It is flawed. It is manipulative. It is also one of the most effective empathy machines ever written.
There are some books that you read. And then there are books that happen to you. John Boyne’s The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas definitely falls into the latter category.
Their dialogue is heartbreakingly simple: “We’re not supposed to be friends, are we?” asked Shmuel. “Why not?” asked Bruno. “Because we’re supposed to be enemies.” The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
The "heavy rain" that falls for days after. The father realizing the fence has been lifted. The screaming.
The book is historically inaccurate. The death camps weren't places where a nine-year-old German could sit and chat with a prisoner for a year. Bruno’s naivety is unrealistic (most German children knew the fences were dangerous). And the idea that a Commandant’s son could get into the gas chamber is a fictional plot device that misrepresents how the camps were organized. It is flawed
If you want to learn the facts of WWII, read Night by Elie Wiesel. Read Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl.
This is the controversial part. Since its publication, historians and educators have debated whether The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas does more harm than good. There are some books that you read
This narrative trick is genius and brutal. As an adult reader, you are constantly screaming inside your head. Bruno, no! Look at the smoke from the chimney! Look at the soldier’s boots! Run away! But Bruno doesn't hear you. He is too busy being bored and looking for adventure.