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Good insight into living with the paranoia of the Russia of the time. I agree that the ending was a little too neat, but it did explain a few things.The only remaining question for me is: why the stomachs?
This is a chilling thriller set during the paranoid height of Stalinist Russia. The paranoia, isolation and lack of trust was palpable throughout the pages. It was hard to imagine living in a time when you didn't know whether your wife, husband or neighbour was actually your friend or ready to turn you in to the KGB to a fate from which there was generally no return.
My only criticism of this book would be the ending which I found fell a little flat after the breathless pace of the rest of the st ...more
My only criticism of this book would be the ending which I found fell a little flat after the breathless pace of the rest of the st ...more
Jun 14, 2021
Sabrina
rated it
really liked it
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review of another edition
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Child 44
, the first in the Leo Demidov series, is loosely based on a real-life event, the crimes of Andrei Chikatilo, and focuses on the ritualistic murder of children in Russia.
The problem, however, is that in Stalinist Russia, there is, according to the state, no crime; Russia is safe. Leo Demidov, a war hero and member of the MGB, initially quashes the rumors that a child--child 44--has been murdered in Moscow; Leo reinforces the message that the state wants to be heard: that the death t ...more
The problem, however, is that in Stalinist Russia, there is, according to the state, no crime; Russia is safe. Leo Demidov, a war hero and member of the MGB, initially quashes the rumors that a child--child 44--has been murdered in Moscow; Leo reinforces the message that the state wants to be heard: that the death t ...more
very bleak - the sense of anarchic terror was intense - well done.
A good paranoid mystery/thriller set in the Soviet Union.
At first. I was not sure what I was going to think of the novel. It took off after a few chapters. I loved the journey it took me on. The characters all evolved as they began to face things they were too afraid to question. Smith created a world where things were never as they seemed, where friends could be enemies and those you thought you could not trust were the ones that you should.
Odd. Strange. Barbaric. Brutal.
I could not imagine living in a Russia that was portrayed here. I do believe that after the war there were definately towns like the ones portrayed in here. It's hard to believe there were Communists like people in thus novel, but I've read about the Gulags and do know there are. I'm not really sure if I liked this novel or not. ...more
I could not imagine living in a Russia that was portrayed here. I do believe that after the war there were definately towns like the ones portrayed in here. It's hard to believe there were Communists like people in thus novel, but I've read about the Gulags and do know there are. I'm not really sure if I liked this novel or not. ...more
i started reading this book an age ago, and was enjoying it, but then stuff got in the way and i hadn't yet reached a point in the book where i couldn't put it down. after a long time away, i returned to the book. i'm glad i did. it was certainly a page-turner, and the cold war setting was awesome.
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Jul 22, 2008
Candace
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Shelley
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Jade17
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D.G.
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Dee
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Sue
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Feb 23, 2015
Hege
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Jul 09, 2015
Lindsay
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