David Benioff

Excellent novel about the profound stupidity of war; and the accompanying randomness of life and death.

During WWII, young Lev, and soldier Kolya, both Russians, are coerced into a ludicrous quest. They need to travel and search in the city and the countryside during the dead of winter with no food, few weapons and nazis hiding out. Surrounded by miles of so much destruction and death caused by nazi guns, tanks and bombs. Survival is not guaranteed.

They meet good and very bad people; have show more one scary escape after another. Lev believes Kolya may be a violent Cossack, and is initially irritated by Kolya's optimism, his effusive extroversion, and his references to literature. But that soon changes when Lev realizes that Kolya is the one keeping him safe and moving forward.

A beautiful novel about friendship, loyalty, intelligence, sacrifice, pain and love.

The writing, dialog, and pacing are perfect. And I found Kolya to be one of the smartest and funniest characters ever, adding depth and humor to the story.

I definitely recommend this book! show less

Harrowing but hopeful historical fiction set in winter, 1942, during the Siege of Leningrad in WWII. Lev, a half-Jewish seventeen-year-old firefighter, is accused of looting. Kolya, an early twenty-something Russian soldier, is accused of desertion. They meet in a Leningrad prison and expect to be executed for their crimes. “If you broke the law and you were caught, you were dead. There wasn’t time for any legal niceties.” They are offered an opportunity to be pardoned by bringing a show more Soviet colonel a dozen eggs within the week, though the city is under blockade, people are starving, and bodies lie in the streets. This book is a story of a friendship and a journey in which both Lev and Kolya will be tested and changed through their shared experiences. The narrative is framed as a “story within a story.” It is told by Lev in first person but is set up as if it has been related to Lev’s grandson, David, a writer, and though it may appear it is the author’s grandfather, the story is purely fictional.

Benioff displays a knack for storytelling. He has created memorable characters, especially the charming rogue, Kolya. Bright spots include Lev’s proficiency with chess and Kolya’s literary inclinations. Humor is used to offset the intense subject matter, though it often strays into the “crass” category. The horror of war is vividly described, graphic violence is plentiful, and atrocities abound. Definitely not for the faint-hearted. It shows how the bonds of an improbable friendship can inspire ordinary people to act heroically even in the face of self-doubt. There are a few far-fetched plot points but overall it is an entertaining coming-of-age adventure combined with realistic descriptions of the horrors of the Siege. show less

During the Siege of Leningrad, Lev Beniov is arrested for looting and awaiting execution when he and a deserter named Kolya are given a chance for redemption; the Colonel's daughter is getting married and the pair are charged with finding a dozen eggs for her wedding cake in war-torn Soviet Union in exchange for their freedom. At first, this story didn't look interesting at all, but as I kept hearing good things about it, I ended up with a copy and am very happy I did. The story is very much show more about the war with all its cruelty and gruesomeness, but it is also, and most importantly, about friendship and survival and sports a great cast of characters, all of whom could easily be real, and some wonderfully dark humor. Very engaging story with high stakes and a satisfactory (I never said "happy") ending. Highly recommended. Ron Perlman (yes, Hellboy) did a great job with the audio book. show less

During the Siege of Leningrad, two young men – strangers at the outset – are sent on a mission to procure the impossible. Lev is only 17, an orphan who is the proud leader of his neighborhood fire watch team. When they spot a German paratrooper slowly descending on their street, the group runs to check the body. In their excitement they don’t hear the state police vehicle until it’s almost too late. The penalty for looting and being out after curfew is execution, but Lev is put in a show more holding cell. Shortly another man is put there with him. Kolya is a Russian soldier, in his twenties, he is handsome (with the “perfect” Aryan features – blonde and blue-eyed) and charming. He’s been caught without any leave papers and is presumed to be a deserter. In the morning, instead of going to their death they are taken to the colonel’s office. He has a proposition for them. His daughter’s wedding is in five days and she wants a wedding cake, for which he needs a dozen eggs. There hasn’t been an egg in Leningrad for months. But if the two can return with the eggs by Thursday, he will spare their lives.

This is a novel about the horrors of war, definitely. But more, it is a novel about friendship and loyalty; about learning to trust when nothing and no one is trustworthy; about finding hope and joy in the most awful of circumstances; about finding depths of courage you never knew you had; and about facing death with dignity. None of WW II was pleasant, but the residents of Leningrad suffered more than most during the siege. The conditions depicted are nothing short of horrific, but the author manages to not dwell there for long. He uses Kolya to keep the partisans, the Germans, and the readers charmed and looking forward. I was completely drawn into the story and found myself rooting for these two unlikely companions on their impossible quest. I loved the ending, too.

Benioff is a screenwriter, and it shows; most scenes are very visual. I have no idea if a movie is planned, but if it is, I can guess who will write the screen play.

UPDATE - Nov 26, 2011
I listened to the audio book, performed by Ron Perlman, to refresh my memory for my F2F book club discussion.

Perlman does a reasonably good job of performing the audio, but I found his voice for Kolya irritating. I suppose that shouldn’t surprise me, as Kolya’s smirking and joking ways irritated Lev, too. Also, Perlman uses a higher pitch voice for Kolya, while Lev is voiced with a deeper tone. This was confusing for a while (until I got used to it), because I would have expected the teen-aged Lev to have the higher, younger-sounding voice. I think if I had listened first, I would have given the book a lower rating. But since I read it in the traditional format first and gave it 5 stars, I won’t lower my rating at this time. show less