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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
Plenty of controversy surrounds this novel revolving around the holocaust. I thought it was an excellent and well written, heartbreaking as it is, story. The publisher and author discussed the reason this book was listed as a fable since it could not and did not happen, but it was written with the purpose of exposing especially young readers to the results of a world filled with hate.
3.5 stars!
Despite having seen the film several times before, this is the first time I've actually read the book. Of course, this also meant I wasn't blind to the story itself and its devastating ending.
I didn't read this for plot purposes, but moreso because I was interested in reading a book narrated by a naive child ignorant of the world around him, particularly his father's position as a Nazi commandant of a concentration camp.
This book is wildly historically inaccurate. Propaganda in Nazi Germany was rife during WWII so it seems impossible that Bruno, at nine years old may I add, could be entirely ignorant of Jewish people and the country's fascism. I think it would've made it somewhat more believable if Bruno was five or six (had I not known he was nine, I would've thought he was younger as this is how it's narrated), therefore making his naivety much more convincing.
Whilst I enjoyed the play on words of Auchwitz as "Out-With" and Führer as "Fury", this does not work when writing from the perspective of a German boy. These are very English words that have an entirely different translation in German. Although I understand this decision and how it makes Bruno's character much more naive, I just didn't get the sense that I was reading a story that is supposed to be told by a German person. I think Boyne lacked in this aspect; he could’ve done more research or better yet, even gone to Germany to get a sense of the language and the landscape because had it not been an obvious WWII fable, this book felt like it could’ve been set anywhere.
The ending was pretty lackluster. Whilst I knew it was coming because I've seen the film, the movie did a much better job of packing an emotional punch into the audience, having the mother screaming and falling to her knees as they realise what has happened. The ending of this book felt rushed, as if Boyne couldn't be bothered to write about the emotional fallout of realising you've played the part in sending your son into a gas chamber unknowingly. "A few months after that some other soldiers came to Out-With and Father was ordered to go with them, and he went without complaint and he was happy to do so because he didn't really mind what they did to him anymore." I mean, is that it? Really? David Thewlis was much more convicing of his grief in the film. After all, you reap what you sow.
Overall, I did enjoy this book despite its very obvious criticisms. Bruno was a very convincing protagonist and it is so easy to read along with him, seeing the world through his eyes, whilst knowing of the horrors on the outside. His naivety is comforting as well heartbreaking, especially when it comes to his friendship with Shumel. This is an easy read and I think if you go into it without looking at the historical inaccuracies and read it as nothing more than a fable, then you'll definitely have a much easier time.
Despite having seen the film several times before, this is the first time I've actually read the book. Of course, this also meant I wasn't blind to the story itself and its devastating ending.
I didn't read this for plot purposes, but moreso because I was interested in reading a book narrated by a naive child ignorant of the world around him, particularly his father's position as a Nazi commandant of a concentration camp.
This book is wildly historically inaccurate. Propaganda in Nazi Germany was rife during WWII so it seems impossible that Bruno, at nine years old may I add, could be entirely ignorant of Jewish people and the country's fascism. I think it would've made it somewhat more believable if Bruno was five or six (had I not known he was nine, I would've thought he was younger as this is how it's narrated), therefore making his naivety much more convincing.
Whilst I enjoyed the play on words of Auchwitz as "Out-With" and Führer as "Fury", this does not work when writing from the perspective of a German boy. These are very English words that have an entirely different translation in German. Although I understand this decision and how it makes Bruno's character much more naive, I just didn't get the sense that I was reading a story that is supposed to be told by a German person. I think Boyne lacked in this aspect; he could’ve done more research or better yet, even gone to Germany to get a sense of the language and the landscape because had it not been an obvious WWII fable, this book felt like it could’ve been set anywhere.
The ending was pretty lackluster. Whilst I knew it was coming because I've seen the film, the movie did a much better job of packing an emotional punch into the audience, having the mother screaming and falling to her knees as they realise what has happened. The ending of this book felt rushed, as if Boyne couldn't be bothered to write about the emotional fallout of realising you've played the part in sending your son into a gas chamber unknowingly. "A few months after that some other soldiers came to Out-With and Father was ordered to go with them, and he went without complaint and he was happy to do so because he didn't really mind what they did to him anymore." I mean, is that it? Really? David Thewlis was much more convicing of his grief in the film. After all, you reap what you sow.
Overall, I did enjoy this book despite its very obvious criticisms. Bruno was a very convincing protagonist and it is so easy to read along with him, seeing the world through his eyes, whilst knowing of the horrors on the outside. His naivety is comforting as well heartbreaking, especially when it comes to his friendship with Shumel. This is an easy read and I think if you go into it without looking at the historical inaccuracies and read it as nothing more than a fable, then you'll definitely have a much easier time.
A simple story with a heartbreaking end. Everyone should read!
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not exactly sure what I should think about this reading experience. I read it for school (like a lot of other people also seemingly did) and I am not sure if I really would have read this otherwise. I probably would have, but not at this moment of life, I suppose.
Anyways, the fact that the main character is 9 years old gives a lot to this story but also lowered my experience a bit. At first the writing was really annoying to read and I found it pretty boring to read about what a typical young boy does with his life, but I somehow grew to love it! Yes, the writing was simple at times, but it was also clever and the way Bruno just learnt about everything going on around him was pictured in a really pretty and touching way!
I also started enjoying this book a bit more after Shmuel came! I think he added a lot to this story and the friendship these two boys had was something so beautiful. This book really showed me, that children are not born bad, it is the environment which makes them bad!
Anyways, the fact that the main character is 9 years old gives a lot to this story but also lowered my experience a bit. At first the writing was really annoying to read and I found it pretty boring to read about what a typical young boy does with his life, but I somehow grew to love it! Yes, the writing was simple at times, but it was also clever and the way Bruno just learnt about everything going on around him was pictured in a really pretty and touching way!
I also started enjoying this book a bit more after Shmuel came! I think he added a lot to this story and the friendship these two boys had was something so beautiful. This book really showed me, that children are not born bad, it is the environment which makes them bad!