Boy in the Striped Pajamas

by John Boyne

[Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews]

One day Bruno comes home to find the maid Maria packing his belongings. His father has gotten a promotion and they are moving to "Out With" house, better known as Auschwitz.

Bruno is left without the luxuries he is use to and with only his sister Gretel as a playmate. That is until he goes exploring and befriends a boy in striped pyjamas on the other side of the fence.

Last weekend I watched Fallen Idol. The premise was a young boy who admires his family's butler, who tells exotic stories about Africa. Until one night he witnesses (or thinks he does) the butler murdering his wife, because the butler always did it. The little snot spreads rumors of the supposed killing having the police believing in these falsehoods. By the end of the film I want to strangle the little brat. This is how I felt about Bruno.

With the understanding of the time frame, I found Bruno to be an arrogant ass, a dehumanized, self-centered annoyance who I wanted to smash like a bug. His complete ignorance to what was going on, on the other side of the fence I found unrealistic considering his father's position and closeness to the Fuhrer.

His new found friend Shmuel slowly divulges his life before he was taken to the concentration camp and his present living conditions with Bruno only yawning and changing the subject to boast that his home in Berlin has five stories. Personally, I have no idea why Shmuel came back to visit with Bruno day after day. I realize I sound severe and Bruno was only nine, I just wish these qualities would have been toned down, making him a more likable kid.

For a twenty-something the book felt immature and would much have preferred The Diary of Anne Frank or Markus Zusak's The Book Thief. For a pre-teen who is educated on the subject of the Holocaust I think this book is perfect. As the book is told from a nine year-old's point of view everything is a little screwed but with enough facts for the reader to understand the truth of the matter. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas was a clever book, I was just fifteen years too late.