The boy in the striped pyjamas by John Boyne.

Mandar's book review (24th March 2014)

Completed "The boy in the striped pyjamas" by John Boyne. This book has sold more than 5 million copies.

The story takes place in 1943. This book is the world of a nine year old boy called Bruno. Bruno lives in Berlin in a huge five storied house with his parents and an annoying elder sister.

One day Fury (Fuhrer or Hitler) comes to his house for dinner and his father is transferred to Outwith (Auschwitz - a Nazi concentration camp) as Commandant. He does not like the new place. He is intrigued by people wearing stripped pyjamas on the other side of fence near his house.

He meets a boy who lives on the other side of fence called Shmuel. They strike friendship, each remaining on his side of the fence, chatting with each other. He find out that Outwith is actually in Poland and not in Germany.

Can the friendship blossom? Would someone play spoilsport? Can they play together? Can they be on the same side of the fence?

Bruno doesn't understand why the waiter in their house was a doctor and is not a doctor any more? Why the soldiers treat the people from other side with contempt? Why he has to keep his friendship a secret? Why one of the lieutenant is transferred suddenly? Why Shmuel is always hungery?

There is no violence in the book but there is a strong undercurrent of something sinister. The atrocities on and deaths of Holocaust victims appear to be downplayed deliberately in order to keep the  focus on Bruno's world.

Small Bruno doesn't understand world politics. He does not understand that his father runs a concentration camp. He always thinks of him as a hero. He doesn't understand why mother and father talk in raised voices. Why grand mother is ashamed of his father, her son.

The book leaves a big pit in your stomach at the end.

It's a good book and is only 256 pages long. Recommend reading.