Boy in the Striped Pajamas
David Fickling Books - David Fickling Books
Release date: 2007-10-23
Paperback
Author: John Boyne
Juvenile Fiction, Children's 12-Up - Fiction - History, Children's Books - Young Adult Fiction, Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9), Historical - Holocaust, Juvenile Fiction / Historical / Holocaust, Social Issues - Friendship, Concentration camps, Fiction, Friendship, Nazis, Poland
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Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Date undefinedThe title is intriguing, but once you open the book, you will be most disappointed. The writing is poorly crafted, the main character too naive for words. I think this book must have somehow slipped past the copy editors--it reads like someone's first attempt at a book, where a kindly editor should have handed it back with lots of red pencil markings. As other reviewers have commented, the idea of a look at the Holocaust through the eyes of a child is intriguing, but this author botched the attempt. There are a number of non-fiction children's diaries of the Holocaust that are so much more worthwhile. I cannot believe this book has sold 3 million copies!
Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Date undefinedThe author presents a good story in a lucid well written manner. The writing style starts off a bit awkward in terms of setting the scene and character introduction, but picks up quite well after a few pages.
I agree with a previous reviewer (on .com not .ca) that the story may not be 100% historically accurate when considering what a child of that age, at that time, and in that historical period may have done, known or understood. Having said that, the purpose of this book is to tell a story, rather than attempt to recount history accurately.
With the author breaking away from similar genre books and telling the story from the German perspective, it sheds light on what life may have been like from "outside the fence" through the eyes of a young man. For those that can immerse themselves in the book, the story manages to provide young and old readers alike with some food-for-thought in terms of considering the impacts or outcomes of personal decisions and their ripple effects (from either the parents' or from Bruno's perspective).
I had two issues with the book. In some parts (very minimal), I found the writing style borderline annoying. I highlight this issue without mentioning anything specific in the book - but a parallel example could be: John wasn't looking for his socks, gloves, coat, books, bag, watch, shirt, shoes, pencils, or sun glasses. He was looking for his hat.
Second, I was bothered by the political intonation of the very last sentence in the book, which I personally felt ruined the mood set in the preceding pages. To be sure, my issue is not with the message itself, just with how it abruptly brings the reader out of a pensive and emotional state that was built up nicely over the preceding couple of pages.
Overall, however, the book is an easy to follow story, quite an enjoyable and an interesting read for young, young adult and adult readers alike. I would certainly read it again.
Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Date undefinedThis book was incredible. I'm about to read it again. I'm sure that the negative reviewers who couldn't understand how Bruno didn't know what was going on around him read the book with the knowledge we have today about the holocost. Back then it wasn't uncommon for people to be unaware of the horrors of what was done to the Jewish people. I loved this book.
