The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne is a story of friendship told through the eyes of Bruno, the nine-year-old son of a concentration camp Commandant. Uprooted from friends and the only home he’s ever known, Bruno hates his new home in “Out-With,” his mispronunciation of Auschwitz, and makes sure everyone knows it. But one day, when he goes out exploring the area around his house, he meets a boy his own age on the other side of the fence where everyone wears striped pyjamas all day. The two quickly become friends, and meet as often as possible at the same time and spot everyday from then on.

One of the things I like about this book is Boyne’s layered subtleties. Bruno, the naive and sheltered innocent, passes along clues of his mother’s infidelity, drinking and depression, as well as the competition that goes on between Gretel, his twelve-turning-thirteen year-old sister, and his mother for the attention of the young Lieutenant Koltor. Bruno witnesses but can’t quite grasp the difference between him and his family and the people on the other side of the fence, asking different people about it with varying degrees of failure to get a satisfactory answer. His father tells him the others aren’t people -not really, not in the way we think of. The Lieutenant calls them a derogatory name that is never passed along in the book. Gretel comes the closest to answering him, failing only because she herself doesn’t understand it, either, telling him that the people on the other side were Jews and they were The Opposite, and The Opposite hate the Jews.

Boyne’s storytelling in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is reminiscent of Scout’s recounting in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, though not as well-done nor is Bruno as developed as a character as Scout was. In Boyne’s attempt to reach as broad an audience as possible, the story is a bit like thin gruel. Everyone can digest it, but it hasn’t got very much flavor. If you are looking for a good book that glimpses the lives of the people during Nazi Germany, I’d recommend The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. The writing is magical, the storytelling point-of-view is unique, and the depth of even the tertiary characters are better than Bruno’s.

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Bruno vit dans une jolie maison berlinoise avec ses parents et sa soeur. Il ne connait pas vraiment le métier de son papa mais sait que c'est un travail très important. Un jour, un petit monsieur avec une drôle de moustache vient diner et quelques temps plus tard toute la famille doit déménager très loin dans une petite maison perdue dans une campagne quasi désertique. On lui explique que Père a eu une promotion. Bruno n'aime pas sa nouvelle maison et ne comprend rien à ce qui se passe autour de lui. En plus, personne ne veut lui expliquer qui sont tous ces gens qui habitent juste à côté de chez lui dans une sorte de grand camp entouré de barbelés. En plus, ils sont tous habillés de la même manière avec des drôles de pyjama rayés ...

John Boyne nous livre ici un roman - ou plutôt une fable pour reprendre ses termes – absolument bouleversante. Il adopte d'emblée le point de vue de Bruno et sans en faire la narrateur, utilise un style simple, quasi enfantin. L'innocence et la naïveté de ce petit garçon nous font trembler à chaque page. Quiproquos, incompréhensions, erreurs de jugement montrent à quel point, il vit hors des évènements dramatiques qui se jouent tout autour de lui. Mais comment comprendre la barbarie quand on a 9 ans ? Cependant, Le garçon au pyjama rayé nous raconte surtout une magnifique histoire d'amitié entre 2 garçonnets, chacun des deux côtés d'un grillage loin des considérations adultes.
La fable ici présentée n'est pas joyeuse – même si l'auteur réussit à nous faire sourire plusieurs fois grâce à son talent de conteur indéniable – elle ne se termine pas comme dans les contes de fées. Mais elle est utile et belle.
N'hésitez pas à la lire et à la faire lire aux enfants. Discutez avec eux, expliquez et pleurez même ; souvent les belles histoires très tristes ont beaucoup à nous apprendre ... ( )

Absolutely tragic, stunning and simple. This book gives you a view of the tragedy of the holocaust from the perspective of children. ( )

This was a very touching story about the Holocaust told in the perspective of a German boy whose father was the commander in charge of Auschwitz. It is an easy read as it is youth fiction but I loved the way the author kept in the mindset of a nine year old boy. I highly recommend this novel to anyone. I give it 5 out of 5 stars. ( )

Enjoyed the film more than the book. Did not like the simplistic writing style, found the boy irritating and naieve. ( )

Nine-year-old Bruno loves living in his five-story house in Berlin, playing with his three best friends for life, and exploring, and he is devastated when his father’s promotion to commandant means that the family must move to “Out-With, ” where the house has only three stories, and there are no friends to play with. The only thing he has left to do is to explore, and so he goes against his parents wishes and starts exploring. Before long, he meets Schmeul, another 9-year-old boy. Schmeul lives on the other side of a fence that surrounds a large camp filled with people who wear striped pajamas with matching caps all day. Bruno and Schmeul become close friends, meeting every day at the same spot in the fence.

As an adult with the benefit of historical hindsight, you can probably figure out what’s going on here. This novel, which author John Boyne has called a fable, tells a story of the Holocaust through the eyes of a child who lives outside the fence and whose only window into the truth is another child. It’s an interesting exercise that was, for me, at times perplexing and at times moving. Now that I’ve finished the audiobook, I can’t quite make up my mind about it.

I loved the idea of looking at the Holocaust through the eyes of a German child. Bruno is a complete innocent. He doesn’t know what’s going on, and on the few occasions that he gets any whisper of actual information, he has no way of processing it. Who really could, unless they are forced to? But there were times I couldn’t quite believe Bruno’s naiveté. He knows nothing about Jews, he calls Hitler the “Fury,” and he doesn’t actually know what Hitler does—just that’s he’s powerful. About all he knows is how to give the Nazi salute. For the son of a Nazi commandant to be so ignorant seems unlikely, and as a result, the story itself feels artificial.

