Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Setting
Child 44 is defined by the tension between the urban and rural regions of Russia. Urban Moscow may be under the firm control of Soviet authorities, but the rural countryside refuses to let go of tr...
What's Up With the Title?
As the Soviet Union's resident Hannibal Lecter, Andrei has killed a lot of people.Though the novel depicts several of Andrei's murders, it's his forty-fourth victim—Child 44—who sparks Leo Demi...
What's Up With the Ending?
So that was abrupt, huh?Just as things begin to look impossibly grim, Leo and Raisa save the day. Andrei's reign of terror is over; Vasili is dead; Leo has even been restored to his former post, ch...
Tough-o-Meter
Child 44 is a straightforward thriller, keeping you hooked with a driving, action-packed plot and a series of shocking character revelations. The book jumps around through time and space at times,...