The Boy in the Striped Pajamas Review

Summary from theage.com.au:

"Bruno is a nine-year-old boy growing up in Berlin during World War II. He lives in a five-storey house with servants, his mother and father and 12-year-old sister, Gretel. His father wears a fancy uniform and they have just been visited by a very important personage called the Fury, a pun which adult readers should have no trouble deciphering. As a consequence of this visit, Bruno's father gets a new uniform, his title changes to Commandment and, to Bruno's chagrin, they find themselves moving to a new home at a place called Out-With.

"When Bruno gets there he is immediately homesick. He has left his school, his three best friends, his house, his grandparents and the bustling street life of urban Berlin with its cafes, fruit and veg stalls, and Saturday jostle. His new home is smaller, full of soldiers and there is no one to play with. From his bedroom window, however, he notices a town of people dressed in striped pajamas separated from him by a wire fence. When he asks his father who those people are, he responds that they aren't really people.

"Bruno is forbidden to explore but boredom, isolation, and sheer curiosity become too much for him. One day, he follows the wire fence cordoning off the area where these people live from his house. He spots a dot in the distance on the other side of the fence and as he gets closer, he sees it's a boy. Excited by the prospect of a friend, Bruno introduces himself. The Jewish boy's name is Shmuel. Almost every day, they meet at the same spot and talk. Eventually, for a variety of reasons, Bruno decides to climb under the fence and explore Shmuel's world."

This book's best part was the use of point of view. Surprisingly, the story isn't in the view of the Bruno, the main character, but instead it is told in third person. Despite this, many of Bruno's thoughts are said in this story. Because of this, Bruno's innocence is revealed. For example, when Bruno says "Heil Hitler!" to his father, he thinks that it really means "It was nice talking to you and have a pleasant afternoon." Because of this, you can see how although Bruno and Schmuel are separated, Bruno tried to be friends with Schmuel. Also, you get to watch Bruno become mature when he notices that moving from his old house to his new home isn't such a terrible thing at all. He relates to Schmuel in the end after maturing.

Despite the disgusting topic of this book, it is very light and easy to read. I read it in about 3 hours, and I'm a slow reader. I wish that it was longer in fact. I could not put this book down.

4.5 out of 5