Book Review

Boyne, John. (2006). The boy in the striped pajamas. New York: David Fickling Books. 978-0-385-75153-7.

Nine-year-old Bruno has a happy life. He lives with his mother, father and sister, Gretel, in Berlin. His family a big house with five stories (counting the basement and attic). He has three good friends, loving grandparents and a big city that begs him to explore. When Bruno comes home from school one day, he finds his family’s maid, Maria, packing up his clothes. His father has a high position with the German army; the “Fury” (what Bruno calls “the Fuhrer”) has assigned his father to be commander of Out-With, or Auschwitz to the rest of Bruno’s family.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is an example of a historical fiction. The story takes place mostly at Auschwitz, in the commander’s house and at the fence that excludes the concentration camp from Bruno’s world. Bruno is a curious and adventurous boy; however, his main trait is his naïveté. The world of Auschwitz is presented through his innocent eyes; he sees atrocities, but does not realize their severity.

John Boyne uses Bruno’s innocence and friendship with Shmuel, a Jewish boy in the concentration camp, to speak about the human spirit. Bruno builds his friendship with Shmuel by meeting and talking everyday, with a piece of fence in between them. The boys do not understand why they are on their particular side of the fence. All they know is the person on the other side is very nice, fun and a good friend. The boys do not realize their differences; they do not realize why other people would balk at the idea that they were friends. To them, it is a very confusing world with too many strange rules.

Overall, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas presents an enthralling story about friendship and the absurdity and pointlessness of war and genocide. By having the story told through Bruno’s innocent perspective, the reader sees how the adults’ actions lack basic reason. It is a story that reminds readers that friendship can often come from the most unlikely of places and war based on fallacies is detrimental to all. This book’s reading level is appropriate for middle and high school students; however, the depth of the content and themes may be more appropriate for high school students.