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  by katie

• Current

Type: children's

Status: I recommend

Author: John Boyne

Tags: children wwii holocaust poland dysfunctional_families

Description: A third-person narrative about Bruno, a very naive 9-year-old German boy during WWII, whoseA third-person narrative about Bruno, a very naive 9-year-old German boy during WWII, whose father gets a promotion from the Fury and the whole family is forced to move from Berlin to Out-With. Bruno is terribly lonely and he does occasionally wonder who the people are dressed in striped pyjamas beyond the trees. As he wants to be an explorer when he grows up, Bruno goes off exploring along the fence by his house. Finally he sees a boy in striped pyjamas on the other side of the fence and the two start talking -- and Bruno and Schumuel become friends. Amazingly, Bruno's naivete and ignorance (Schumuel has to tell him they are currently standing in Poland, and Bruno still doesn't know where Poland is) remains quite solid. Even when Schumuel tries to explain the story of his life, Bruno steadfastly refuses to understand, much as he likes having a secret friend. He's not a very good friend back to Schumuel, often forgetting to bring him food or eating it on the way -- and once, memorably, denying Schumuel is his friend, because of fear of authority, when Schumuel appears in his house as a worker. Schumuel forgives him, of course.

This story requires a huge stretch of imagination that Bruno could seriously meet Schumuel almost every day for a year and not have more understanding or empathy for his friend. There is no mention of snow -- surely if Bruno came in a warm overcoat and Schumuel was in the thin striped pyjamas, Bruno would have to question why and how Schumuel didn't have warmer clothes -- and why wouldn't he try to give him some? How could he not see the starvation in Schumuel's face? How could Bruno not have any idea why the fence is there? When he finally asks his older sister and she explains they're Jews, he innocently asks if they are also Jews.

After a year, Bruno's mother gets permission to return to Berlin with the children (due to her having had an affair with a junior officer) and this occurs just after Bruno has his head shaved because of lice. When he goes to say goodbye to Schumuel for the last time, Schumuel has brought a spare pair of pyjamas as the plan was for Bruno to crawl under the fence so he can help Schumuel look for his father, who is missing -- as a final adventure. (The adventure of seeing Schumuel's life is far more important to Bruno than finding Schumuel's father.) Of course, while on the other side of the fence, being explorers, a whistle is blown and the two boys are herded into a dark room where they hold hands. Bruno is never seen again and his parents wonder what happened to him. A fable -- about something that could never happen again, says the author in the end.

Too unbelievable. Much preferred Gleitzman's first-person version of naivete......

2006-09-23