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A review by maddyy_orourke
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Wow. This book is incredible.
I read this when I was 10, and I thought ‘oh, cool’, not knowing what happened in the end and not understanding the naïvety of Bruno and the situation he was in. A couple years later, I analysed the book for an English project in high school. And I discovered the amazing way that James Boyne has told the story.
A very strong aspect of the book is its symbolism. For example, Bruno misspelling words in the book (Führer = Fury / Auschwitz = Out-with), implies his dramatic naïvety in the concentration camps. This is just one example, there are many more.
I found this book quite entertaining, but very sad. Knowledge about concentration camps is needed to read this and understand what is happening properly. Definitely recommend.
I read this when I was 10, and I thought ‘oh, cool’, not knowing what happened in the end and not understanding the naïvety of Bruno and the situation he was in. A couple years later, I analysed the book for an English project in high school. And I discovered the amazing way that James Boyne has told the story.
A very strong aspect of the book is its symbolism. For example, Bruno misspelling words in the book (Führer = Fury / Auschwitz = Out-with), implies his dramatic naïvety in the concentration camps. This is just one example, there are many more.
I found this book quite entertaining, but very sad. Knowledge about concentration camps is needed to read this and understand what is happening properly. Definitely recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Antisemitism, Child death, Genocide, and Slavery
Minor: War