Book Review: The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, a novel which is written by John Boyne had been the trending book for the book lovers in its first publication in 2006. It is about Bruno, the naive boy who experiences a boredom after he comes with his family to move from Berlin to the new home called Out-With. He is not permitted to go out from the house by his parent. Even, actually he never knows the real reason why he and his family have to move from Berlin and go to the place which has no exploring and friend to talk to and play with. It makes a curiosity appears in his little heart.

Bruno decides that he has to have an exploring. So he tries to go out from the house secretly. He meets Shmuel, the boy in the striped pajamas he sees everyday in the distance from his room in Out-With. Both of them become friends. They share each other. Their friendship must be finished when Bruno decides to wear the same clothes with Shmuel and help Shmuel to find father. Not father they meet, but they have to be gathered and gassed in a special room.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is its title. By our logic, maybe we can guess that it is a children book. But, if we pay attention well to the short summary above, can we clear our head and guess one more time what it is actually? It is the world history which happened around 1942. John Boyne has been success to present the history, write it into a novel, bring it to the readers, and let them guess what he has already written actually. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas has two reader targets: the first one is children and the second one is adult.

The first reader target is children. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas can be called as a children book because Boyne tries to show the real character of children. Bruno, in this novel is described as a child who is naive. Like the other eight years old boys, he always wants to know something he does not understand. Start with his curiosity about the real reason of moving to the Out-With, his way when he talks to the maid like he just imitates the way his Father spoke, and his boredom because there is no one to talk to and play with.

The way how Boyne uses Bruno as the main character in this novel shows the real character of children. Boyne really pays attention to the character of children and put it into his novel. It makes the children readers will feel the same with Bruno when they experience what Bruno experiences. The children readers think that what Bruno has done is true according to the situation around the Out-With. There is no an interesting exploring, so they will do the same like Bruno-trying something new. The children readers will be influenced by the plot of Bruno’s exploring. They will imagine how very interesting Bruno can go out from the house and make an exploring. This is one of the beauties of childhood. And it is also the first reason The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas called a children book.

Then, Boyne also tries to show the essences of friendship between Bruno and Shmuel. It is a very valuable friendship. Friendship which is done secretly behind Bruno’s parent has trained Bruno and Shmuel become very loyal. They share anything, like their own stories, foods, and much more. It creates three essences of friendship between them: mutual giving, mutual forgiving, and mutual willing to help each other. It is a good way to train them how to be the best friend for everyone.

Boyne’s way has made his novel become very valuable. In this way, children are the first target. The children readers will be influenced for the twice. They will know how to make a friend indirectly, and also know about the beauty of friendship. In the real life, it is very difficult to have a friend. Then when they already have, they will not make their friends be abandoned. It is a good way to train them how to be the best friend for everyone. Boyne has done it well. He tries to make many kinds of examples of valuable friendship between Bruno and Shmuel without let the children readers understand the real complicated conflict behind this. And the target is very clear.

Then, talking about the second target is more interesting. It is adult. They are only the book lovers who want to try to read the book without judge it by its cover. Like what is already mentioned above, the novel’s title is trying to bring us to the children life. But actually, it is not. It is good word choices for the title Boyne did. He is good in lying the reader about relation between the title and the content it self. It trains the reader to let them think about what the meaning of the title is, and what the story will be told. Then, from the title it self, why The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is called as an adult book starts to be seen slowly.

After that, Boyne has been success in using Bruno’s character for the twice. He is almost perfect when he tries to bring the readers into the Bruno’s adventure which actually leads us to the real conflict. Bruno with his naivete is boring with his new life in the Out-With. He starts to make his own exploring. Walking lonely has been done by him. His curiosity about the situation and condition around the Out-With sends him into the real adventure. Meeting with Shmuel is the amazing thing in his new life. They talk and share each other.

If we really pay attention to the conversation between Bruno and Shmuel, actually we are brought to the world history around 1942. It is about Nazi and its military internee. Bruno represents to the Nazi, and Shmuel represents to the Jew. Out side of their friendship, Nazi and Jew are enemies actually. This thing can answer the question why Bruno’s parent always tries to hide the real reason from him about their moving to the Out-With.

Besides that, during the conversation between Bruno and Shmuel happens, it shows the adult readers about the clue what Boyne has written in his novel. Bruno and Shmuel talk about their birthday, they have the same. They also talk about the place where they come from. In this part, they have difficulties in understanding the name of the places. The conversation continues until both of them show a symbol from each place. The interesting thing is that Shmuel knows who Bruno actually is. But Bruno never knows Shmuel deeper. His surroundings in the house avoid him to know.

This is one challenge from Boyne to the adult readers in guessing the Shmuel’s thought. Shmuel just says to Bruno that his place is not good. But he never tells the reason. Boyne wants the reader to guess it by their own way. This author let the reader’s thought growing up. If Bruno’s parent and Shmuel tell Bruno about the real condition, it is probably make Bruno does not want to make a friend with Shmuel. And there is not will be an amazing exploring between Bruno and Shmuel.

Boyne’s way in bringing the readers to the real conflict through the exploring and conversation between Bruno and Shmuel leads the reader to catch the message Boyne gives. It is also proven when finally both Bruno and Shmuel wear the same cloth in finding Shmuel’s father. What the Nazi had done to the Jew is seen clearly finally at the end of the novel. And it is what actually Boyne wants to show to the readers. Boyne uses the children’s perspective and character in leading the reader to the real message. Unlike what Boyne had done to the children readers, for the adult readers Boyne wants to make their thoughts growing up and catch the message be autonomous.

Finally, from the whole review, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas can be called as a novel which has two faces. When it is as a children novel, it tells the truth about the miracle of friendship. Then, when it is as an adult novel, it really trains the reader to have full concentration in getting the main spectacular point of the novel. It is not surprising that The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is published in 42 languages and also has sold more than 5 millions copies. And Boyne has done it really well.

Sources:

http://www.johnboyne.com/about/

Wikipedia, the free ensiklopedia

Boyne, John.2006.The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. New York: David Fickling Books.