Wednesday, February 1, 2012

The boy in the striped pyjamas

I was apprehensive to read this book because I had seen the film adaptation and knowing the ending of the story I thought this would spoil the read. However it did not take me long to get swept up on Bruno’s journey and as I neared the finally chapters I was willing for the ending to be different from the one I recalled.


I enjoyed reading this book very much; John Boyne’s portrayal of these two worlds and period in history is poignantly captured and told through the innocent and naïve eyes of Bruno. It was powerful to see ‘Out with’ through his eyes and till the final chapters for it to be kept at a distance. The book achieves its goal of sending out a moral message and did make me stop and think, this is one I look forward to revisiting again sometime.

Kristien Webb - Fielding Primary School

1 comment:

purplesnowflake said...

I was interested to read this book as I have visited Aushwitz which had a very powerful effect on me. I have since been very sensitive about the subject and I can't really bear any evocation as it makes me dreadfully sad. I am not Jewish but my grandmother was Polish and born in a German work camp in 1914 and was hidden until being freed at the age of 6. I know my son had seen the film in Year 6 but I hadn't watch the film or read the book. It is a well written book with the innocent point of view of a 9 year old and I really enjoyed the style. The ending was an unbearable poetic justice for the father. I am not sure at what age children should be exposed to this issue and how much they can learn from it but if it is possible to get them to learn a life-changing lesson from this story then I am hoping that all year 6 teachers use either the book or the film. I found the book much more powerful than the film personally but I understand that it is easier to show the book than having 30 children read a whole book.
Valerie Marsh, Sherington Primary School