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alexlily's review against another edition
1.0
Major yikes
Auschwitz Memorial: "'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas' should be avoided by anyone who studies or teaches about the history of the Holocaust."
Auschwitz Memorial: "'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas' should be avoided by anyone who studies or teaches about the history of the Holocaust."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Confinement, Death, War, Genocide, Religious bigotry, and Child death
goldenslug's review
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Child death, Murder, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, and Genocide
Moderate: War
ivegotyourpaperback's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I’ll start off by saying that I think this book is written well for its target audience, though I believe the themes explored require a more adult understanding of historical events. The Holocaust would be a difficult topic to tackle, no matter who you’re writing for.
That said, I did go into this novel knowing of the controversy surrounding it (I recommend reading the 2019 article titled The Problem with ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ written by the Holocaust Survivors’ Friendship Association).
I agree that this book is not the most accurate representation of the victims of the holocaust, but rather a watered down version of events seen through a child’s eyes. Readers should remember that this is a work of fiction, not a textbook and so should not rely on this as their sole source of WW2 information.
I think a persons first reading of this book should be after having learned about the real events that took place, from an educator and/or non-fictional sources. This was my reading experience so I was able to draw on my prior knowledge to recognise the implications made, and visualise what was not being said in the text.
I was quite disappointed to find that there were no historical notes, educational notes, talking points/questions or acknowledgment of the millions of people who were murdered at this time in history, either at the beginning or the end of this novel.
That said, I did go into this novel knowing of the controversy surrounding it (I recommend reading the 2019 article titled The Problem with ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ written by the Holocaust Survivors’ Friendship Association).
I agree that this book is not the most accurate representation of the victims of the holocaust, but rather a watered down version of events seen through a child’s eyes. Readers should remember that this is a work of fiction, not a textbook and so should not rely on this as their sole source of WW2 information.
I think a persons first reading of this book should be after having learned about the real events that took place, from an educator and/or non-fictional sources. This was my reading experience so I was able to draw on my prior knowledge to recognise the implications made, and visualise what was not being said in the text.
I was quite disappointed to find that there were no historical notes, educational notes, talking points/questions or acknowledgment of the millions of people who were murdered at this time in history, either at the beginning or the end of this novel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Antisemitism, War, and Confinement
Minor: Antisemitism, Confinement, and War
may_brie's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
The book centers the nazi experience in the holocaust and removes the blame from the children present. I have hear many Jews explain how this sort of storyline is harmful and does not manage to teach about the holocaust and instead deflects blame and teaches children that they are too young and stupid to a) understand what’s going on, and b) be part of the problem. The book spreads general misinformation and removes the grief and suffering of Jews from the story which is incredibly problematic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death of parent, War, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Child death, Physical abuse, Murder, Hate crime, Genocide, and Death
oceanwriter's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Given how much WWII fiction I read, I'm surprised how long I procrastinated this one. Until joining a buddy read, I wasn't aware of the more problematic themes, so I went into this with some skepticism.
There are definitely major issues with the book, most of them surrounding Bruno's obliviousness and lack of empathy. What was more infuriating was the lack of correction from his family and even Schmuel. The son of a Nazi Commandant would not be in the dark about his father's role in the Holocaust — at the minimum, the Nazis' war against Jewish people — especially living next door to Auschwitz. The Nazi mentality started young. Hitler formed Hitler's youth for a terrible reason. The fact Hilter himself shows up in the story says how involved Bruno's father was. There is no way he would be so naive at the age of nine about what was happening. Not in this setting.
What was more annoying how Bruno's refusal to accept what little correction he did receive. I'm not fluent in German, but 'Out-With' translated to German would be something along the lines of 'Aus-Mit'. 'Fury' would be 'Zorn'. They aren't fitting with the language that the characters would be speaking. It was errors like this I found distracting and frustrating.
The point of view in which the book is told is where my stars come from. Though Bruno would have realistically known more, I believe he might have had questions about the way the Jewish people were being treated. This would have made a much more powerful story. That's not to say there was no impact with the friendship Bruno and Schmuel do share. At its core, it's a story about two lonely young kids finding an unlikely best friend. There is a level of innocence here that can't be denied.
Another praise is the writing. It flowed fantastically. It's just too bad that it wasn't a little bit longer and more in-depth. There was a lot of potential for more even if it is geared toward a younger audience. I see why it's received so much praise since its publication, but it is good to keep some of the issues in mind when reading. This is not an accurate portrayal of the cruelties the Nazis were capable of despite the ultimate sadness of the book. Without previous knowledge of this time, it could leave an uninformed impression, particularly on younger readers.
There are definitely major issues with the book, most of them surrounding Bruno's obliviousness and lack of empathy. What was more infuriating was the lack of correction from his family and even Schmuel. The son of a Nazi Commandant would not be in the dark about his father's role in the Holocaust — at the minimum, the Nazis' war against Jewish people — especially living next door to Auschwitz. The Nazi mentality started young. Hitler formed Hitler's youth for a terrible reason. The fact Hilter himself shows up in the story says how involved Bruno's father was. There is no way he would be so naive at the age of nine about what was happening. Not in this setting.
What was more annoying how Bruno's refusal to accept what little correction he did receive. I'm not fluent in German, but 'Out-With' translated to German would be something along the lines of 'Aus-Mit'. 'Fury' would be 'Zorn'. They aren't fitting with the language that the characters would be speaking. It was errors like this I found distracting and frustrating.
The point of view in which the book is told is where my stars come from. Though Bruno would have realistically known more, I believe he might have had questions about the way the Jewish people were being treated. This would have made a much more powerful story. That's not to say there was no impact with the friendship Bruno and Schmuel do share. At its core, it's a story about two lonely young kids finding an unlikely best friend. There is a level of innocence here that can't be denied.
Another praise is the writing. It flowed fantastically. It's just too bad that it wasn't a little bit longer and more in-depth. There was a lot of potential for more even if it is geared toward a younger audience. I see why it's received so much praise since its publication, but it is good to keep some of the issues in mind when reading. This is not an accurate portrayal of the cruelties the Nazis were capable of despite the ultimate sadness of the book. Without previous knowledge of this time, it could leave an uninformed impression, particularly on younger readers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Antisemitism, and Genocide
Moderate: Confinement
ashybear02's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Torture, Slavery, Murder, Antisemitism, Physical abuse, Hate crime, Genocide, and Confinement
mylittlebooklibrary's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Racism, Hate crime, and Murder
Minor: Genocide
kmudzy07's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Murder, Confinement, Death, Genocide, and Racism
ccckmp's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Torture, Antisemitism, Confinement, Genocide, Hate crime, Physical abuse, and War
planetshelf's review against another edition
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
The book was honestly just stupid. It was historically unrealistic and poorly planned; it felt like the author just wrote without regard for the next event. Bruno mistook German words for English words even though he didn’t speak English(?), and he read as much younger and more stupid than he should’ve been. I am bitter about wasting my time on the book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery and Antisemitism
Minor: Death, Police brutality, Genocide, Child abuse, Confinement, and Racism