City of Thieves

Novel by David Benioff

Yeah, it's been a long time since I've posted, which means I'm not exactly flying through the books. Too many Christmas cards to address and magazines to read, and not enough books I'm really loving. The most recent was another dubious find from library book club section. This fictional take on the historical siege of Leningrad during World War II is engaging and horrifying at the same time. It combined some of the things I love about a story with many of the things I hate.

The book starts off in one of my favorite ways: with a frame. It's narrated initially by a young American writer interviewing his grandfather, who then becomes the narrator, like in the movie version of The Princess Bride. The grandfather then tells of his experience as a young man, being commanded by a powerful Russian general to find a dozen eggs in the nearly foodless, blockaded city of Leningrad. I love this approach because it's like two stories in one.  By the time I got to the end, I had forgotten about the grandpa from the beginning, and realizing he was the one living through the story was like experiencing it all over again.

I also enjoyed reading about Leningrad in the 1940's and Russian culture in general--I only really know about Russian culture from movies (embarrassing ones like Anastasia) so I learned a great deal. And for some reason, books about WWII continue to attract even this generation. I found myself thinking about that while I read and wondering if 9/11 would ever have the same kind of powerful place in literature and movies. Anyway, the historical fiction element, plus a sweet ending, made this book sort of enjoyable.

The downside, though: I literally had to skip whole pages because of the violence and end-of-the-world type of activities of the characters. Death is everywhere, from starvation, cannibalism, cold, guns, bombs, dogs...and the characters go back and forth between disgust, mourning, and nonchalance as they are constantly stepping over dead bodies. I hate how cynical and paranoid this kind of stuff makes me feel. It makes me want to become a hoarder. I don't like it.

So you have to make your own decision (as always): does the good plot, transportation to another world, and engaging characterization outweigh the desperate, wormy feeling that some scenes will give you in your tummy? The choice is yours. But my choice is clear: when I go to the library with my daughter during Christmas vacation, I must not check out any more books. I need to read the vast pile on my night stand of books actually recommended by someone I know and trust, not ones that I judge by the cover. Mmmm, Isabel Allende...