Review: The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne

“A home is not a building or a street or a city or something so artificial as bricks and mortar. A home is where one’s family is, isn’t that right?” “Yes, but—“
“And our family is here, Bruno. At Out-With ergo, this must be our home.” This part is very true, I have lived in a number of places in the States and I find that all the places that I have live was with my parents and my brother.

This is an excerpt from The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas between Bruno and his father after they moved from their house in Berlin on very short notice leaving their life style, home, family, and friends behind not knowing why.

Bruno was a normal nine year old boy living in Berlin, Germany during World War Two. He was perfectly happy with his friends until his parents decide to move out of the city to the country. One day Bruno looked out of his bedroom window and sees all of these fathers, sons, uncles, and grandfathers in an area that was fenced in with wire turned in at the top as if some of the people where afraid that someone might escape. There was no grass, trees, or flowers, all of the people wearing the same outfit, striped pyjamas. The people were so dirty it looks like they have never had or seen a bath. The houses where one floor and they looked really small and possibly cramped as though it was the new modern buildings. When I first read this section I knew immediately that it was a concentration camp. At first Bruno and his sister Gretel thought that it was a farming community but later realized that there were no gardens or farm animals around the area. When Bruno asked his father about these people he said: “Ah, those people, those people… well, they’re not people at all, Bruno… Well, at least not as we understand the term.” His dad dismissed him by standing at attention saying “Heil Hitler”. Once I read this part about Heil Hitler I immediately knew that Bruno's father was a Nazi.

Living at their new house Out-With wasn’t very fun, Bruno and his sister where still unhappy. Driven from boredom Bruno decides to explore the grounds around his house, but the warning that his parents gave him about going near the fenced in area larked in the back of his head, that area is out of bounds with no exceptions. Bruno walked toward the fence and two hours later he saw a blob then it turned into a figure and then it turned into a person. The person’s name is Shmuel. He is wearing the striped pyjamas, has on a matching striped cap, and is barefoot. As they got talking Bruno found out that Shmuel has the same birthday he has, April 15, 1934. When I read this part my first reaction was they must be twins but then again it was just a coincidence, but then again who knows.

As Bruno kept going to visit Shmuel their friendship grew, and slowly Shmuel opened up and told him his story. They found out that their families had different symbols, Shmuel and his family's symbol was the Star of David and Bruno’s father had the Swastica. They had no idea what the symbols where for, or how different they are, but they still became friends.

Now it’s been almost a year since Bruno and his family left Berlin. Bruno’s memories where starting to fade with every day he spent at Out-With just as mine do with every time I spend away from the States. Bruno’s mother decided that Out-With was no place to raise children and she decided that it was time to go back to Berlin. Just like my parents felt about living in LA. Bruno does not want to say good-bye to Shmuel and he will miss but Bruno must go home with his mother and sister. As the time to leave grows near, Bruno and Shmuel wonder what to do. There is a very surprising ending only you can find out if you read the book. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.

When I read the book I found it very enjoyable and good. The ending was both interesting and surprising but I did learn that things like that probably did happen during World War Two. If you like history and World War Two then you would probably like the book.

*This book is also a movie*