It is 1942 in Berlin. Bruno is an innocent and naive young boy who has had an ideal childhood. His father, a high-ranking Nazi officer, suddenly moves the family to a place Bruno calls "Out-With" in Poland, and Bruno has to leave all his friends behind. Bruno doesn't really know what his father does for a living, but he knows that it's important. Bored in their new home, he decides to embark on an adventure in the woods, even though he knows he could get into trouble for doing so. Bruno wants to explore the world around his house. He is also curious about the people on the other side of the high wire fence near his home. Bruno doesn't know who these people are or why they all dress in what he thinks are striped pajamas. He befriends a young boy, Shmuel, who lives on the other side of the fence. Although they have very different life situations, they get along well.
This is a simply written story told from a boy's perspective. It was a quick read for me. The book doesn't go into a lot of historical detail about the Holocaust, but that is not the focus of the book. The focus is on the friendship between the boys. Bruno doesn't completely understand what's going on all around him, and I think his innocence makes the story that much more powerful.
Check status at GPL (movie version also available on DVD).
No comments:
Post a Comment