individuals who appear to be opposite in every aspect. But, are they really?

Lev is an extremely shy and introverted Jew, who defines his own physical characteristics: “I was a runt from birth. Big nosed, black-haired, skin scribbled with acne – let’s admit, I was no girl’s idea of a catch.”, yet he feels that war will somehow make him more attractive to girls. Kolya is arrogant, extremely outgoing and dramatic in his actions and his verbalizing. Sex is constantly on his mind.

It is his obsession with sex, and Kolya’s use of vulgarity throughout the novel that could appear to be a negative issue in City of Thieves, and turn some individuals off from wanting to read it. It is probably not a book for everyone. Some might begin it, but not finish it. It is probably more of a male-oriented novel, but yet, the historical aspect is invaluable to both genders. This is Benioff’s brilliance, as he depicts the thoughts of two young men so honestly, leaving nothing to the imagination. He writes frankly and starkly, and Lev and Kolya are portrayed honestly, the way two young men would behave with each other, and with others, in actuality. The reader should try to understand this facet of Benioff’s writing, in order to completely understand the story.

Lev is coming of age and filled with the typical doubts, fears and lack of self-worth of a young man of his age, and his story is poignant, yet filled with absurd humor. Kolya is like the typical class clown, always looking for validation and recognition from others through his outlandish and comedic verbalizing. The two of them are like the stereotypical version of “stand up comedy” buddies, where there is usually one individual who is more assertive than the other, and more outgoing in personality, and one individual who is the “fall guy”. In a sense, they make the perfect pair for what they are about to endeavor.

They are both given an opportunity by the Soviet Colonel who is in charge of the prison. They are given the choice to face execution, or to “find me a dozen eggs for my daughter’s wedding cake next week, and you’ll earn your reprieve“. There was no choice in their minds, and this is where the novel begins to unravel the story line. It seems like a ridiculous mandate, yet it becomes their journey through the darkest of times, and their journey to manhood.

On Friday they were strangers, a few days later they were the best of friends, buddies to the end. The reader watches their emotional growth, especially how Lev matures. From a young teenager who is lacking in esteem and ways of the world, we see him grow into a man. We also watch Kolya grow, although it might not seem as if he does. In my opinion he becomes aware of his short comings, and that in itself signifies maturity. His use of humor, seemingly at inappropriate moments is a facade for what lies underneath his exterior.

Each character has their own agenda, and their actions and traits are vividly portrayed. They went through the worst of times together, and grew to admire and respect each other. The tension that was initially there between the two of them, lessened with the hours. They grew to learn about each other, and also learned about themselves. Their weaknesses were examined and their strengths were defined. They became like brothers, and their relationship was inspiring on so many levels.

City of Thieves is an intense novel, and one filled with images of the horrors of war, the hungers of war, the ravages and loss of war, and the events and situations of war that are deplorable. Lev and Kolya’s journey through the barren and frigid landscape is infused with nightmarish scenarios. From the hunger and what one will do for food, for protein, to the scenes of the dead lying frozen in the streets, it is a compelling, historical novel. I was engrossed by the vivid word imagery, the definitive and horrific realities of the Siege of Leningrad that Benioff so skillfully displays. He is a master story teller, who manages to evoke strong emotions, as he moves the reader from one horrendous moment to the next, yet also injects humor within the pages to give us a bit of comic relief from all of the madness that transpires.

Benioff has created an excellent coming-of-age story, but more than that, he has crafted a story of survival in its most extreme form, under the most adverse of conditions. His ability to weave a story that is infused with so much morbidity and horror, yet his ability to also keep the reader’s attention to the point that it is difficult to put the book down, is part of his brilliance. City of Thieves is inspiring and reflective, giving one so much to ponder, not only about life and love, war and its horrors, but also about friendship. David Benioff has given us a gift in City of Thieves, and a book that I believe will become a classic, historical novel. Bravo!
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Wednesday June 10, 2009 – 18th of Sivan, 5769