The artifice problem also comes up in Boyne’s choice not to ever name Auschwitz itself. Bruno mispronounces it as “Out-With,” and even when other characters correct him, Boyne never gives the actual name. In the interview on the audio version, Boyne says that this was because he wanted to universalize the theme, but it feels tricksy to me, and it took me out of the story every time. Evil is universal enough; naming the camp wouldn’t make the horror of it less relevant, especially when you’ve already sort of named it anyway.

Despite these criticisms, I did find the story moving, and the ending was a punch in the gut. That’s the part I’m really of two minds about. Holocaust stories are tragic stories, but there are a few aspects of the tragedy here that felt like they were there for shock value and not because they are necessary to the story. The ending was deeply affecting, but also rather manipulative. The book will stick with me because of the ending, but I’m not sure it will stick with me in the best way.

See my complete review at my blog. ( )

An easy read. Sad twist to story at the end and very thought provoking. Highly recommended.

A terribly moving book with a very sad twist at the end. Short and quick read but thought provoking ( )

The Boy In the Striped Pajamas is a Children's Book that isn't really a Children's Book. It's a "fable" that touches on Nazi concentration camps in World War II and is told from the point of view of a naive nine-year old boy. Short enough to finish in a sitting, it is an interesting story concerning a dangerous friendship between two little boys during World War II. One of the boys is Jewish and the other is not. The fable seems to say that genocides occur because people are naive to what is happening around them. I have trouble believing that anyone, even an eight-year old boy, could be that guileless. I understand the literary tool that his naivete serves for the fable, but think that acts of evil are perpetrated not just because people don't understand what is happening around them but because many people are complicit or are willfully ignorant out of convenience. The fable does, at a more subtle level, seem to touch on the idea of people being aware of an evil being perpetrated and participating anyway. Those vile characters seem to have concern for nothing and no one beyond themselves; blinded by their own needs and hatred, they are naive to the extraordinary consequences their actions have for the innocent. ( )

This is a great book to read when you have nothing to do. This book would make you cry or make you feel sorry for the jews. When you read this book you would want to compare yourself to Bruno or shamuel. I would recommend this book to any junior high school student that enjoys about history. I would give this book ***** stars. ( )

In the book " The boy In the

This is a great book to read. The movie is not better than the book. Bruno moves to a place called Out-with. Then Bruno makes a Jew friend that no one knows about. Then the adventures begins. I recommend this book for sixth graders and up. ( )

"The boy in the striped pajamas" is a book that has gloomy events. This book is amazing and fantastic. The lesson to be learn in the book is that all people are equal. I would recommend this to teenagers and Jr. highs. Also i dislike the part when Shmuel ( )

This story is not like other stoys. Instead of having a joyfull ending ( )

"The Boy In The Striped Pajamas"is a very heart warming and very touching story about two boys and hoe their two worlds come together. This book show that it doesn't matter what religion you are friendship goes above all that. You will feel how hard it was for the two boys and their friendship. Throughout the book you will in some parts see how hard it was for one of the boys. When you read about how they used to treat Jews you will see how much our nation has changed. I recommend this book for 7th graders and adults. You will love this book!

The book was depressing jews suferd a lot with the nazis .i think its true that you can be friends with any one no matter what.I think this book is good for middlie scholl students if they want to laern more about jews.

"The Boy In The Striped Pajamas" Shmuel relates to the main character Bruno. Because they are forced to move to a new place.You could relate to this character because you could have been threw the same things. I recomend this book to 6th-8th graders.

"The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas" is a simauliting fable of sorrow and adventure. It is a whrillpool of feverishly drama that has happened in history. This book is like a soap opera describing the past and how people suffered during that era. . This book is also about a forbidden friendship between a German and a Jew. Even though one is German and one is Jew they see each other the same, not differently. I highly recommend this book to Jr. High Students ( )

''The Boy in the Striped Pajamas'' is an outstanding book. This book really open my eyes to all the nazis that killed the jews. This reminds me of the holocaust and other horrifying things that the nazis did. The theme is the whole world is a family it doesn't matter what religion or what color you are. I recommend this book to middle school students. ( )

The book "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" is an outstanding book. The main character Bruno is an amazing character along with his new riend Shmaul. Bruno and Shmaul are awesome when it comes to their irst nd inal adventure. The part I adored the most is when Bruno's parents and soldiers try to ind him. I disliked the part when Bruno and his riend Shmaul die inside the gas room. i recommend this book or people have experienced moving to a place they dislike. i give this book ive stars. ( )

The story "The Boy In Striped Pajamas"is a heart warming story. This book is great because it teaches that you still can be friends with Jews. The book shows care and friendship between the characters. This book will ley your inner emotions out! I recommend this book for 7th graders and up that want to learn about our nations history of Jews. ( )

The story ''The Boy in the Striped Pajamas'' is a depressing story. But you will want to read it over and over again. I think this book is very interesting. I never got lost during the book. The theme is to be frinds with who ever you want even if their a different race. ( )

The book "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" is an intresting book because it talks about a boy that becomes friends with a jew.This book also has glooming events like when both of the best friends die. This book is also great because its tell you about a kid moving to a new house. This book also shows you that you can be friends with anyone you want. I would give this book 4 1/2 stars. ( )

"The Boy In the Striped Pajamas" is a historical-fiction book. When you start reading this book you might not want to put it down. This historical-fiction book is a informative about how the jews were treated back then. The lesson to be learned to be is that no matter what religion or race you are,all human beings are equal. I would give this a 5 star. ( )

The book "The Boy In The Striped pajamas" has lots of emotions. It also has gloomy events. i recomend this book to people who like great books like this one also for kids in Jr. High. Its a amazing book you should read it. I give 4 stars at this amazing book. ( )