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    The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (NHB Modern Plays)
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    The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (NHB Modern Plays)
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    The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (NHB Modern Plays)
    Ebook121 pages1 hour

    The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (NHB Modern Plays)

    By John Boyne

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Bruno has a friend called Shmuel. Like Bruno, Shmuel is nine years old. Their birthdays are on the same day. But Shmuel lives on the other side of a fence, and he's always wearing striped pyjamas...

    Based on the best-selling novel by John Boyne, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a heart-wrenching tale of an unlikely friendship between two innocent boys. Angus Jackson's deeply affecting adaptation was produced by The Children's Touring Partnership and Chichester Festival Theatre on a UK tour in 2015.

    'Heart-breaking... A marvelous piece of theatre' - The Public Reviews

    'Parents and teachers looking for a good way of introducing children to the horrors of the holocaust will find what they need in this adaptation of John Boyne's multimillion-selling novel' - The Times

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherNick Hern Books
    Release dateJun 20, 2015
    ISBN9781780016375
    Unavailable
    The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (NHB Modern Plays)
    Author

    John Boyne

    John Boyne is the author of Crippen, The Thief of Time, Next of Kin, and the New York Times and internationally bestselling The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Boyne won two Irish Book Awards (the People’s Choice and the Children’s) for The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, which was made into a Miramax feature film, and his novels have been translated into more than thirty languages. Ireland's Sunday Business Post named him one of the forty people under forty in Ireland "likely to be the movers and shakers who will define the country's culture, politics, style and economics in 2005 and beyond." Crippen was nominated for the Sunday Independent Hughes & Hughes Irish Novel of the Year Award. He lives with his partner in Dublin.

    Read more from John Boyne

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    Reviews for The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (NHB Modern Plays)

