Recommended by Thomas O'Sullivan
Written in 2006, John Boyne’s The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a story about friendship, tragedy, and life during the Holocaust.
Having reached number one on the New York Times bestsellers list, as well as in the UK and Australia, this powerful book stands out in part because of its unusual perspective. It's told through the eyes of Bruno, the 9-year-old son of the horrible, murderous commander at Auschwitz concentration camp. Bruno is completely clueless and has no idea about the horrible things going on around him or why they are happening. This perspective allows the readers to feel a strong sense of foreboding, long before they know how big the terror surrounding Bruno’s world is. The readers will be amazed by the great differences between Bruno's normality and lack of experience, and the extreme horrors throughout the novel.
Some people reading this book will be able to quickly relate to Bruno, who is moved from his home and sent somewhere 'nasty and cold' where he has no friends; he is lonely, his sister bugs him, and adults treat him as if he's not there. He wants to do art and read books rather than history and geography. He wants to go outside and explore. At one point Bruno is even jealous of the life of the boy on the other side of the fence because at least he has other boys who he can play with.
Overall, this book is about the importance of friends and family, and whilst there are sad moments throughout the book, it is still very touching, and gives a sense as to how hard life was during that period in time. If you are looking for a touching, tragic book about life during the Holocaust, this is definitely the book for you.
No comments:
Post a Comment