Turns out that’s not true – the book is entirely fiction. All four of Benioff’s grandparents were born in the U.S. Here’s an exclusive Borders interview with Benioff (you can find part 2 here) that I found pretty interesting.
Is City of Thieves a good book?
“City of Thieves is flat-out great . . . Benioff’s screen writing chops are in full force here – the plot careens along with cinematic verve – but that’s expected. The surprise is Benioff’s understated wisdom and tenderness.” “David Benioff, has written a gripping war novel.
What is the theme of City of Thieves?
City of Thieves portrays a brutal physical and emotional landscape in which extreme measures must be taken in order to survive the intense rationing, cold, and the violence of the war. When the Germans began the siege in September 1941, Leningrad began rationing food immediately.
What genre is City of Thieves?
Historical Fiction
City of Thieves/Genres
Where does Lev live in City of Thieves?
Lev, at 17, is a firefighter for the city, and sits on the roof of his apartment building with his friends Vera, Grisha, and Oleg.
What happened to levs father in City of Thieves?
Lev’s father, wife of Mother and father to Taisya. He was a semi-famous Jewish poet who was “disappeared” by the NKVD after his book Petir was deemed offensive in 1937, four years before the German siege of Leningrad began.
Who is the main character in City of Thieves?
Lev Beniov
“City of Thieves” follows a character named Lev Beniov, the son of a revered Soviet Jewish poet who was “disappeared” in the Stalinist purges, as Lev and an accomplice carry out an impossible assignment during the Nazi blockade of Leningrad.
Who is Kolya in City of Thieves?
The novel is narrated by Lev Beniov, a 17-year-old, self-conscious Russian Jew. After he is caught looting the corpse of a German paratrooper, he is taken to prison where he meets Kolya, an attractive and charming deserter. From jail, the two are taken to a colonel of the NKVD, a branch of the Soviet secret police.
Who is Abendroth?
A high-ranking Einsatzgruppen (death squad) officer in the Nazi army. He’s a very large and strong man and keeps teenage Russian girls as sex slaves, and enjoys playing chess. He agrees to play chess against Lev and bets Vika’s freedom and a dozen eggs if he loses. …
What does the Colonel give Lev when he shows up with a dozen eggs?
Lev delivers the eggs to Colonel Grechko later that morning and discovers that Grechko has already procured three dozen other eggs. Colonel Grechko grants Lev two ration cards and tells him he’ll live a long life by keeping his mouth shut.
What is Abendroth good at?
A high-ranking Einsatzgruppen (death squad) officer in the Nazi army. He’s a very large and strong man and keeps teenage Russian girls as sex slaves, and enjoys playing chess.
What’s the best thing about city of thieves?
Benioff’s finest achievement in “City of Thieves” has been to banish all possible pretensions from his novel, which never wears its research on its sleeve, and to deliver a rough-and-tumble tale that clenches humor, savagery, and pathos squarely together on the same page.”. “City of Thieves is flat-out great .
When does city of Thieves by David Benioff take place?
He flies to Florida to speak with his grandfather, and for a week David records his grandfather’s stories. The narrator changes to Lev (David’s grandfather) and it’s New Year’s Eve in 1942 in Leningrad, Russia during World War II.
What happens to Lev in city of thieves?
Abandoning their posts, they run to find the body, helping themselves to the dead man’s possessions, including a knife. A few minutes later, Lev is caught and arrested for looting, but his friends manage to escape. Lev is surprised that he is not immediately executed.
Who are the characters in city of thieves?
“City of Thieves” follows a character named Lev Beniov, the son of a revered Soviet Jewish poet who was “disappeared” in the Stalinist purges, as Lev and an accomplice carry out an impossible assignment during the Nazi blockade of Leningrad.
