Part one: The book and its author

Basic data (the book)

1. Title: The boy in the striped pyjamas.
2. Subtitle: A story of innocence in a world of ignorance.
3. Year of first publication: 2006
4. Edition that you have read:
5. Publisher: David Fickling Books
6. Number of pages: 216

Basic data (the author)

1. Author: John Boyne
2. Date of birth: 1971
3. Country of origin: Ireland, Dublin
4. Other titles: Mutiny on the Bounty and The House of Special Purpose

Extra’s (the book)

1. Motto: none
2. Dedicated: The book is dedicated to Jamie Lynch. I don’t know who Jamie Lynch is.
3. Striking features:

Part two: the content

Setting

1. Time: The story is set around the years 1940-1945
2. Place: the story is at first set in Berlin but later the family moves to Poland around a concentration camp.

Characters

1. Main characters: the are two main characters. The first is Bruno he is a boy from Germany bet when he and his family moves to Poland, he meets the second main character. The other main characters name is Shmuel. He is a Jewish boy. He lives in the concentration camp. In the beginning of the story Bruno and Shmuel don’t know each other. Later Bruno goes to the fence of the concentration camp and there he meets Shmuel. From that moment on they are friends.
2. Other characters: below is a list of other characters and they relations to the main characters.

• Gretel: Gretel is the sister of Bruno she don’t know anything about the relation between Bruno and Shmuel
• Mother: Mother is the mother of Bruno she also don’t anything about the existence of Shmuel.
• Father: Father is the father of Bruno. He is commandant in the German army he hates Jews and he don’t anything of Shmuel.
• Maria: Maria is the family maid of the family. Her relation with Bruno is reasonable.
• Cook: Cook is the cook of the family also his relation with Bruno is reasonable.
• Lars: Lars is the butler of the family also his relation with Bruno is reasonable.
• Carl, Martin and Daniel: Carl, Martin and Daniel are Bruno’s three best friends in Berlin. But when Bruno moves they stay in Berlin.
• Lieutenant Kotler: lieutenant Kotler is a soldier in the camp. He  is very rude with Jews.
• Herr Liszt: Herr Liszt is Bruno’s teacher when he lives in the house around the camp.
• Grandmother: Grandmother is Bruno’s grandmother when she died Bruno thinks he is going home but that isn’t true.

1. Minor characters: There aren’t minor characters.
2. Summary: The novel, set in Nazi Germany, begins when nine-year-old Bruno and his family must move from their lovely home in Berlin to a new house in an unfamiliar place called "Out-With." Tempted to explore his new environment, Bruno is told that there are certain places that are "Out Of Bounds At All Times And No Exceptions." Unable to fight his adventuresome spirit, however, Bruno ventures forth into the unknown one afternoon.

Bruno comes upon a fence that he follows until he sees a young boy sitting on the other side of the fence. The shoeless boy is wearing striped pajamas and a cloth cap. Bruno also notices that the boy is wearing an armband with a star on it. Bruno makes fast friends with the boy, Shmuel, and they quickly discover that they share the same birthday. The boys discuss their families and where they are from. At the end of their first meeting, Bruno asks Shmuel why there are so many people on his side of the fence and what they are doing there. A few days later, Bruno's father has dinner guests; the man's name is "the Fury" and his date is called Eva. Bruno instantly dislikes the couple. Bruno's sister Gretel, whom he refers to as "the Hopeless Case," is smitten by the man and tries hard to impress him and his lady friend. Bruno, however, is disgusted by his sister's behavior and her budding romance with a young soldier.

Much like Bruno hears "Auschwitz" as "Out-With," he also incorrectly hears "the Führer" as "the Fury." Boyne masterfully tells the story from Bruno's perspective; it is clear that the innocence of Bruno's childhood remains intact despite the fact that he is living on the periphery of a death camp and has met Adolf Hitler.

Bruno continues to explore the woods near his house and often finds himself at the fence spending time with Shmuel. Bruno brings him food, and the friends lament the fact that they cannot explore together or play a game of football. Shmuel confides in Bruno that he is unable to find his father and he is worried. Bruno vows to help Shmuel look for his father; to that end, Shmuel promises to get Bruno some pajamas so that he will blend in on his side of the fence.

One fateful day, Bruno sheds his clothes, dons the pajamas, and sneaks onto Shmuel's side of the fence. As the boys search for Shmuel's father, the soldiers herd the prisoners, Bruno among them, into the gas chambers where they meet their untimely death hand in hand.

Part three: Appreciation

Your own view

1. Why I enjoyed: At first the book was a little bit boring because nothing happened. In the begin I was also more concerned whit translating. But later went out of themselves. I enjoyed the book because the subject was very interesting. I enjoyed it also because it was easy to read that means that the weren’t very difficult words.
2. Most stuck part of the book:  The most stuck part of the book was the second last chapter. And then, in particular, the part when Bruno and Shmuel  went into the gas chamber. It was the most stuck part because it was so pathetic.
3. Best character: The character who I found the best like is Bruno because he isn´t as vulgar as the other characters.
4. Recommend the book to others: I would the book recommend to people who aren’t pretty good in English because it is not very thick and the words which used aren’t very difficult.