John Boyne discusses THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS:

On the title page, THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS is described as a fable. Why a fable?

Considering the serious subject matter of this novel and the fact that I would be taking certain aspects of concentration camp history and changing them slightly in order to serve the story, I felt it was important not to pretend that a story like this was fully based in reality. (Which was also the reason why I chose never to use the word 'Auschwitz' in the novel.) My understanding of the term 'fable' is a piece of fiction which contains a moral. I hope that the moral at the centre of the THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS is self-evident to readers.




In the Author's Note, you write "fences such as the one at the heart of THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS still exist; it is unlikely that they will ever fully disappear." Would you like to elaborate on this?

As an Irishman growing up in the 1970s and 1980s I was only too aware of the divides – the fences – which existed in my own country and which caused violence and killing for families throughout Northern Ireland for too many years. And while those problems have for the most part been solved, it is easy to identify situations around the world throughout my own lifetime, in places such as South Africa, Kosovo, Srebenica, Rwanda, where the metaphorical fences that I talk about have existed/still exist. The genocide of the 1940s was perhaps the worst case of inhumanity that the world has ever seen, but we do not live in a peaceful world even now, sixty years later. I suppose I hoped that younger readers who might be moved by the story of Bruno & Shmuel would grow up with the intention of pulling those fences down wherever they existed, whenever they could.




Shmuel and Bruno are both nine years old and were born on the same day. This is quite a coincidence and a poignant detail, considering their varying circumstances. Would you care to explain its significance in your eyes and why you chose to have this detail included?

It was important for me that Bruno & Shmuel shared certain characteristics. They are both small for their age, they are both basically good-hearted and kind boys, they have both been brought to a dreadful place against their will (although Shmuel's circumstances there are, of course, far worse than Bruno's) and as you say, they are exactly the same age. They are reflections of each other and as they sit, cross-legged in the dust, the fence that separates them acts as a kind of mirror image of the boy the other might have been. The specific date I chose for the boys' birth – 15th April 1934 – was important to me for two reasons: firstly, it allowed the boys to be young enough to retain a certain innocence at the time the story is being told (particularly important in Bruno's case), and secondly, the date and year are the date and year of my own father's birth. By using his birthday and knowing how the story would inevitably end, I was able to personalise the story a little more for myself, imagining the lives and families that either Bruno or Shmuel might have had, the age they would be today, the experiences their lives would have brought to them.




Is it realistic to think that a nine-year-old boy (especially the son of the Commandant) would be so in the dark as to what was taking place around him? How could he not know?

This is perhaps the question I have been asked the most about this novel and I feel very strongly that Bruno's innocence and ignorance are not only crucial to the story but appropriate to the times too. In a way the question implies a wider question: how could so many millions of people have been murdered under the eyes of the whole world without anyone knowing about it? How, indeed. When the war ended and the camps were liberated, the world was shocked by what they learned. But it had been going on for years. And the whole point is that it continues to go on today in places around the world and what do we do about it as society, as people? On a separate note, the idea that Bruno, an innocent 9 year-old would understand the events taking place around him, implies the hindsight knowledge gained only by the passing of time and the study of history. And to search for a reason why this story – this piece of fiction – couldn't have happened, when I am never for a moment suggesting that this particular story did happen, is something that I find an extraordinary response from any reader.




One unique aspect of this book that stands out is the way you deal with language. Two prominent examples are Bruno's mispronunciation of the name of the camp ("Out-With") and the name of Hitler ("the Fury"). What was the inspiration behind this. What about its impact when written in translation?

As with the question of it being a fable, I decided not to use the actual words in order that the reader would know where in general I was talking about without making it absolutely specific to any place. THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS is not a novel about Auschwitz, it is about 2 boys on either side of a fence at a concentration camp during World War II. While it is clear that I am implying a specific camp, it was important to me to recognise that there were many more camps in operation at that time, and many millions of innocents who died in Belsen, Dachau, Buchenwald etc and each of these should be remembered too. Regarding translation difficulties, I have had emails from various translators who are working on the book and while the wordplay of the English language version might be hard to replicate they have each responded professionally and creatively to the challenge in an attempt to maintain the integrity of my ideas.




This brings up an interesting debate about context and reference points. In the present day, we cite the Holocaust as an example of genocide. It happened, we have studied it, written books about it, etc. It can be argued that we would know if it was happening to us. It is often asserted that back then, the people involved (children and adults alike) didn't grasp what was going on…that it would have been feasible for a nine-year-old to have been unaware of the monstrosities taking place because that particular idea had never been planted in his or her consciousness before. What are your thoughts on this matter?

Well, this really refers back to my previous answer. It's a broader social question really, rather than a question of literary technique, and one that has been written about widely, as you suggest. I'm 34, I wasn't alive during the War; for those people who were alive and who weren't part of the Nazi establishment during that time, the question is more appropriate to them – what did you know, when did you know it, and what did you do about it? Purely in terms of my novel, however, I stand by my belief that Bruno is an innocent child in a time and place that he does not understand; he has grown up with a father who has been in the Nazi party since he can remember – why on earth would he question this when he has never known anything different?




