cjexoxo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
somewheregirl7's review against another edition
4.0
Bruno, his sister Gretel and his mother are forced to move from Berlin to Auschwitz when Bruno's father is placed in charge of the concentration camp. Lonely with no other boys to play with, Bruno begins exploring the fence that separates his home from the main camp and meets a young Jewish boy, Schmuel. With the fence between them the two boys form a friendship and meet each day, sitting for hours and talking over the course of a year.
There are so many books written about the Holocaust it can be hard for any single one to stand out. The Boy In The Striped Pajamas is distinctive for two main reasons - first it is aimed mainly at children whereas most Holocaust literature is skewed toward teenagers and adults. Second the protagonist, Bruno, is the 9-year-old son of the commandant at Auschwitz. Very rarely is the German perspective of the Holocaust explored.
Bruno's voice is distinctive and captivating. His innocence is at once heartbreaking and at times slightly beyond the believable. Perhaps 9-year-olds today are more world-wise but Bruno came across as much younger than nine for me. His innocence, diction, thought process and wording made be think of a younger boy, perhaps seven. I'm reminded of Misha from Jerry Spinelli's "Milkweed" because both boys have the same sort of voice and innocence and extreme naivete. In the case of Misha it is understood that the boy has mental issues and so the naivete is completely believable. That is not the case with Bruno. That slight dissonance, between physical age and mental age was my only issue with this book and the reason I am giving it four stars rather than five.
The Boy In The Striped Pajamas is a very quick read that packs a wallop. What really struck me was how well the author juxtaposed the inhumanity of what was done at Auschwitz with the fact that those perpetrating the atrocity were fathers, sons and brothers. They were capable of kindness and not just two-dimensional monsters. That makes the horror of what they did even greater.
Bruno's father comes across as harsh at times, but you can also see that he loves his family and at one point it talks about how kind he was to a maid that works for their family - how he rescued her from starvation and gave her a good position in his household. That kindness stands in stark contrast to the fact this same man is sanctioning and participating in the murder of hundreds of people every single day.
SPOILERS BELOW
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1
2
3
I wanted the story to end well. I desperately wanted Schmuel to lift up that fence, wriggle out and escape. I wanted Bruno to save him. Or just for the two boys to survive somehow and perhaps meet later in life with all the awkwardness of full-knowledge between them. I was utterly shocked when both boys end up in the gas chamber together instead. If the book had ended there, at the moment when the lights go out, I would have felt cheated.
But the story doesn't end there. By drawing back, by showing the devastation of Bruno's disappearance and his father's eventual realization of what must have happened, the author gives us closure. There is a cathartic moment that feels just and right as the horror of what has happened hits the commandant and he knows that he's murdered his own son in effect.
There are so many books written about the Holocaust it can be hard for any single one to stand out. The Boy In The Striped Pajamas is distinctive for two main reasons - first it is aimed mainly at children whereas most Holocaust literature is skewed toward teenagers and adults. Second the protagonist, Bruno, is the 9-year-old son of the commandant at Auschwitz. Very rarely is the German perspective of the Holocaust explored.
Bruno's voice is distinctive and captivating. His innocence is at once heartbreaking and at times slightly beyond the believable. Perhaps 9-year-olds today are more world-wise but Bruno came across as much younger than nine for me. His innocence, diction, thought process and wording made be think of a younger boy, perhaps seven. I'm reminded of Misha from Jerry Spinelli's "Milkweed" because both boys have the same sort of voice and innocence and extreme naivete. In the case of Misha it is understood that the boy has mental issues and so the naivete is completely believable. That is not the case with Bruno. That slight dissonance, between physical age and mental age was my only issue with this book and the reason I am giving it four stars rather than five.
The Boy In The Striped Pajamas is a very quick read that packs a wallop. What really struck me was how well the author juxtaposed the inhumanity of what was done at Auschwitz with the fact that those perpetrating the atrocity were fathers, sons and brothers. They were capable of kindness and not just two-dimensional monsters. That makes the horror of what they did even greater.
Bruno's father comes across as harsh at times, but you can also see that he loves his family and at one point it talks about how kind he was to a maid that works for their family - how he rescued her from starvation and gave her a good position in his household. That kindness stands in stark contrast to the fact this same man is sanctioning and participating in the murder of hundreds of people every single day.
SPOILERS BELOW
.
.
.
.
.
1
2
3
I wanted the story to end well. I desperately wanted Schmuel to lift up that fence, wriggle out and escape. I wanted Bruno to save him. Or just for the two boys to survive somehow and perhaps meet later in life with all the awkwardness of full-knowledge between them. I was utterly shocked when both boys end up in the gas chamber together instead. If the book had ended there, at the moment when the lights go out, I would have felt cheated.