    4/5

    3,756 ratings337 reviews

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    • 4/5
      In the early 40's, Bruno is a naive nine-year-old boy that lives in Berlin. One day he comes home from school to find the maid packing his things. He discovers that his father has received a promotion and the family needs to move far away. Bruno hates his new home and longs for friends. One day he goes exploring and finds a boy . . . a boy in striped pajamas.I've never read a book on the subject of the Holocaust from this perspective. It was very interesting and well done. Actually, all the characters gave good insight into their individual worlds that helped paint the picture of the time frame. While I was listening, I did feel that Bruno was extremely naive, but after listening to the author's explanation in an interview, I fully understand now. It was a quick read, not light or easy, but one worth reading.Boyne also said in an interview with his publisher that he wrote this novel as a book - not as an adult or children's book, just a book. He believes that classifications are more for where to place a book in a store or library; however, it was published as an adult book. (4/5)Originally posted on: "Thoughts of Joy..."
    • 5/5
      “The people I see from my window. In the huts, in the distance. They're all dressed the same.' 'Ah, those people,' said Father, nodding his head and smiling slightly. 'Those people...well, they're not people at all, Bruno.' Bruno frowned. 'They're not?' he asked.”“You’re my best friend, Shmuel,’ he said. ‘My best friend for life.”  It has taken me forever to get to this book, although I did see the film several years ago. It was well worth the wait. There are scores of reviews on this one and I am sure most people know the premise, so I won't go in depth. The story takes place in a concentration camp, in 1942 and focuses on the son of the commandant, who is nine years old and he befriends a prisoner, a Jewish boy his own age. Yes, this may stretch the reader's credibility, but it is wonderfully written and truly heart-breaking. If, like me, you have put off reading this one, give it a try. It is a quick read and packs quite a punch. The audiobook is excellent too.
    • 3/5
      I've read some of the reviews, and find them very interesting. Yes, the characters are written as much younger than they are supposed to be. Yes, much of the details are incorrect, or unbelievable. No, a child would not be wandering around outside a concentration camp. I highly doubt that they would live butted up against the concentration camp "courtyard". The forced mis-hearing of certain words is unrealistic. But the message of the book, itself, was moving. I won't spoil, but I didn't expect the end up until the last few pages.
    • 3/5
      I initially was going to give this 4 stars since I enjoyed the reading, evening though the subject is obviously dark...but the more I thought about it, the more i had problems in part because it didn't even come close to showing how horrible the subject was. The first problem was a minor nag at first, but it grew to something that was grating on me. Boyne uses some word play to put the main character's naivete out on display, but it's incredibly lazy word play that jumped out at me from the start. Bruno, the young boy (I believe 8 at the start of the story) refers to the Fuhrer as "The Fury" and Auschwitz as "Out-With" respectively. There's even acknowledgement that he's mispronouncing both these words. But he's German...he wouldn't have been pronouncing these words in English (and in fact, it's acknowledged he doesn't speak English). The German words for "Fury" and "Out With" sound nothing like the words they were supposed to be. It's lazy and gimmicky. The second problem and definitely the bigger, the focus of the story was on Bruno. Readers I take it are to feel bad for him... but that takes away from the tragedy of his Jewish friend. The third problem was the limited scope of the tragedy. It's largely contained within the story of Bruno and to a lesser extent his friend Schmuel with a couple of small side characters we're made to feel bad about. With Holocaust deniers on the rise and those who lived through the horrors nearly gone, having stories that "introduce" a new generation to one of the most horrific events of modern times in such a limited scope is problematic to me. I don't think Boyne, an Irish writer, had any real commitment to getting across the horrors of the Holocaust, he just used it as an established foundation for a fictional tale. It leads me to feel he was taking a tragedy and manipulating readers for profit.
    • 4/5
      My goodness, what a heart-wrenching book this turned out to be. I was so shocked by the ending!
    • 5/5
      This was a re-read for me. I read this book many years ago, but revisited it. It appears to be an innocent story to a degree. Innocent in the sense that Bruno, a 9 year old boy, is very naive and does not understand what is going on in Germany during the Second World War. He is concerned with having friends and a nice house, he does not know what the "Fury" is planning for "Out-With". His father is the Commandant and is a very important man. The people behind the fence all wear the same striped pajamas and there are a lot of them. He makes friends with Schmuel, also a 9 year old boy and they spend hours every day talking to each other through the fence. Even though Schmuel tells him terrible things that have happened to him over the past while, he still does not seem to understand what is going on. It is really too bad that he does not know, as the future actions of his life depended on that knowledge. A sad story that was made into a move.
