The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a historical fiction novel by John Boyne, told through the limited understanding of Bruno, a nine-year-old boy whose family is moved from Berlin to a remote place beside a fenced camp. Lonely and confused by the adult world around him, Bruno meets Shmuel, a boy who lives on the other side of the wire and wears the striped pyjamas that give the book its title. Their friendship develops across a boundary Bruno does not fully understand, while the reader gradually recognizes the Holocaust setting and the moral blindness surrounding him. The novel focuses on innocence, ignorance, obedience and the danger of looking away, leaving the reader to confront the gap between a child’s perception and the reality unfolding beyond the fence.
Author: John Boyne
Publisher: Definitions
Year published: 2008
Number of pages: 224