BOOK REVIEW: The Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas by John Boyne

The Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas by John Boyne

A story that dates back to Hitler ruled Germany. A story of a boy, Bruno who is son of a Commandant in Hitler's army. Bruno and his family leaves a comfort life in Berlin as a result of his father's job. He has been asked to take charge of a place Out-With (as spelt by Bruno)which is actually Auschwitz. Auschwitz was the largest Nazi concentration camp built during the WW II. These camps were set to imprison and exterminate people across Europe in the name of cultural cleansing.

Now this boy Bruno always watches the people on the other side of the fence, the prisoners but poor soul did not understand that they were prisoners and they were there because of his father's instructions. He wondered if people from the other side too had families and they stayed in huts happily on the other side. Life in Out-With becomes very boring for Bruno as he misses everything he has left back in Berlin. And he now tries to adapt to the new life and accept the fact that he might not return to Berlin. So everyday he starts exploration in and around the house. He walks along the fence everyday and one day he finds a boy Shmuel, same age as him but weak and sad, imprisoned along with his family. They talk to each other and find out that both share their birth date. A year passes in the same routine, both the boys sharing their past lives and hoping to return to their home. For me this care and affection they have for each other is essence of this book. After a year Brunos father, the commandant realises that his wife, daughter and Bruno aren't very happy in this place and decides to send them back to Berlin. Bruno is happy for the return but sad for he'll miss his friend. The boys decide to meet one last time. But the day they decide this Shmuel seems very unhappy as he is unable to find his father anywhere in the camp. Bruno wants to help him one last time to find his father and he can do this only by crossing over and going to the other side of the fence. He wears a striped pyjamas uniform trying to resemble as a prisoner. Suddenly then the workers order MARCH. The boys are unable to understand the command. By this time they are pushed into a dark room, Bruno thinking it as a shelter to protect against heavy rains. They hold each others hand and promise to be best friends for life. Little did the innocent souls know, where they were pushed into. After that Brunos family tries searching him for years in hope that he would return one day!