A thought provoking novel, and a deeply moving read (Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne)

Name: nevikrose

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Product:	Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne
Date:	27.02.08 (59 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: unique approach to a well trodden and important subject

Disadvantages: open to misinterpretation, requires suspension of disbelief

I find myself here in a very odd position. It is a unique position in that I find myself finally needing to talk about a book I finished reading last week, but up until now have not been able to form an opinion of or digest completely. Sometimes a very bold and brazen approach is taken towards a subject that touches a very painful place inside every person, sometimes, you are brought back to reality, to face certain truths about humanity that are too easily forgotten. Sometimes you need a little time to come to terms with something you just read, and to make your peace with it.
I find myself needing to write about it for other people, and yet, if I were to tell you very much about the book, many of its constructions, and much of its impact would be lost.

I have decided to review this book in two parts. The first part, you should read if you want to know why you should read the book, the second is if you have read the book and wish to know how I felt about it. I urge you not to read the second part if you have not yet read the book, I will explain why.

The blurb on my edition of the book takes a similar approach, it tells you nothing about what you are likely to find inside, what kind of tale you are to expect. It reveals only that you will go on a journey with a nine year old boy, and that at some point, this boy comes across a fence. There are fences like these all over the world, and the author sincerely hopes you never encounter such a fence. As do I.

When you read a book you tend to allow your subconscious to attempt to skip ahead, to guess what's coming next, or to work out 'whodunit'. The boy in the striped pyjamas will not afford you that luxury, the main character, Bruno, is largely ignorant of the events unfolding around him, as will you be, until you have pieced together enough of the clues, which the author feeds through the story at a very measured pace. From that point forward you are simply a fly on the wall, in no position to retain any kind of control over the story. I found it impossible to draw any conclusions, as I have said, until long after I had finished reading.

The characters written into the book I found were all generally representative of an extreme. This book is not a true story, nor does it read like one. The Author describes it as a Fable, and that I think is a fair and reasonable assessment of it. Each character represents a view point, a position or a victim, and should not be read as true characters; for the most part they are one dimensional and unchanging. The boy in the striped pyjamas is in essence a historical drama, but should by no means be taken as an accurate historical account. Its purpose is not to educate about history, what happened, but to bring in to focus what should not happen, and is perhaps happening right now. In many ways it makes it a modern commentary, simply framing itself in a historical context.

If you can take this review and are at all interested in what I have said, I urge you to read this book. It is short; I read it in three sittings of about 40 min (my train journey)

I would also recommend that if you buy the book that you buy the randomhouse publication, rather than the black swan edition, black swan give away the plot on the back of the book, whereas randomhouse understand the nature of the narrative, and give away very little.



-----part 2-----

Having said all that I have said above, I feel there are one or two things I need to get off my chest.

I have read many reviews slating the intensity of the historical inaccuracy in the story, how it simply would not be conceivable that Bruno is as ignorant and naive as he was. I think, after having sat on the book for a little while I understand the reasons for them. Yes, Bruno would have been able to pronounce the proper words for Out-with and Fury, but if he would have, the reveal would not have worked. Shmuel would not have lasted a year, it is true, but the purpose of the book is not, I don't think to provide a historical account of what life was like for people on either side of the fence, and to avoid getting bogged down in that, Boyne avoided this by simply not going into detail at any point about life inside, nor does he attempt to justify any of the actions through any of the characters. In this respect, I think Boyne is effectively saying that this could be anywhere in the world, at any point in time or history or future, we said as a united world, 'never again' but Boyne is asking us to think about whether or not we have become complacent now.

Bruno, I think represents our collective ignorance, and our collective unsatisfied curiosity. Constantly asking questions of our father figures, governments and so on, but receiving often very unsatisfactory replies. Boyne's book is a warning, that we may share Bruno's fate thanks to the misguidance and misinformation of our superiors.

Please feel free to message me with your thoughts on the book, but I would ask you not to post them as comments if they are plot revealing, as I want to respect Boyne's attempts to retain the reader's innocence.

Summary: A very powerful book, guaranteed to spark debate and conversation