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Comrade Koba
A Novel
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Check link for latest rating. ( 260 ratings, 60 reviews)
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Format: Hardback
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still learning, it may not be perfect - your
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Description
After the sudden death of his nuclear physicist father and the arrest of his mother during the Stalinist purge of Jewish doctors, young Leon Rozental—intellectually precocious and possessing a disarming candour—is hiding from the NKVD in the secret rooms of the House on the Embankment, a large building in Moscow where many Soviet officials and apparatchiks live and work.
One day, after following a passageway, Leon meets Koba, an old man whose apartment is protected by several guards. Koba is a high-ranking Soviet officer with troubling insight into the thoughts and machinations of Comrade Stalin.
Through encounters between a naive boy and a paranoid tyrant, Robert Littell creates in The House on the Embankment a nuanced portrayal of the Soviet dictator, showing his human side and his simultaneous total disregard for and ignorance of the suffering he inflicted on the Russian people. The charm and spontaneity of young Leon make him an irresistible character—and not unlike Holden Caulfield, whom he admits to identifying with—caught in the spider's web of the story woven by this enigmatic old man.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Comrade Koba by Robert Littell is praised for its compelling interplay between a naive young boy and a self-justifying dictator, illustrating the muddled humanity of Stalinist Russia. The novel is noted for balancing youthful innocence with warmth, humour, and insight. It serves as a significant piece in Littell's exploration of Cold War origins, espionage, and his personal reflections on Jewish identity.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781419748325
Publisher: Abrams
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 10 November 2020
Country: United States
Imprint: Abrams
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 23.0mm
Width: 147.0mm
Height: 216.0mm
Weight: 320g
Pages: 176
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About the Author
Robert Littell is the author of 19 highly acclaimed novels, many about the Cold War and the Soviet Union, including his masterwork, the New York Times bestseller The Company. An American born in Brooklyn, he now lives in France.
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