    • 5/5
      This was a very different book, and was incredibly well written from my viewpoint having been written from the perspective of a 9 year old boy witnessing the Second World War and the Final Solution. The innocence does come through the book quite strongly, sometimes it is what is not written as much as what is. What wasn't said screamed at you loudly! Throughout the book it was quite moving and if a book is meant to have an emotional impact this book achieved this! Enjoy the book is a strange term in this context but I am very glad that I read it.
    • 5/5
      Utterly heartbreaking. I cried.
    • 4/5
      Sooo sad but so much meaning behind the words.
    • 5/5
      Audiobook read by Michael Maloney) - This is one book that is going to stay with me for quite awhile. It's not very long, but it packs an emotional wallop. At the center of the story is Bruno, a nine year old boy adjusting to his family relocating for his father's new job. Many critics and blurbs for this book think that to mention anything more specific spoils what is supposed to be a slow reveal of where Bruno is living, but honestly, if you don't guess the location and what his father's job is when the boy first mispronounces the name, you're just not paying attention. Michael Maloney's reading of the story put me off at first, sounding as if this were a child's story rather than a story from a child's point of view, but once the implications of what Bruno and his family are a part of, that voice is all that keeps you hoping for a happy ending.
    • 1/5
      Painfully bad
    • 4/5
      good book, so sad.
    • 1/5
      Worst ever!
    • 4/5
      Bruno is a 9 year old boy living in Berlin with his family during WWII. He comes home, only to find that his entire family is packing up their stuff. They are moving to a new place that he calls "Out-With". His father is ordered there by "The Fury". He looks out of his bedroom window and sees a big fence and many men and boys on the other side of the fence wearing the same striped pajamas. He doesn't really comprehend where he is or who those people are. He goes out exploring and befriends a boy who is sitting on the other side. Throughout their relationship, he wonders why he can never go visit his only friend. The story comes to an inevitable conclusion. A sad tragic, but powerful tale of the Holocaust from a naive and innocent perspective. Worthwhile, but easy read, as it is aimed at a younger audience.7/10
    • 5/5
      Bruno is a nine-year-old German boy who lived in Germany until his father was reassigned to “Out-With” by the “Fury.” Bruno is bored there and does not like his new home so he begins exploring his new surroundings. He is confused about the people on the other side of the fence near his house because they wear striped pajamas and seem sad. He becomes friends with a boy on the other side of the fence and they meet daily to talk about their lives until something tragic happens.
    • 5/5
      Bruno is a nine-year-old boy who lives with his parents and sister in Berlin during World War II. Bruno doesn't understand why the servants must now call his father "Commandant" and why his family must move away from their friends and home in Berlin after "The Fury" has visited their home. In his new home at "Out-With," Bruno has no friends to play with, and when he looks out the window of his bedroom, there is a wire fence as far as he can see. On the other side of the fence, everyone seems to wear striped pajamas. One day, a lonely and bored Bruno explores the perimeter of the fence and meets his new best friend, Shmuel, who lives on the other side.I bought this book several years ago, thinking one of my sons would read it, but they seemed to have no interest. Several weeks ago, my younger son came home from school and told me that he was reading a really good book that his teacher told him about - The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. I thought that I should probably read it so that we could discuss it. The book is very simplistically written as for a late elementary or early middle-grader, but I'm not sure that someone at that age would understand some of the nuances of the story. The book has a dark twist at the end which one who is not familiar with what happened in the Nazi concentration camps might miss. I did notice on Amazon that the book was for Grade 9 and up. I think adults will probably grasp the point the author was trying to make with this "fable" more than the children for whom it was written. Of course, as a nine-year-old boy, Bruno is very naive and innocent. I do wonder whether the son of a Nazi concentration camp commandant would be ignorant about who the Jews were; I tend to think that someone who is obviously that high in the Nazi party would have been very vituperative towards the Jews and would have made sure that his children were given that message. Bruno seems more like a four or five-year-old from that standpoint than a nine-year-old.The other thing that bothered me a little is that Bruno calls Auschwitz "Out-With." As someone who speaks a little German, "Out-With" would translate back into German as "aus mit" which would not be mistaken for Auschwitz. I do not see how a German hearing Auschwitz could think aus mit. This is a minor point, but one that bugs me, nonetheless.I was expecting the book to be a sad one but instead found the ending very haunting. I'm very glad that I read it and I certainly understood the point the author was making. I cannot say that I "enjoyed" reading it, but it was an exceptional and powerful book, and I think the ending will stay with me always.
    • 5/5
      This an amazing book. It blew my mind.

