City of Thieves

A Novel

By: David Benioff

Narrated by: Ron Perlman

Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

From the critically acclaimed author of The 25th Hour and When the Nines Roll Over and co-creator of the HBO series Game of Thrones, 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, the New York Times best seller 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.

©2008 David Benioff (P)2008 Penguin

Critic reviews

"The novel tells a refreshingly traditional tale, driven by an often ingenious plot...[Benioff] shifts tone with perfect control - no recent novel I have read travels so quickly and surely between registers, from humor to devastation.” (The New York Times Book Review)

“This spellbinding story perfectly blends tragedy and comedy.” (USA Today)

“Splendid...Benioff has produced a funny, sad, and thrilling novel.” (Entertainment Weekly)

AMAZING

A very tragic and very humorous novel. Would recommend it to anyone who loves a good laugh and some adventure and action

Over too quickly

One of the best books I've read in a long time. The reader cannot help but fall in love with the main characters. Their interactions are priceless. Bravo Mr. Benioff!

Great Story - With an amazing performance

If you could sum up City of Thieves in three words, what would they be?

humor, suspense, captivating

What did you like best about this story?

The buddy relationship that developed between the main characters.

Which character – as performed by Ron Perlman – was your favorite?

Kolya - a superbly fascinating hero. Brash, smart, and very human.

Any additional comments?

Mr. Perlman's performance was outstanding: he did a great job of developing a voice for each of the main characters -- so much so, I imagine the characters actually related to one another with that very expression...

Great Story, Great Performance

What made the experience of listening to City of Thieves the most enjoyable?

Really intriguing story, well-built, likable characters, great performance by Ron Perlman.

What did you like best about this story?

The setting, and the character interactions.

What does Ron Perlman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Great voice. Subtle, yet unique voices for the different characters.

I wanted to like it less!

This is very difficult. You see, dear reader, I wanted to like this book a lot less. That may seem very harsh and unfair, but it is true. It is for the sole reason that the premise is kind of ridiculous. A looter and a deserter are tasked with finding a dozen eggs in Russia during WWII. That's right, eggs. Not to mention that it seemed the author thought that, while the middle of the chapters could seem a little too light hearted at times (the protagonists pick some strange times to talk about girls), the end of the chapters always seemed to have a scene intended to add to the drama whether it was the protagonists actually finding themselves in a precarious position, or just a sad scene the characters stumble upon.

Like I said, these happened at the end of every chapter, but to give credit where credit is due, they never feel too forced. I wanted to like this book less for these reasons, true, but I couldn't and found myself having enjoyed the book.

Pleasantly surpised

Any additional comments?

This book was amazing. Originally I picked it up on sale just to have something to listen to and it was just a wonderful story. Along with a great story the reader was perfect for this one as well. Get this and read it, you won't be sorry!

Wonderful story.

I enjoyed every chapter and it was a perfect book for Ron to narrate. He really nailed it. I was caught up in the story, could relate to the characters, and I could see and feel and touch and smell every detail along the way.

Excellent Story

I've read a lot of war books including THe Nightingale. This was one of the best. Plot was interesting with twists and turns. The characters were fantastic. I read it slowly, to savor each word.

Great story

For the most part I loved the story. Credulity took a pretty big hit, though. Benioff is now a proven master of character and dialog. Gotta love both protagonists. Very nice narration- good pacing throughout No struggle to follow the story.

Frightening,hilarious&heartbreakimg

Beautifully written and performed.
A story too shocking and yet romantic to ever forget. Painful to remember. Don't miss it.