The Boy in the Striped Pajamas- John Boyne

Wow! What a read. I read this in the space of a day and could hardly bear to put it down. I had been aware that it was a book that looked at the Holocaust, but in a totally unique way. Nine year old Bruno is being uprooted from his comfortable home in Berlin and moved to what he believes is “Out-With”. His father has been promoted to the position of Commandant by the “Fury.” His father is a kind but stern man, and as Bruno becomes aware of the world beyond the fence, and hears of some of the cruelties, he believes if only his father knew, he would put a stop to it. Out of sheer boredom, Bruno eventually goes exploring and meets a boy on the other side of the fence whose name is Shmuel. Over the space of many weeks, Bruno asks many innocent questions and yet cannot fathom the truth or the reality of Shmuel’s tales of hunger, fear and cruelty. Somehow, Bruno manages to keep this friendship a secret as he senses that his father would not approve. I won’t go any further as this is an ending you will want to read for yourself.

I thought a lot about perspective as I read this book; about the innocent getting caught up in the atrocities of the time. I thought about soldiers who would unthinkingly obey a leader. It is rare to find a book like this written from the viewpoint of an innocent young German boy.

It reminded me of Run Like Jager by Karen Bass; the story of Kurt who wishes to spend a year in Germany to find out just what it was his Opa did in the Second World War and when he does find some answers, cannot come to grips with his knowledge. It reminded me of Four Steps to Death by John Wilson where four different perspectives are explored. It seems to me that in telling stories from many viewpoints, our empathy should grow and our understanding enlarged of how some of the world’s most terrible events could have occurred.

The writing is spare, all is understated and understood. It is a book for older children and for adults. The style of writing is similar to James Clavell in his short story called The Children’s Story. This, too, tells of children who are so susceptible to subterfuge and can so easily be led. But what about the adults? When do they think for themselves? It is a book that will leave you with questions.

The movie is out; I haven’t seen it yet but the trailer looks excellent. I would love to hear from anyone who has read the book or seen the movie.