Thursday, December 31, 2009

City of Thieves by David Benioff

3 stars
R-4
Language

I really want to give this more stars, but between the language, sex, language about sex.... and the really annoying issue of I CAN'T TELL WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE.... it gets 3.

What do I mean?  Well, the book starts with a prologue of sorts, talking abou the author sitting down with his grandfather and finally getting him to talk about the war and Leningrad.  So I guess maybe it's supposed to be based on a true story.

Except that it never really says for sure, which is driving me crazy.  Yes, I'm probably thinking about it too much, but it bugs me.

Anyway, one way or another, it's an interesting Russian tale of WWII, which I've not really read before.  Most WWII books are from other perspectives, so that was really interesting.

And really, how can you not be fascinated by two young men spared execution to go in search of a dozen eggs?

If language doesn't bother you, I would probably recommend this one.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

6 comments:

  1. hello... hapi blogging... have a nice day! just visiting here....

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  2. Got the books & the book marks. But in the fizz and pop of Christmas & the new year, just haven't had time to say "thank you!~"

    They are lovely, as are you!!

    Happy 2010 to you!!

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  3. Glad they got there safe and sound, Terresa!!

    *For the others still waiting on bookmarks, I haven't forgotten you, I swear!

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  4. I'm posting my review today, and I'm linking to yours! BTW I read this in an interview with the author:

    Q. City of Thieves begs the question: Did all this really happen to your grandfather?

    A. No. My grandfather was born on a farm in Delaware. He became a furrier and died in Allentown, Pennsylvania. My grandmother (unlike the non-cooking grandmother in the book) made the best chopped chicken liver in the state. Neither one, as far as I know, ever visited Russia.

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  5. That's good to know. It was really bugging me.

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