The Boy In Striped Pyjamas

The Boy in Striped Pyjamas is a short book by John Boyne.  The story centres on a boy called Bruno and what happens to him when his father takes on a new job.  The book is set in Germany at the time of the Second World War.

The publishers say this about the book:

“If you read this book, you will go on a journey with a nine year old boy called Bruno. (Though this isn’t a book for nine-year-olds.)   Sooner or later you will arrive with Bruno at a fence.  Fences like this exist all over the world.   We hope you never have to cross such a fence.”

Year 9 students were asked to read the book and make comments about what they read.  An additional challenge was to imagine what happened to Bruno and to write a letter to his father about his thoughts after he crossed that fence.

Congratulations to Rose Fowkes and Matthew Wallis for writing two excellent book reviews. Rose also submitted a poignant letter from Bruno.  These are shown below:

  BOOK REVIEWS

By Matthew Wallis 9DJL

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne is about Bruno, a nine year old boy who lives in Germany during the second World War.  He lives in Berlin with his mother, father and sister Gretel in a large five storey house with servants.

After a very important visitor called ‘The Fury’ comes for dinner his father tells them he has a new job and the whole family are moving to a place called ‘out with’.

Bruno immediately dislikes his new home and misses his school friends.  The house is often full of soldiers particularly one called Lieutenant Kotler who calls Bruno ‘Little Man’ which he objects to.

Bruno is intrigued by the view from his bedroom window as he watches the people all wearing the same striped pyjamas.

One day, he decided to investigate further and he meets a boy called Shmuel who becomes his only friend.

The story describes the unlikely relationship between a Jewish boy and a Nazi boy in their different lives.

Even though the book was about a very serious and upsetting subject I still found it very gripping and difficult to put down.

It was also very moving and makes you realise what terrible and sad things happened in the Holocaust.

BOOK REVIEW

By Rose Fowkes  9AJ

I found ‘The boy in striped pyjamas’ very hard to read.  I enjoyed it though, and I found it very touching towards the end.  I was up till 11.00pm reading the end as I couldn’t put it down.

I would recommend this book to anyone my age as I think it’s for older readers.  At first I had no idea ‘Out with’ was actually the concentration camp, Auchswitz.

It took me two attempts to read to the end but now, I know how good it is I could read it over and over.

During the book, I think it told the story well and it was very poignant.

On the other hand, I thought it was slow and boring at the start and it took too long to get flowing and get very interesting.  I liked the way the story was shown through Bruno’s eyes and I felt very much empathy for him.  I also thought his father was awful, not telling Bruno that he lived next to a torture camp.

In conclusion to this, the book was good overall and would hope that nothing like that will ever happen again.  As I am sure it was heart-breaking for poor Bruno’s family and I hope his father felt guilty for lying.  I also hope many people will read the book and I think it should definitely be a film.

My Letter to Bruno’s Father

By Rose Fowkes 9AJ

Dear Father

How could you let this happen.  My friend, Shmuel was killed.  You stood by and let it happen.  How could you, Daddy?  Lots of innocent men and women, even children died.  Some were my age, Daddy!  Would you do that to me?  I hope you wouldn’t, Daddy.  I’m only nine and I have my whole life ahead of me, and how do you expect me to live a happy life after what I saw? 

There were dead people, Daddy.  Lots and lots, and big fires with black, putrid smoke.  I was frightened when Shmuel went in the building.  I thought he would come out but he never did.  The Fury killed him.  Why did we come to ‘out with’, Daddy?  I told you I hated it here.  I knew it was bad here.  I knew it was bad when I couldn’t explore. 

That man with the moustache is bad; and so are you!  You’ve let me down.  You’ve let Shmuel down, but most of all you’ve let your country down. 

I’m gone now, Daddy.  I bet you don’t care.  Bye, Daddy.

From, your son

Bruno