The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Written by John Boyne

Narrated by Michael Maloney

BONUS FEATURE: Conversation between the author and the editor, David Fickling.

Berlin 1942

When Bruno returns home from school one day, he discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the family must move from their home to a new house far far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do. A tall fence running alongside stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts him off from the strange people he can see in the distance.

But Bruno longs to be an explorer and decides that there must be more to this desolate new place than meets the eye. While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy whose life and circumstances are very different to his own, and their meeting results in a friendship that has devastating consequences.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
• Release date: Sep 26, 2006
• ISBN: 9780739337066

John Boyne

John Boyne (Dublín, 1971) se formó en el Trinity College y en la Universidad de East Anglia (Norwich). El niño con el pijama de rayas (Salamandra, 2007), su novela más famosa, obtuvo dos Irish Book Awards y fue finalista del British Book Award, se ha traducido a cincuenta y siete idiomas y ha vendido once millones de ejemplares en todo el mundo. En España, fue galardonada con el Premio de los Lectores 2007 de la revista Qué Leer y permaneció más de un año en las listasde libros más vendidos. Entre la amplia obra narrativa de Boyne, publicada por Salamandra, destacan también Motín en la Bounty, La casa del propósito especial, La apuesta, El ladrón de tiempo, En el corazón del bosque, El pacifista, El secreto de Gaudlin Hall, Las huellas del silencio, Las furias invisibles del corazón y Todas las piezas rotas.

Reviews for The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

[Marcoss08 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is extraordinary the way this book tells a tragedy of such magnitude from the eyes of a 9-year-old child, in such a simple yet profound and striking manner. (Translated from Spanish)

[andysol87 ? · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A simple story that will leave you with your heart in your hands. In fact, at one point, it made me exclaim a loud "No, no, no," and that doesn't always happen with a book. We have Bruno, the young son of a Nazi soldier, who, due to his father's activities, must move close to a concentration camp. We see how this young boy grows up in his new home and acquires all the necessary tools to pass the time and have fun. Until he meets Shmuel, a Jewish boy, and they form a beautiful friendship. The story focuses on Bruno's days in Auschwitz and his interactions with Shmuel until the conclusion. (Translated from Spanish)

[Elianadontri · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of the best books I have had the fortune to read. A very versatile and at the same time very sad story, considering Bruno's ending. Innocence is the main theme revealed. (Translated from Spanish)

[MH · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There are books that leave a mark, and this is one of them. It leaves a mark on us because it tells a historical moment that impacted the entire world.

Bruno, a 9-year-old boy, comes home one day to find many boxes with his things inside: they have to move because his father, a Nazi soldier, has to relocate.

Once they arrive there, Bruno is very bored because he doesn’t have his friends to play with. One day, through a window, he sees a mysterious farm where the people living there wear a rather strange pajama.

He decides to get closer, and at that moment, he meets Shmuel, a boy his age who is on the other side of the fence. Over time, they form a friendship, until one day, they decide that Bruno should go to the other side of the gate.

It is a story that tells of the beautiful friendship between two children from two different cultures living through one of the worst historical moments that humanity has had to endure. (Translated from Spanish)

[JesusJaredML · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another story from World War II but narrated from the innocent perception of a child who doesn't understand what is happening and tragically ends without really grasping the situation.

It's very sad to think that many children experienced that, not understanding the world or the adults and their nonsensical decisions at that time.

