Wednesday, May 13, 2009

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas: Book vs. Movie


Title: The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
Author: John Boyne
Date: 2006

Summary:
Bored and lonely after his family moves from Berlin to a place called "Out-With" in 1942, Bruno, the son of a Nazi officer, befriends a boy in striped pajamas who lives behind a wire fence.
(Taken from the Baldwin Public Library Catalog)


Review:
I really enjoyed this book. The book is fiction, but it is based on real events of 1940s Nazi Germany. The author chooses to make Bruno, the main character, a simple and naive 9 year old who barely knows anything about life. He has no idea what is going on outside his window; there is a Nazi concentration camp near his house but he thinks that adults are calling it "Out-With" instead of Auschwitz and he thinks that the prisoners are wearing striped pajamas. The friendship between Bruno and Shmuel (the Jewish boy on the other side of the fence) is what really makes this book moving. Bruno learns a lot about himself and changes as the book goes on. This is a book that appeals to children, teens, and adults. It makes you think about friendship, discrimination, stereotypes, and love.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

How is the movie different???

The movie is good, but not as good as the book (of course). I would recommend reading the book first! After reading the book, the movie characters really come to life. There are many things in the book though that don't get put into the movie. The biggest difference and disappointment to me was at the very end of the movie. In the book, Bruno says, "You're my best friend, Shmuel, my best friend for life." For some reason, the movie does not include this line. Other than that, the movie is decent.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

3 comments:

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  2. I just read this book and thought to myself, how wonderful it is! The ending took me completely by surprise and, without giving it away, I just had no idea what was going to happen essentially until it happened. I'm rarely surprised by books, so this one is definitely worth a read.

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  3. i read this book at school and enjoyed it so much it was very disappointing that movie didn't include a few things especially the ending but it was still good.

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