The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

This book rubbed me the wrong way for how unrealistic it was.

The leading character was supposed to be nine and German, but his insolence, disrespect of his parents for no apparent reason, and his “misinterpretation” or “misunderstanding” of common German words and names (of people and places) made him come across more like an immature four- to six-year-old from a different country. For example, he frequently called Hitler by the name of “Fury” instead of “Führer,” and he always said “Out-With” instead of “Auschwitz.” Beyond that, he didn't know what a Jew was, why they were being imprisoned, or that he himself wasn't one. Any German child growing up in Hitler's regime would have known exactly what a Jew was and that he or she was not one; in fact, Hitler was famous for using German children to rat out family, friends, and neighbors who were hiding Jews of any age. What shocked me even more was that even the father in the story, who was a high-ranking official in Hitler's military, referred to Hitler as “the Fury.” He did know “Out-With” wasn't how the death camp was pronounced, but he gave up on correcting his son's pronunciation. I am pretty certain no German father during Hitler's time would have let up on the correct pronunciation of anything Hitler deemed important. He also corrected his own son for mispronouncing “Führer” yet used the wrong term himself. Highly unlikely. Back to Bruno (the child lead), I've known many a Kindergartner (in America but of several different ethnic backgrounds) with more common sense and command of their native languages (and sometimes a second language as well!) than this story's leading character did.

Some of the key events in this story would never have been possible in real life. If this book weren't supposed to be representing such a real-life horror as the Holocaust, I wouldn't have minded the suspension of reality. However, in the particular era in which the book was set, the unrealistic “qualities” felt incredibly disrespectful. It felt like the Holocaust was being watered down to merely a family tragedy rather than the atrocious genocide it truly was.

Note: The film version was very well acted and made me weep. I felt it was better presented in that Bruno wasn't as annoying as he is in the book. However, it still suspends reality in certain key plot points.

Content: tobacco, alcohol, marital affair implied