In the end, the book says that this story would no longer happen in this era, but honestly, I doubt it. Similar stories still exist with children who do not understand what is happening. (Translated from Spanish)

[Evelynavaloos · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's a book with short chapters, a good hook with the plot, and you're going to love it.
But...
There are no words to describe this book; it leaves you crushed and very sad. The protagonist shines so much that you don't expect it to end in such a dark way. (Translated from Spanish)

[Cazadoradelibros · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Bruno, an eight-year-old, is the spoiled son of a Nazi officer. When his father is promoted, the family is forced to leave their comfortable home in Berlin and move to a remote area where the lonely boy has nothing to do and no one to play with. Dying of boredom and driven by curiosity, Bruno ignores his mother's warning. He must not go beyond the garden under any circumstances. But he doesn’t listen and heads towards the 'farm' he has spotted in the distance. There he meets Shmuel, a boy his age who lives a strange and parallel existence on the other side of a fence. Bruno's encounter with the boy in the striped pajamas leads him to innocently delve into the adult world that surrounds them. He forges a friendship with Shmuel with terrible consequences. (Translated from Spanish)

[krb12 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's a book that I never thought I would be able to read since I knew a little about what it was about from having heard people talk about it. After a long time without being able to find a book that could immerse me in reading, I decided to read it, and I must say that I was surprised that a book so different from what I usually read was able to engage me so much that I didn't want to stop reading. It's all from the child's point of view. (Translated from Spanish)

[Lismonroy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A novel that challenges prejudices, offering a heartbreaking perspective on human cruelty, the innocence of two children from different worlds during the Holocaust, and a friendship that radiates light and humanity. A reading that will leave a mark on my heart. (Translated from Spanish)

[VanneDiazRosas · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Holocaust from a Child's Perspective. Adults always insist on hiding situations and reality from children, but they notice everything. And although they may not have the age to understand it, they will in the future. This book shows us the importance of telling children the truth and clearly explaining why they shouldn't do certain things. The "because I said so" approach is outdated, and in this case, it could have saved a life.
Narrated in the third person, with an omniscient narrator. Easy to read, perhaps too simple for some, yet the story itself is what captivates the reader's interest. (Translated from Spanish)

[Luna · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I don't even know where to start...

Despite being a short book, I found the narration to be very boring and slow. Many people portray it as the saddest book you will ever read in your life, but the truth is it's very far from that. I found it to be quite "meh"; I expected it to provide more emotion and information about the war. I understand that the narrative is mostly through Bruno, but I feel that it leaves many gaps in the plot. Personally, the saddest part for me was the interaction with Pavel. The rest is left very much adrift and leans more toward deductions than resolutions. This time, I prefer the tone of the movie. Additionally, Bruno frustrated me at times with his rambling and the little interest he showed in what Shmuel was saying, always wanting to be right. (Translated from Spanish)

[Lectorasinrumbo · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Berlin 1942. The war doesn't affect much of Bruno's life, a 9-year-old boy who lives in a residential neighborhood. But one day he comes home to find all his things packed: his father, a member of the military elite, has received a new assignment and is forced to move with the whole family to a semi-deserted and very depressing rural area. Bruno is bored and spends his days obsessed with a fence that rises in front of his bedroom window. It isn't until he meets Shmuel, the boy in the striped pajamas, who lives on the other side of the fence, that Bruno understands he's no longer in Germany but in Poland. He is also unaware of what is happening in Shmuel's life until it is too late to escape the horrors experienced on the other side of the fence. (Translated from Spanish)

[LucasLector · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Short novel, easy to read and entertaining, tells us how a boy suffers the adversities of World War II from his innocence, in his naive and childish world. Additionally, it shows us the wisdom of children, if that can be said; the protagonist has no problem befriending a Jewish boy, which makes us see that sometimes children do not worry about the stupidities that adults worry about so much, like race, social class, or nationality. (Translated from Spanish)

[Clauuborda19 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is heartbreaking and in many ways, I had many mixed feelings about it. And maybe some will say "oh no, it's not that big of a deal" "it didn’t affect me like that" but let me tell you that if after reading this book, you don’t feel at least a bit of... helplessness, clearly you didn’t immerse yourself in the story, you didn’t understand the story; because please, the topic it deals with is too... painful, as we already know. I didn't cry with it, but I did feel... a lot. (Translated from Spanish)

