The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

John Boyne

Feb 2010 · Random House

About this ebook

Lines may divide us, but hope will unite us.

Nine year old Bruno knows nothing of the Final Solution and the Holocaust.

He’s oblivious to the appalling cruelties being inflicted on the people of Europe by his country.

All he knows is that he has moved from Berlin to a desolate area where he has no one to play with.

Until he meets Shmuel.

Shmuel lives in a strange parallel existence on the other side of the adjoining wire fence, where everyone wears a uniform of striped pyjamas.

Despite the wire fence separating them, the two boys become best friends.

As they grow closer, Bruno starts to learn the terrible truth that lies beyond the fence, and what life is like for his friend.

John Boyne’s classic novel explores the friendship and loss of innocence of Bruno and Shmuel, during one of the worst points in history.

Ratings and reviews

This book is awful. *****Spoiler Alert***** Firstly lets start with the plot holes: - Bruno is a boy who grew up in Germany during Hitlers reign and went to a public school (Which was required to have a picture of Hitler on the wall) and thus should have known when Hitler came to his house who he was. - Secondly Bruno pronounce Auschwitz as Out-With which is all cute until you put out with into translate and find he has been calling Auschwitz Raus Mit - Thirdly (Getting into the deep stuff now) Bruno cannot see any buildings at all when he gets to Shmuel meaning (Due to the curvature of the world) He is 5 kilometers away from them, Auschwitz was 4*8 kilometers meaning that he should be able to see the end of the fence from the house and especially from where Shmuel is and if he can't half of Auschwitz is being used for one child. - Fourthly, Bruno climbs through a small hole of an electric fence, a double layered electric fence, in the rain. He did not do that without A) Him being shocked B) Him being caught in between the layers. Now on to the authors writing style: John Boyne wrote this book in two days, and it shows. The book is terribly written. Sorry no room.

As a Book Critic, I've read lots of books, and I find most are just mindless copies of others. However, I've never found another book like this one. This book is touching and stays right ahead of your before delivering its killer punch. I recommend this to anyone and everyone. Warning: keep tissues nearby.

Excellent book for young kids to learn about the Holocaust for the 1st time as its such a taboo topic for parents to tlk about this book will def help. Most powerful and moving...this. Author has a unique way of telling a story that I have never ever seen before..it's beautiful-and I don't mean that he has written from a child's point of view...That's been done..but so much more than that. But it is so tame therefore and totally unrealistic and absurd for adults reading it.

About the author

John Boyne is the author of fifteen novels for adults, six for younger readers, and a collection of short stories. His 2006 novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas has sold more than 11 million copies worldwide and has been adapted for cinema, theatre, ballet, and opera. His many international bestsellers include The Heart's Invisible Furies and A Ladder to the Sky. He has won four Irish Book Awards, including Author of the Year in 2022, along with a host of other international literary prizes. His novels are published in sixty languages.


Twitter: @JohnBoyneBooks
Instagram: @JohnBoyneAuthor