- 7 Stars
- Ages 10+
- Pages: 218
The story begins with Bruno discovering the first tragedy of his life. His father's job, which is very important, causes Bruno and his entire family to move to a place far away from everything they know and love. For a while Bruno is miserable, but he finally decides to explore the farm with all the people in striped pajamas that he saw from his bedroom window. There he came upon a fence, and behind that fence was the dot that became a speck that became a blob that became a figure that became a boy, a boy in striped pajams, whose name was Shmuel. A Jew. And so began one of the most compelling, forbidden, and endearing friendships in history. It was a friendship across a fence, and fences like these exist all over the world, Boyne tells us.
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| "Fences like these exist all over the world." - John Boyne |
John Boyne is one of my new favourite authors! I mean, how much more brilliant can it get than to tell about an evil time through such and innocent little boy. He has a way of saying profound things in a simple way, and simple things in a profound way. Yet, his style flows so flawlessly, and is easy to follow! I think part of the time I kept reading because his writing form captured me! He inspires me!
I cannot continue without a brief mention of a brief part of the story that is not at all a brief subject. Forgiveness. Shmuel's forgiveness. Bruno did something that hurt Shmuel more than I think the author told us, and more than Shmuel ever let on.
Yet, after Bruno asked forgiveness Shmuel forgave him, and their friendship went on like nothing ever happen. That seems strange to us, doesn't it? But isn't that how it should be? Later, it seems that though Bruno carried the pain of what he had done for a while, Shmuel had forgotten that it had ever happened. Thinking about that I thought up a new theory for how to forgive and forget. How about forgive and forget... forget even before the person who wronged you forgets!
I can't finish this review without stating that I was seriously disappointed with the end of the story. I'll try not to give away too much, because the end is -
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| Bruno and Shmuel |
***
Negative Elements: (none being best, 5 worst)
Violence - none
Profanity - 0.5
- It is clear that a character calls a Jew a derogatory name, but, Bruno doesn't understand the term so we never actually read it. We just know something inappropriate is said, but not exactly what that is.
- Though rather vague references it appears that Bruno's mother and Lieutenant Kolter have a long and, very "friendly" relationship, far too friendly for two unmarried people. The fact that the Lieutenant is only a teen, and Bruno's mother likely well into her thirties, only makes their "friendship" more uncomfortable. I fail to see why the author thought such content necessary.