      "The story of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is very difficult to describe. Usually we give some clues about the book on the jacket, but in this case we think that would spoil the reading of the book. We think it is important that you start to read without knowing what it is about.
      If you do start to read this book, you will go on a journey with a nine year old boy called Bruno. (Though this isn't a book for nine year olds.) And sooner or later you will arrive with Bruno at a fence.
      Fences like these exist all over the world. We hope you never have to encounter such a fence."
      (From the book jacket...)


      This is the second time I read this book and I have to say that it gives me chills every time. The book is told almost entirely from Bruno's point of view. Everything is viewed through the eyes of a naive, sheltered 9 year old boy. And that is one of the things that makes this novel so moving. Without giving things away, it is hard to explain why this book is so powerful. Let me just say, read it. It probably won't take more than a day or two and it is definitely worth your time.

      Recommended to:
      This is not a book for kids below high school level. Maybe middle school if you read it with them. Maybe. Not only is the material difficult, but it also might be sort of over their heads.
      If you like historical fiction, and frankly even if you don't, read this book. I'm not promising you will love it, but I can't imagine you won't be touched by it in some way.
    • 5/5
      The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is an amazing book. It's about the Holocaust, but really, it isn't. It's about two lonely little boys who form an innocent friendship in the midst of so much terror.

      I love this book because of the way the story is told. Everything is so innocent and naive. The friendship and the actions of the characters is really just inspiring.

