Innocence knows no boundaries (Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne)

Member Name: bkecky

Product:	Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne
Date:	06/09/09 (72 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Incredibly moving

Disadvantages: Haunts you - don't read before bed time.

My mother bought this book for me for my holiday and all I can say is don't read it on your holiday! It really is such a sad and thought-provoking story, which I was thinking about the whole time. It was so difficult to put down and because it is so short I read it within an afternoon.

The story revolves around a child called Bruno, who is moved to Poland from Berlin because of his father's job as a commandant at Auschwitz. Bruno doesn't realise what is going on around him and his innocence is charming yet disturbing. When he moves to his new house next to Auschwitz he hates what he has come to, not because of what is going on but because there is nothing to explore and his house has only three storeys instead of five. He has to leave his three "friends for life" and his grandparents back in Berlin and there are no children for him to play with. That is when he sees some children on "the other side of the fence" in what he calls stripey pyjamas. His dreams of becoming an explorer lead him to venture out one day and discover what is the other side of this fence and who the people are. This is where he meets a young Jewish prisoner of the same age with the same birthday, Schmuel, and the two become best friends and meet on opposite sides of the fence. It is moving how their relationship progresses and Bruno's innocence shields him from the true horror of what his friend is going through.

What I particularly liked about this book was that it shows a human side to the German people during the war. Bruno is oblivious to the brain-washing and persecution and his grandmother is also ashamed that her son has become involved in such a regime. So often are the German people of the period grouped together as Nazis but the book does not portray everyone in this manner. It is also rather charming how Bruno mispronounces Auschwitz as "Out-with" and the Fuhrer as the "Fury"and he doesn't even know he is in Poland until Schmuel informs him. He also eats half the food he brings to give to Schmuel on the way to see him because he cannot understand the situation well enough. Although we don't really hear much of the atrocities that are occurring as it is told from a child-like point of view we can gather that his father is heavily involved as the "Fury" comes to dinner and also has great things for him. Although the way Bruno's mind works is charming, it is also sickening that he thinks so much of his father and thinks his father must be different to all the rest.

As I said before I really found this book thought provoking because it is told from a view-point that we don't usually read about such serious matters from. The childhood innocence portrayed makes you think about how much better the world would be if we didn't all grow up and could maintain that innocence for longer. You get the feeling that Schmuel wants to tell Bruno more but is either scared of losing his friend or that he doesn't want to spoil the image that Bruno has developed. It is this innocence that leads to the terrible consequences of the ending and this is the most tragic part of the whole book.

This book retails at £6.99, which I feel is a little expensive for a book of this length but still it is certainly worth a read and it was also made into a film, which I shall be seeking out shortly. I would definitely reccomend it to anyone and although it doesn't give a great understanding of the facts of the Holocaust it certainly gives a perspective that will move you. As I said, don't take it on holiday because although it is easy to read the message behind it is far to heavy on the mind to be able to dismiss when you have finished.

Also on ciao under escargot86

Summary: A fantastic perspective of the time