I love to judge a book by its cover and this one is intriguing. Not only is the cover faded shades of blue stripes, but the book jacket gives little information as to what the book is about. How can you not want to pick it up and read this book? Simply put it is about a 9 year old that is the son of a German Commandant of the Nazi Army. His father is assigned to oversee the operation at the concentration camp of "Out-With". While living in this new home, in Poland, the boy longs for his friends and the familiarity of his old home in Berlin, Germany. He begins to feel jealous of all the people that he sees outside his window hanging out with their friends in a town over the fence. He even notices how they all wear striped pajamas. Eventually, he meets one of these town’s people, a boy his age with the same birthday, through the fence and they become friends. It is the similarities and naivety of their friendship that is the strength of this story.
Originally, I thought that the book was aimed at a audience of middle schoolers, but after much reflection, I am not so sure. The writing style is simple and straightforward with nine-old terms and mispronunciations that I wonder if a middle schooler would get the references. Additionally, while the book takes place during the Holocaust, it gives very little factual information about it. The book is presented as a fable, and I think reads as one should. The problem for some is that it deals with the Holocaust is a way that is simple and straightforward, but it doesn't make it any less emotional or moving. I assigned it to my college class (soon to be English teachers) to read as a piece of historical fiction, but what grabs me about the book is that while it is a book that takes place during the Holocaust, it is much more than a book about the Holocaust. If you want to read about the Holocaust from the German perspective read The Book Thief. If you want to read about the concentration camps read Night. This is a book about "fences" about discrimination, about the dangers of being naive, about truly looking at people for who they really are not as society judges them. On the inside of the book jacket, if you read the hardcover, it states, "Fences like this exist all over the world. We hope you never have to encounter such a fence." This is a powerful thought and a powerful message that is wrapped in a straightforward "fable-like" package that I believe makes it all the more powerful. To say that it is "the Holocaust for Dick and Jane" (which is how it has been critically labeled) is to miss the purpose and stylistic elements of this novel. I mentioned to my classes that I would love to teach this book to high school age students WITHOUT telling them what it is about. I believe that from the beginning there are many hints as to the where and when of the story, but I think it is not until the first official "Heil Hitler" on page 54 would the reader know for sure that it is takes place during WWII. I think approaching the novel this way helps the true message to the story come to the fore front. Friendship should know no boundaries of race or creed or country.
Originally, I thought that the book was aimed at a audience of middle schoolers, but after much reflection, I am not so sure. The writing style is simple and straightforward with nine-old terms and mispronunciations that I wonder if a middle schooler would get the references. Additionally, while the book takes place during the Holocaust, it gives very little factual information about it. The book is presented as a fable, and I think reads as one should. The problem for some is that it deals with the Holocaust is a way that is simple and straightforward, but it doesn't make it any less emotional or moving. I assigned it to my college class (soon to be English teachers) to read as a piece of historical fiction, but what grabs me about the book is that while it is a book that takes place during the Holocaust, it is much more than a book about the Holocaust. If you want to read about the Holocaust from the German perspective read The Book Thief. If you want to read about the concentration camps read Night. This is a book about "fences" about discrimination, about the dangers of being naive, about truly looking at people for who they really are not as society judges them. On the inside of the book jacket, if you read the hardcover, it states, "Fences like this exist all over the world. We hope you never have to encounter such a fence." This is a powerful thought and a powerful message that is wrapped in a straightforward "fable-like" package that I believe makes it all the more powerful. To say that it is "the Holocaust for Dick and Jane" (which is how it has been critically labeled) is to miss the purpose and stylistic elements of this novel. I mentioned to my classes that I would love to teach this book to high school age students WITHOUT telling them what it is about. I believe that from the beginning there are many hints as to the where and when of the story, but I think it is not until the first official "Heil Hitler" on page 54 would the reader know for sure that it is takes place during WWII. I think approaching the novel this way helps the true message to the story come to the fore front. Friendship should know no boundaries of race or creed or country.
I love the ending of the story:
And that’s the end of the story about Bruno and his family. Of course all this happened a long time ago and nothing like that could ever happen again. Not in this day and age.
Yeah... right.
Did anyone else read it? What did you think?