      I think sometimes we need the naïveté and innocence of a child’s voice to bring us back to what is truly important. I have a feeling that I’ll end up rereading this book on multiple occasions, even if it did turn me into a wreck for a little bit.
    • 5/5
      Mini Book Review: I truly struggle writing reviews about books that are sheer perfection like this one. I am afraid I don`t have the appropriate words to convey that this book I believe is one that every person should read. Every time I mentioned to people that I was going to read this they gave me the warning that it doesn`t end well but that I had to read it. They were right - it doesn`t end well but don`t let that stop you. Such a wonderful story with beautiful moments of humour intertwined with brutal violence written in such a sensitive way. I read a chapter of this to my son every night before bedtime and it led to some hard conversations but ones that I felt were important. Bruno, although extremely naive, is a beautiful, honest and realistic character. The relationship and conversations between Bruno and Shmuel are heartbreaking yet honest. Also Boyne should be commended for writing such a poignant story that will rip your heart in two but at the same time give you hope. I recommend this as a book a parent, teacher, or librarian should read aloud to a child and discuss. (BTW - before the last two chapters of the book have a stiff drink so you don`t bawl your eyes out while reading to your child -- trust me!) This was a wonderful bonding experience for me and Jake -- but shhh don`t tell Jake that.5 Dewey`s I purchased this to read to my 11 yr old after a disturbing incident at his old school Ontario. Short explanation - son told me a `joke`` he heard at school about the Holocaust. Friends suggested this would be a perfect and age appropriate story to read to him and discuss
    • 5/5
      A very good book for people who like sad starts then it ends happy.
    • 4/5
      What happens when innocence is intercepted by evil? Nine year old Bruno knows nothing of the Final Solution and the Holocaust. He is oblivious to the appalling cruelties being inflicted on the people of Europe by his country. All he knows is that he has been moved from a comfortable home in Berlin to a house in a desolate area where there is nothing to do and no-one to play with. Until he meets Shmuel, a boy who lives a strange parallel existence on the other side of the adjoining wire fence and who, like the other people there, wears a uniform of striped pyjamas. Bruno's friendship with Shmuel will take him from innocence to revelation. And in exploring what he is unwittingly a part of, he will inevitably become subsumed by the terrible process. Whew! i never expected this end and found myself feeling quite nauseous at the thought of that innocent boy going to his death.
    • 5/5
      This is a truly sad story. This book is a great introduction to the holocaust. It gives some background and allows te teacher to elaborate.
    • 4/5
      Liked: Viewpoint felt authentic, story wasn't overly complicated.Disliked: Ending left me feeling that they stretched it too long, constant omitting of words and phrases started to become pathological by the end of the story.Read-Alike: Diary of a Young Girl, Number the Stars, The Book Thief
    • 5/5
      A very close friendship between two nine-year-old boys of whom one is a Jew and the other the concentration camp's leader's son, called Bruno, is established. As both were brought away from home they feel kind of connected to each other. Because of the every day meetings at the fence which separates them became so important for them that one day Bruno crawls on the other side of the fence to see his friend's world. Exactly on this day, they were brought to the gas chambers were both of the boys die. A very sad and touching story about real friendship which certainly affects everybody. Furthermore, it's very recommendable to slowly approach the topic of National Socialism.
    • 3/5
      I spent several years avoiding this book, because I just didn't want the cry...and when I finally read it, I didn't cry. I understand how it gets teens and middle-schoolers to weep, but I may be past the point where such obvious 'teaching you a lesson' books annoy me. Bruno is very angry that he and his family must move from their wonderful huge house in Berlin to a cruddy place out in the countryside in order to accommodate Bruno's father's military promotion, but as he makes friends with Shmuel, a boy his age who lives inside the fence behind Bruno's new home, things aren't as bad as he had expectedI'd definitely encourage students studying the Holocaust to read this and discuss - to have a different point-of-view of the horrors.
    • 5/5
      This is a classic. I was like "ok, another holocaust book" until I reached the end. I did not expect that! And afterwards I couldn't stop thinking about it over and over... and over.
    • 5/5
      From Random Books"This is a truly extraordinary book which has already become a bestseller all over the world in hardback. Read as much by adults as the older children for whom it was originally published, it is the story of a 9yr old called Bruno, another boy called Schmuel – and a fence. It is Berlin, year 1942.When Bruno returns home from school one day, he discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the family must move from their home to a new house far, far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do. A tall fence running alongside stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts him off from the strange people he can see in the distance. But Bruno longs to be an explorer and decides that there must be more to this desolate new place than meets the eye. And that’s when he meets Schmuel – the boy in the striped pyjamas."Written from the perspective of a child, complete with the innocence of childhood, this was an incrediably powerful story, and one that will remain with me for sometime.
    • 4/5
      Not just another tale of the Holocaust. This story is told in a totally new and different way. Why not a 4/5 or better? THE ENDING!!! The realization of what happened should have had a greater effect on the father, he could have tried to bring about some change, some relevence to what had happened.
    • 4/5
      I listened to this on CD with my twelve year old daughter. After all of the make believe dystopia I was hoping for something that would actually teach her factual history. This CD is narrated by the same guy who reads the audio for the Harry Potter novels which I have never heard personally but have been told he does a fantastic job. I thought he did a really nice job on this as well. The way he read the part of Schmuel was especially moving. You could hear the fear and despair in his rendering. The story is about a German boy Bruno whose travels to Poland with his family when his father is sent to oversee Auschwitz. Bruno is only nine and very naive. He doesn't understand why there are people living on the other side of the fence and why they all wear striped pyjama's. One day he befriends a boy living on the wrong side of the fence. Even though he develops a close friendship with the boy he never really understands what is going on. Even when he witnesses violence first hand he cannot make sense of it. Eventually it is time for Bruno to return back to Berlin but before he goes he wants a final goodbye with his good friend Schmuel.I listened to the author's interview at the end of this novel. Hearing, Out With, a play on English words when he clearly would have spoken only German. It was a deliberate attempt on the authors part to never put the word Auschwitz in the book. That is his prerogative. You either go with his vision or you don't. You can't nit pick everything or you miss the point of the book. Another common criticism is Bruno's overwhelming naivete. There were times when I was mentally rolling my eyes because of his complete lack of understanding. Bruno keeps calling his sister a hopeless case but every time he did I kept mentally slapping him, no Bruno you are the hopeless case. In the interview I learned that Bruno was portrayed that way as a metaphor for complete innocence in the face of complete evil. As the author also correctly pointed out the Nazi's like to keep their final solution on the down low so it is very possible that Bruno as a child, would have had no idea what was really going on over at the other side of the fence. Hindsight is 20/20 and all that.In the end I very much enjoyed the story as did my daughter. After this book, The Rape of Nanking, and the Red badge of Courage I think I need to put down the depressing war themed books for a little while and exchange them for some light feel good chick lit. The war books are very interesting and important in relating painful historical events so they are hopefully not repeated but reading too much of man's cruelty can really darken your day. I needed a long hug with my dog after this one.
    • 5/5
      What a facinating read. I have read a lot on the topic and never anything that depicts it in this light (innocence meets evil). I won't soon forget this read or its main characters. From a writing perspective - I applaud the author for telling such a powerful story so succinctly. What a well-written novel.