Koyla In David Benioff's City Of Thief

It’s been said to never judge a book by its cover, for the first impression does not show all the layers of the story. This is especially true for character Koyla in David Benioff’s novel, City of Thieves. On the surface, Koyla appears to be a fearless, comedic, womanizer who is careless and on the verge of being annoying. This becomes a conflict for readers who want to see a character with humanity in a stressful time during WWII. However, Koyla becomes a central figure in helping Lev come to age and venture outside of his boundaries, later becoming his best friend. As the story progresses, the reader sees a different side to Koyla: trustworthy and caring. Very different from the original narcissist character. Throughout the novel, Kolya’s

He met Lev through prison, which he said he was there to finish his thesis on the novel. Throughout Benioff’s novel, Kolya discusses The Courtyard Hound numerous times, with Kolya showing lots of emotion towards the book. When Lev says the plot of the book reminds him a lot of another author, Kolya gets defensive, “‘Every university fool knows that Goncharov wasn’t half the writer Ushakovo was. Oblomov is nothing… Now Radchenko— Radchenko is one of the greatest heroes of the language’” (Chapter 4). He was sensitive about what other people thought and said about the novel. When Lev finally had the realization that it wasn’t a real novel, rather Kolya’s dream piece of literature, he wasn’t mad. The fearless Kolya did have fear, fear of his composition being judged and made fun of. Even while he was dying it he wanted reassurance for his work, “‘Lev? You like the title?’” (Chapter 25).

Layers of Kolya’s character reveals itself throughout the novel, showing a more sensitive and caring side to his tough and comedic display. The tough-skinned Kolya that the readers originally met turned into a mysterious, sensitive, and likeable character. His multiple layers of emotion and characteristics make the novel exciting, while also creating a better bond and path to manhood for Lev. Benioff did an excellent job of creating multilayered