The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

John Boyne's The Boy in Striped Pyjamas will no doubt acquire many readers as a result of the subsequent film of the novel, but viewers of the latter would do themselves a favour by going back to the spare and powerfully affecting original book. Bruno is nine years old, and the Nazis’ horrific Final Solution to the ‘Jewish Problem’ means nothing to him. He's completely unaware of the barbarity of Germany under Hitler, and is more concerned by his move from his well-appointed house in Berlin to a far less salubrious area where he finds himself with nothing to do. Then he meets a boy called Shmuel who lives a very different life from him -- a life on the opposite side of a wire fence. And Shmuel is the eponymous boy in the striped pyjamas, as are all the other people on the other side of the fence. The friendship between the two boys begins to grow, but for Bruno it is a journey from blissful ignorance to a painful knowledge. And he will find that this learning process carries, for him, a daunting price.

A legion of books have attempted to evoke the horrors of the Second World War, but in this concise and perfectly honed novel, all of the effects that John Boyne creates are allowed to make a maximum impact in a relatively understated fashion (given the enormity of the situation here). The Boy in Striped Pyjamas is also that rare thing: a novel which can affect both children and adults equally; a worthy successor, in fact, to such masterpieces as To Kill a Mockingbird and The Catcher in the Rye -- both, of course, books, dealing (as does this one) with the loss of innocence. --Barry Forshaw

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A horrible book, not for children, not for adults - Rated
I borrowed the book from the library to read it first -- in case it is good, I would buy a copy for my 11 year son. Luckily I read it FIRST and what a horror it is!

Let's get it straight -- it was not written by a person with any serious thought on that part of human tragedy. Playing with words like "Out-With" in English should make everyone angry enough!

I find more thought-provoking reading all those "1 star" reviews than reading the book itself. If there is a "zero" star for the review!

May rent a DVD of the film when it is out to see how horrible a movie can make based on this book. But definitely keep away from children. This story is an irresponsible account of the history.

Thought provoking, insightful, great read - Rated
Once in a while you read a book that causes you to reflect, ponder and really think deeply about what you're taking in. The story itself is compelling and well worth reading but the insight into the period, the conditions and the insanity of what happened in the concentration camps of the second world war make this a must read. The fact that the story is told through the innocent eyes of a young boy trying to figure out what's happening make it a classic. Thought provoking, insightful and a great read.

Great book! - Rated
This is one of the best books I read all year and I read quite a bit. I couldn't put it down. It is easy to read and goes quickly. The story is amazing. I would reccomend this book to anyone!

APPALLING DRIVEL - Rated
Who is the most reprehensible? Bruno, the moron protagonist of Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Boyne, the idiot who wrote it (in two days, surprise surprise), or the callous opportunist who published it, and is now sitting back to collect the bucks? All three should have know better.

Serious historical tragedies deserve to be treated with intelligence and sensitivity. This book belongs to the Jackass school of holocaust writing.

Simple yet resonating - Rated
Short and written very simply, from the perspective of a child, this book tells of something that people of all ages and walks of life should appreciate.

A chilling account of one German boy's innocent experience of the concentration camps during the holocaust, as the son of a Nazi military chief who is relocated to a house opposite one of the prisons.

The boy's ignorance only amplifies the evil that surrounds him, in his strict and ruthless upbringing, his abusive relationship with his father and other soldiers, and the overwhelming presence of the Nazi rule.

The innocence and naivety with which he forms a friendship with a boy from inside the camp is utterly heart-warming and gut-wrenching at the same time, and makes all the more devastating the ending.

A truely profound, deafening message, hidden in a children's text.