The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

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Average customer rating 4.7 (7 comments)

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A powerful book indeed. When little nine year old Bruno gives up his comfortable life in Berlin for one he does not approve of he is sad. Things change when he meets "Shmuel on the "other side." Bruno and Shmuel strike up an impossible friendship which leads to tragedy. The author has done a very good job of talking about the holocaust from a child's innocent perspective and has handled a sensitive subject very subtly.

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A childrens story with the power to captivate all ages, John Boyne's The Boy in the Striped Pajamas offers a vivid portrayal of innocence in a time of guilt, and a haunting depiction of man’s cruelty to man. Nine year old Bruno has no idea why his family has been uprooted from its comfortable Berlin home. With the innocent self-absorption of childhood, he mourns the loss of friends and comfort without seeing the truth behind the wire. Strangers in striped pajamas must surely play with their friends, he supposes, while he stands rigidly governed and alone. But truth is stranger than Bruno sees. The convincingly childlike narration presents historical reality with that same protective layer of separation offered by the curious narrator of Zusak's The Book Thief. Older readers are quickly drawn into guessing and knowing what's to come, while younger readers will follow a fascinating tale of mystery and friendship. Beautifully told, hauntingly honest, and scarily true, this is a novel for children to grow by and adults to remember, long after the last page is turned or the movie viewed. "Nothing like that could ever happen again," or so we wish. If we learn our lessons well, and read books like this with our children, we just might become aware enough to make that statement true. Disclosure: My sister in law knew I would love this book.

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A story that honestly made me cry. I finished it two days ago and it left me a complete mess of gross sobbing. I reccomend this to anyone who is into super emotional historical stories. It was AMAZING...

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The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is an incredible book. Taking on the perspective of a nine year old boy; it really speaks to the innocence of that age and to the horrors of the world around him. Even in the microcosm that was created we could see juts how truly awful things were.

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This is the most moving book I have ever read. I have read a lot of moving books before, but this one was different. At the end of it, I felt as though someone had just wrenched my heart right out of my chest. It's the type of book that leaves you stunned, horrified, and utterly devastated. Next to the Bible, it's quite possibly the most brilliant book I've ever had the pleasure of reading. I don't want to tell you exactly what it's about, because I believe it's important to begin without really knowing what you're reading about, with a sense of child-like naiveté, because the story is told from the perspectives of children who don't fully understand their circumstances and surroundings. All I can do it tell you to go read it. Read it now. It won't take long, perhaps three or four hours total. It's a very short, simple book. I promise that you will look at the world differently after reading it.

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What a great book, I've never read a book from the Nazi point of view much less a Nazi child. It just reminded me of how truly innocent children can be and how children don't see color or race they just see good people and good friends. I cried so much at the end and my heart broke but it was a good read and I'd read it again!

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I'm disappointed that this book won an award; compared to The Book Thief, another book that deals with the Holocaust, it is barely worth reading. There is a key plot manipulation that takes place in order to bring about the climax of the story as well as the ending; this toying with the readers' emotions is a cheap trick. Sorry, not impressed. Next time you pick a worthy topic, write in a worthy way.