Genre
Historical fiction
Setting and Context
Soviet Union, during the Siege of Leningrad in WWII
Narrator and Point of View
It is narrated by Lev, told in the past perspective (Lev is recounting his tale to the author, who writes them down)
Tone and Mood
City of Thieves overall has a very grim mood, being set during wartime and concerning the desperate actions of two Russian youths as they try to complete a seemingly impossible task to gain their freedom from jail.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Lev and Kolya are the protagonists; the German officers would be the antagonists
Major Conflict
Lev and Kolya must obtain a dozen eggs, an expensive commodity in the Soviet Union during that time period, within the matter of a few weeks, or else they will be executed in the Soviet jail.
Climax
Lev and Kolya in their hunt for the eggs must sneak into the heart of German territory. When they are captured, Lev must play a high stakes game of chess with the head German officer with his and Kolya's life on the line.
Foreshadowing
Being a retelling of the story, Lev many times hints at the tragic events to come (namely, the death of Kolya, who has been through this whole ordeal with him) through his words and hesitations.
Understatement
The Soviet officer who commands Lev and Kolya to gather a dozen eggs jokingly says it is a mildly hard task, understating the mammoth difficulty it really is.
Allusions
The book alludes many times to real life events of WWII, mainly centering around the Siege of Leningrad, when the Germans attempted to put a blockade on the main Soviet city of Leningrad.
Imagery
The bleak, unforgiving atmosphere of the Soviet Union during wartime is communicated fully through the people Lev and Kolya encounter on their mission, including a pair of cannibals and other dangerous people.
Paradox
No great significances of paradox.
Parallelism
City of Thieves is seen by many as parallel to a dystopian tale, which is very ironic, considering that it is based on actual events.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
When Lev and Kolya are searching for the eggs, they meet a boy selling what he deems "library candy", which turns out to be "food" made from book bindings.
Personification
The Germans are sometimes portrayed as brutal animals, being the ultimate enemies of the Soviets.
