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jorisrot's review against another edition
3.0
I had higher expectations for this book, the story obviously touches the heart and also shows you the innocence of children, but there are several parts where the story feels forced and not very believable. I stay with the message of the book, which is very important, even more so today: be careful with messages of racism, division and superiority because not long ago they led to discrimination, abuse and the death of millions.
sara_naemi's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
kitkatlovebot's review against another edition
4.0
The Boy in Striped Pajamas, written by John Boyne, revolves around the friendship of 2 boys from enemy clans. It’s an emotional and heartbreaking book which portrays the concept of concentration camps through the eyes of a nine year old. The author has described the concept of his novel as “ two boys, the mirror of each other, sitting either side of a wire fence.” It's a really nice book, which is definitely worth reading!
skylarchenoa's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jedwin00's review against another edition
5.0
This book is about a the family of a commander of the German concentration camp Auschwitz. It shows us the story through the eyes of the Nazi commander's son, Bruno. What I found unique and interesting about the book is that it presents the story through the eyes of an innocent child. Another feature I enjoyed was that it shows us that all Germans weren't anti-Semitic, it also includes a the viewpoints of the Jewish sympathisers. For example, Bruno's grandparents are furiously angry at their son for accepting a job at the Jewish concentration camp, Auschwitz. Something that I feel could have been worked on was the relationship between Bruno and his sister. I feel like this would have educated the reader on how the Nazi propaganda affected the German people. I especially enjoyed the characters, especially the Jewish prisoner and Bruno's friend, Shmuel, who is born on the same day as Bruno and is seen as Bruno's Jewish double, a feature I found interesting and well presented. the Jewish helper, who showed the reader the humanity of his mom. Overall the book left a lasting impression through the interesting metaphors and captivating imagery. it was a good, interesting read.
laurenbookishtwins's review against another edition
3.0
Actual Rating: 3.5
“What exactly was the difference? he wondered to himself. And who decided which people wore the striped pajamas and which people wore the uniforms?”
I had high expectations of The Boy in The Striped Pyjamas, and it fell short. I was expecting an emotionally riveting story about a young boy in the holocaust. Whilst it was about a young boy in the holocaust, I found that the emotional impact on me remained slight. I think it may have been because I found it very difficult to understand that Bruno, whose father is a high ranking Nazi soilder, is completely ignorant to the world around him. He didn't even know about Jews. He calls it "Out-With" and calls Hitler the "Fury". I found his ignorance and innocent hard to believe. It also rather annoyed me that he was unsympathetic and seemingly oblivious to Shmuel's suffering, and continued to throw his privileged life in his face. Despite that negative rambling, I did rather enjoy The Boy in The Striped Pyjamas. A character I really enjoyed was Shmuel, who I found to be a brave little boy.
“Very slowly he turned his head back to look at Shmuel, who wasn't crying anymore, merely staring at the floor and looking as if he was trying to convince his soul not to live inside his tiny body anymore, but to slip away and sail to the door and rise up into the sky, gliding through the clouds until it was very far away.''
The end is one of the only parts that made me tear up. It hit me like a brick wall and I did not see it coming.
The plot was effective because of it's simplicity, and I would suggest you give it a read.
“. . .only the victims and survivors can truly comprehend the awfulness of that time and place; the rest of us live on the other side of the fence, staring through from our own comfortable place, trying in our own clumsy ways to make sense of it all.”
“What exactly was the difference? he wondered to himself. And who decided which people wore the striped pajamas and which people wore the uniforms?”
I had high expectations of The Boy in The Striped Pyjamas, and it fell short. I was expecting an emotionally riveting story about a young boy in the holocaust. Whilst it was about a young boy in the holocaust, I found that the emotional impact on me remained slight. I think it may have been because I found it very difficult to understand that Bruno, whose father is a high ranking Nazi soilder, is completely ignorant to the world around him. He didn't even know about Jews. He calls it "Out-With" and calls Hitler the "Fury". I found his ignorance and innocent hard to believe. It also rather annoyed me that he was unsympathetic and seemingly oblivious to Shmuel's suffering, and continued to throw his privileged life in his face. Despite that negative rambling, I did rather enjoy The Boy in The Striped Pyjamas. A character I really enjoyed was Shmuel, who I found to be a brave little boy.
“Very slowly he turned his head back to look at Shmuel, who wasn't crying anymore, merely staring at the floor and looking as if he was trying to convince his soul not to live inside his tiny body anymore, but to slip away and sail to the door and rise up into the sky, gliding through the clouds until it was very far away.''
The end is one of the only parts that made me tear up. It hit me like a brick wall and I did not see it coming.
The plot was effective because of it's simplicity, and I would suggest you give it a read.
“. . .only the victims and survivors can truly comprehend the awfulness of that time and place; the rest of us live on the other side of the fence, staring through from our own comfortable place, trying in our own clumsy ways to make sense of it all.”
megsbookishtwins's review against another edition
4.0
“Bruno: We're not supposed to be friends, you and me. We're meant to be enemies. Did you know that? ”
I'm just going to do a small review. The Boy in The Striped Pyjamas was a very simple written, yet very moving book. It tells the story of a nine year old boy called Bruno who is moved out of Berlin into his new home at "Out-With" by the "Fury" who his father works for. Bruno has no idea of what is happening at Auschwitz, he is still living in innocence when he meets a boy from behind the fence in stripped pyjamas. One main problem is that it is historically inaccurate, as Bruno wouldn't be so ignorant especially considering that Bruno would know who the Führer is as his father is a senior Nazi. Despite his ignorance, Bruno is a very likeable and convincing character. It's a very moving story with a inspiring friendship and an unexpected twist at the end and I would definitely recommend.
I'm just going to do a small review. The Boy in The Striped Pyjamas was a very simple written, yet very moving book. It tells the story of a nine year old boy called Bruno who is moved out of Berlin into his new home at "Out-With" by the "Fury" who his father works for. Bruno has no idea of what is happening at Auschwitz, he is still living in innocence when he meets a boy from behind the fence in stripped pyjamas. One main problem is that it is historically inaccurate, as Bruno wouldn't be so ignorant especially considering that Bruno would know who the Führer is as his father is a senior Nazi. Despite his ignorance, Bruno is a very likeable and convincing character. It's a very moving story with a inspiring friendship and an unexpected twist at the end and I would definitely recommend.