But the story doesn't end there. By drawing back, by showing the devastation of Bruno's disappearance and his father's eventual realization of what must have happened, the author gives us closure. There is a cathartic moment that feels just and right as the horror of what has happened hits the commandant and he knows that he's murdered his own son in effect.
beckks's review against another edition
5.0
5/5
A very interesting story and incredibly heart breaking. Amazing for pre-teens or any age.
Reading it for a second time at 20 years old, the writing style is definitely pre-teen. However, the message of the story still strikes me and I feel it is still such an important novel to read. The story of the Boy in the Striped Pajamas is something that we cannot let happen again. The innocence of a child during war is something that cannot be easily repaired.
A very interesting story and incredibly heart breaking. Amazing for pre-teens or any age.
Reading it for a second time at 20 years old, the writing style is definitely pre-teen. However, the message of the story still strikes me and I feel it is still such an important novel to read. The story of the Boy in the Striped Pajamas is something that we cannot let happen again. The innocence of a child during war is something that cannot be easily repaired.
the_lilrunaway's review against another edition
5.0
A fantastic book. I can't say that I enjoyed it but it wouldn't have served its purpose if I had had done. I thought I was prepared for it but I ended up crying all the same.
I don't know if I'm looking forward to the UK tour next year but I'm certainly curious after reading the book.
I don't know if I'm looking forward to the UK tour next year but I'm certainly curious after reading the book.
delijha711's review against another edition
5.0
I liked that the story that was told was truly from the perspective of a child who is innocent and unaware of what is really going on. The fact that he would say "outwith" and "fury" were both adorable and really sad because he really didnt understand what was happening. He didnt grasp the severity of the reality of his life. Beautiful and well done.
writing_apprentice's review against another edition
2.0
Is it a good book? Definitely! Is it a book that is a decent resource for students? Debatable. Is it a book that will have you ugly crying on the train at 1am because you read it on a late night train home? For sure! It was, to me, a very sad story. As a historian of sorts, it's definitely not accurate as to what a child would know at that time, but this cluelessness on the part of the main character can help children reading the book to understand it. I can't comment on whether it's culturally sensitive because I'm not Jewish, but I do think that if you get sucked into books easily, then this will definitely make you feel something by the end.
1librarianspath's review against another edition
4.0
Bearing in mind that this is a fictional piece, and that the author stated he wanted to contrast the atrocious behaviour towards those targeted by the nazi’s with the naïveté of a boy who misses his family and friends, I think this book does a good job. It’s main focus is almost domestic. It deals with sibling rivalry, and household politics, and most of all it deals with friendship. It introduces, in an almost gentle way, some of what is going on, as the main character starts to question things that make no sense to him. It is not very realistic, but for the storyline to work, and for it to be so haunting, it works around this in a way that fiction often does. I felt that the boy’s last scene with his best friend was naive and touching, and contrasted starkly with the final chapter of the book. It is a story which can open up a dialogue about the holocaust, or WWII in general, with the young in a more gentle way, though it is by no means the best one.
silodear's review against another edition
3.0
A fast read; I really enjoyed it at first. Found it to be heartbreaking in a way that I really appreciated.
The end just felt sort of rushed and I found myself having a difficult time buying into it. Also, something about it just made me feel uncomfortable; like it was hackneyed and shallow in this way that was particularly disconcerting. I'm having trouble articulating specifics any better than this.
It's such a short, fast book that it's probably worth reading. If you hate it, at least you won't have wasted a lot of time on it. I'm curious about what others think...
The end just felt sort of rushed and I found myself having a difficult time buying into it. Also, something about it just made me feel uncomfortable; like it was hackneyed and shallow in this way that was particularly disconcerting. I'm having trouble articulating specifics any better than this.
It's such a short, fast book that it's probably worth reading. If you hate it, at least you won't have wasted a lot of time on it. I'm curious about what others think...
arelis_reads's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
inthecommonhours's review against another edition
I don't know how to rate this. It is beautiful in a way---if read as a fable or fantasy. I think it would be an ideal read for a classroom at the END of a unit on WWII or the Holocaust, but terrible as an introduction. Boyne clearly had a singular idea that he brought to fruition, and seen in that light, it is a wonder how he did so. While the message is solid and sadly still needed, the idea is so far-fetched and unrealistic, I would have enjoyed it more if it wasn't tied to a historical event. In a way, his play on language allows that---or maybe calls on the reader to allow him this license.
I'm reading with my soon-t0-be 10 year old, and finished it without him so I can be prepared. While he knows enough about WWII to be annoyed at Bruno's cluelessness, he is still innocently unaware of just how cruel humankind can be.
I'm reading with my soon-t0-be 10 year old, and finished it without him so I can be prepared. While he knows enough about WWII to be annoyed at Bruno's cluelessness, he is still innocently unaware of just how cruel humankind can be.