Who is this boy? (Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne)

Member Name: AmyAmy

Product:	Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne
Date:	03/01/08 (142 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: mysterious, attractive cover, some strong characters

Disadvantages: takes some concentration

For personal reasons, ones of which I shall not go into, I found myself spending the Christmas period in hospital. Now, even if you have never stayed overnight in a ward, I'm sure you can imagine how incredibly boring and lonely it would be, never mind staying for an entire week! This stay was quite sudden, and I did not have a lot of time to pack my things, or even what I should be taking with me! So, I ended up twiddling my thumbs for several hours on the lumpy bed, awaiting the arrival of my visitors.

My friends are very loyal and caring, so it is to my benefit that the one great mate who came and visited me on the day I was admitted kindly brought me a few bits and pieces to help keep me amused; this included a book which I had not heard of.


*First Impressions
I studied the cover, as I usually do, despite the saying 'never judge a book by its cover'. It was quite a fascinating piece of art, not giving away any of the story's secrets. It was a simple, two-colour stripe design, made of a dusky blue and grey. Usually, these colours would appear lifeless and dull, but for some reason they attracted me to the book. There was something special about it; I just did not know quite what this was yet.

The next sensible thing to do seemed to be to read the blurb; it would be a good idea to see what the book was about before I creased back the unfolded marvels of the front cover. To my surprise, the blurb gave away absolutely no indication whatsoever! Though, I was not disappointed, nor did this put me off reading the book! Instead, it made me more eager to read on and amuse myself in the almost-silent ward.


::WARNING::
This book is full of surprises and wonders for you to explore. If you wish to begin your journey through fiction the way it was intended, I strongly recommend you do not read my plot summary: it may just spoil your adventure!


*Plot
Bruno was a typical nine year old German boy who lived with his mother, father, sister Gretel, and the maid and butler in Berlin. His life changed dramatically though, when the family had to make a sudden move for reasons related to father's job. They relocated to a much smaller house, situated in what seemed like the middle of nowhere, very far away from the busy town life Bruno was used to.

To start with, it only seemed to be father who was pleased with the move, although mother _was_ satisfied with his handsome new uniform with all the decorations. There was nothing uncommon about the soldiers who accompanied father in his office that year in 1943, but Bruno became obsessed with the extraordinary view from his bedroom window. He overlooked the start of a fence, and he could just make out the people on the other side; focusing to divide them into two groups: those like father in their smart soldier uniforms, booming from the back of their throats, and those dressed in stripy pyjamas, who looked rather miserable from where he was standing.

Bruno was an adventurous sort of boy; he loved to explore. After his daily lessons, he decided to take himself off and walk along the outside of the fence, even though he had been told by both of his parents that this was forbidden.

After setting off on his long journey, underestimating just how far he was going to be walking, Bruno felt like giving up and returning home. That was, until he spotted something not far away on the other side of the fence; a boy named Schmuel. This was no ordinary boy though, sitting there in the dust, clothed in striped pyjamas...


*Characters
All the main characters in the story are portrayed reasonably well, to a certain extent. Although, I do find it quite difficult to visualise mother's appearance. Bruno has a very clear character - typical of a nine year old boy! It's a very good, successful character to hold the story together, too! Gretel, however, is not quite as straight forward, and can cause some slight confusion. I loved the mysteries of the butler, the detail and focus on his white jacket alone was powerful enough to make him come across as a wondrous character, so full of mystery and question!
But no matter how successful the author told those spectacular characters, none of them were as rich and wonderful as Schmuel. His character is exceptionally important to the plot, despite not being the main focus. His story alone is powerful enough to carry everything, and is full of heart-aching emotions and feelings. You can learn a lot about the treatment of those like him, just through this one character. The way he is exposed is so wonderfully magical and heart-wrenching!


*Opinions
What did I think of this book? Well, it wasn't something I'd normally go for, so I didn't know what to expect at first! When I turned the first page, I got into it almost instantly, trying to unravel the mysteries of the move (I never did guess correct!). As the story progressed, I learned to relate with the characters a bit more, finding out their secrets and discovering their pasts. Two characters which stuck out of the story for me were Maria the maid, and Schmuel. I adore the way the author reflects upon how Maria is not just a maid, but a human too, with feelings! As for Schmuel, well I was brought close to tears with his tale! It's so difficult to imagine people were treated in such a crude way.

Although I could give this book a lot of praise, I was quite disappointed with the ending. I'll admit, it was done in such a clever way, but it was a bit too sudden and short. And if you were not familiar with the happenings of the Second World War, it wouldn't make much sense!


*About The Author
Boy In Striped Pyjamas was written by author John Boyne, published in 2006. If you follow the link below, you will be taken to his official webpage where you will view a selection of the story's covers, in a massive variety of languages. The fact that it has been published throughout the world reflects on its greatness.
http://www.johnboyne.com/theboyinthestripedpyjama s.htm

Boyne was born in Dublin in 1971. After studying at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, he has published five novels, and a selection of short stories, book reviews and articles.

For this particular fantastic book, Boyne has won himself four awards - something to be proud of indeed!

If you would like to take the time to write to Boyne, you can contact him through his publishers at the address below.

John Boyne-Author
c/o Transworld Publishers
61-63 Uxbridge Road
London
W5 5SA England



*Would I Recommend?
Hmm...I think I would, yes. Though, I think you have to be really focused when reading this as there is a lot to absorb and take in, so it's not really a good book to read when it's late at night and you're just starting to dose off!
I'm not sure what the target age is, but I'd say it is suitable for any teenager and above!
The RRP for this book is £6.99, and in my opinion, not worth that much! I would not rush out to buy it myself, but if you could get hold of a copy from your local library or you know somebody who owns a copy, then I will certainly recommend you read it!


*Conclusion
The Boy In Striped Pyjamas is a well-written fictional story with reflects upon history, and provides a great read to keep me amused whilst bored and lonely in hospital! I cannot doubt this book did not fit its purpose, and without it, I fear I would have lost my mind with tediousness! I owe this paperback a lot of praise for that alone!


Amy xx

Summary: A tale ful of mystery and history