[mmvv · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I always avoided the movie; I was afraid of it because sometimes I feel that my emotions prefer to hold back at the possibility of being discovered… but a year ago, its novel appeared on my bookshelf, and I finally decided to read it. On a Sunday afternoon, the least convenient day, right? I read this small work of about 200 pages, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for with immense impact, because it’s one of those books that you reach the end of, and it leaves not only your heart adrift but also an indescribable void in your stomach. Could it be that it’s the first time I’m confronted with the brutality of the Holocaust, mixed with children in this way, that made this being, so tough, break inside? Yes, then I saw the movie, and beyond impeccable performances, the book hurts a thousand times more. (Translated from Spanish)

[conejo92 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent book, hard. Although I don't know if the story is real, the truth is that the child's father deserves that and more. It's worth it. (Translated from Spanish)

[Aitaxlher22 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A precious book, easy to read and with a devastating ending. Reading it makes you more aware of the atrocities that took place during that time, but everything is told from a childlike and innocent perspective. (Translated from Spanish)

[Deleted account · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book brought more than one tear to my eyes throughout the reading. After finishing it, there are many questions and reflections that linger in my mind, such as: how has humanity had to endure such barbarities throughout its history? It is a very good book, recommended for everyone because we must learn from history to avoid repeating the same mistakes. What I liked most was the friendship that Bruno and Shmuel forged, which showed me that when you are a child, you have no prejudices or anything; all you see is another human being who feels and suffers just like you do. (Translated from Spanish)

[unalectoraannima · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The first time I read this book, I was about 10 years old. The thing is, I didn’t understand the ending. After rereading it about three times, I finally understood, and it made me sad; the first time I realized how it ended, I cried and everything. It was also one of the first books about World War II that I read, and since then, I have read many more on that topic, but for me, it will always be a very special book. I recommend it, this one and many others. (Translated from Spanish)

[gemasb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A novel told from the perspective of the protagonist, a boy named Bruno. The son of a Nazi and a Jewish boy become friends; everything between them is easy, it's simple. We are the adults who insist on making everything complicated, on carrying out the most horrible acts. We should learn from those children for whom nothing matters except their friendship. It is a tender and painfully equal novel. (Translated from Spanish)

[Valen1904 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book and all the books from that era are very beautiful, but very raw at the same time; I prefer the book to the movie itself. (Translated from Spanish)

[Gisel · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Review

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
John Boyne
4.5/5 stars

A very beautiful book but very cruel at the same time. I love the way it is written because it reflects Bruno's essence of tenderness, but the background is brutal. I definitely choose the book. (Translated from Spanish)

[1gabrielpaz · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I think I expected more from this book.
The reading is fluid and can be read in one go.
I understand it was written as a balm to raise awareness of the harshness of the Schutzstaffel in Auschwitz.
The innocence of the children is very well portrayed, but to my taste, the book fell short.
Personally, it was just another book among many. (Translated from Spanish)

[MoScathan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I saw it coming and yet I cried like a baby. (Translated from Spanish)

[Jacque1966 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A book that stays in your memory for a lifetime, even if only read once. For me, too painful... that's what happened to me with Schindler's List... but I recommend it a hundred percent.? (Translated from Spanish)

[Anikattel · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read it years ago, it's a short but very interesting and intense book. Ideal for getting to know a bit about the history of the war. (Translated from Spanish)

[amorviolento · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked it a lot, the ending hurt me a bit but not as much as I was told. But I had it more idealized. (Translated from Spanish)

[VickyFontana · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Simple, easy to read, and super moving. I love novels told from the perspective of children. (Translated from Spanish)

[MotherOfCats · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

For those of us who enjoy books with stories related to the Nazis, I think this is a light, short book that doesn't leave you indifferent. (Translated from Spanish)

[Ariane09 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love this book, I had it on my bookshelf for a long time but never decided to start it since I had others that caught my attention more. I adore how it's written, from such an innocent perspective as that of a child. It's extremely easy to read and finishes very quickly. (Translated from Spanish)