The conversation between Greta and Bruno where the two discuss the difference between "Jews & Opposites" is quite intriguing on many levels. Can you talk a bit more about that?

Gretel is the type of child who likes to think that she knows more than she does. She's not quite as ignorant as Bruno is and as the novel progresses she opens her eyes to the events around her and, appropriate to people at the time, approves of them. However, when she is discussing the Jews and the Opposite, she is still at that midway point where she has identified some facts but is confused about others. She sees things in black and white, as the world being populated by two distinct types of people. More crucially for me when I consider Gretel's character is the moment when her dolls are taken down and replaced by maps. Here is another response to those who criticise Bruno's innocence; Gretel becomes indoctrinated. And whether Bruno ultimately would have or not is left to the reader to decide.




The women in THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS stand out as multi-layered characters in that they are subordinate to their male counterparts, but still manage to maintain their internal strength and a small degree of independence. Gretel (Bruno's sister) is young and flighty yet attracts the attention of Lieutenant Kotler. Bruno's mother is clearly subservient to her husband but still exerts influence over her family. Bruno's grandmother is the most uninhibited and openly berates her son and everything he's involved in. Even "the Fury's" companion quietly defies him in subtle ways. Did you intentionally create female characters with varying degrees of inner fortitude, commensurate with their age? If so, explain.

Yes. After my third novel, CRIPPEN, was published, there were some reviewers who felt I was very hard on my female characters. (The Guardian in the UK felt it was a little misogynist, an accusation which bothered me and made me consider those characters anew). Personally, I didn't really agree; I felt those characters were just quite broadly drawn for comic effect. When I was writing THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS, however, I knew that I wanted to work harder than I had before on my female characters and make them quite strong; we don't often read about female characters during the Second World War, and almost never about German females, so it was interesting for me to consider how they might have acted. The strongest of all, for me, is Grandmother, who represents the voice of reason in German society at that time, the person who is willing to stand up and say no, to condemn what is going on and to try to get others to see the evil that they are responsible for. And of course, this voice must be silenced so Grandmother dies halfway through the book. That last voice of reason is gone. Mother too is torn at times but ultimately puts her own position in society over everything else. Gretel is just a child but her attraction to Kotler is as much an attraction to the Party as to a handsome young man. And as for Eva Braun, I really wanted her to be seen through Bruno's eyes and to consider the effect that she might have had on a young boy.




In the process of writing THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PAJAMAS, were you worried that some of your older readers might get offended?

No. I wrote the book from start to finish without considering any audience, young or old. I wrote the story I wanted to write and tried to invest it with as much emotional honesty and integrity as I could. After it was accepted for publication, yes, I wondered what the response would be to it but I didn't alter a single word, nor was I ever asked to alter a single word, based on any potential controversy that might come my way. And since it was published in the UK, I have received hundreds of letters and emails from people regarding the content, most of which have been overwhelmingly positive. Those who have had a problem with the book, I have been happy to reply with my personal response to their questions and issues and I hope they have been satisfied that my intention was to write a literary work that would address innocence and evil, without either trivialising the events of the time or pandering to contemporary political correctness.




What kind of research did you do when writing this book?


I had long been a student of the Holocaust and had read most of the important writers on that subject. It was a subject that I was drawn to again and again, particularly in relation to contemporary events during my own lifetime, however I never considered that I would write about it. Ironically, for the most part I agree with Elie Wiesel's statement that ‘if you weren't there, don't write about it.’ But I'm a writer. It's all I've ever been. I didn't decide to write a novel about the Holocaust, I didn't plan to write one, I didn't search for a story to tell about that time. The story came to me almost fully formed and within 100 hours of the initial idea coming into my head, the entire first draft, a little over 50,000 words, was written and sitting on my desk. And there it was. As a writer what else could I do then but want someone to read it?







'Quite impossible to put down, this is the rare kind of book that doesn’t leave your head for days. Word of mouth should be strong and this has the potential to cross over to an adult audience. A unique and captivating novel, which I believe deserves huge success'
Becky Stradwick, BordersThe Bookseller

A memorable and moving story, with a child's view of a frightening adult world.
Oxford Times

Interview with John Boyne. 'Boyne carries the story so effectively, particularly in the ending, that few readers will avoid tears.
The Bookseller

Grab it before it is grabbed by the curriculum gurus. It won't let you go.
Lindsey FraserThe Bookseller

Destined to be one of the most talked about books of the year.
www.askews.co.uk

Every now and then something outstanding comes along and blows you away...the naivity of both children is both beautiful and gut-wrenching. There have been many books written on the Holocaust, but I have never come across a children's book that has been so well written.
Wild Geese (blog)

Set to become a publishing phenomenon...it will take children over 10 on an emotional rollercoaster. Adults will love the book too. They will be moved, amazed and astonished.
David O'CallaghanIrish Examiner

Talk of the Trade - there's tremendous advance buzz for The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne...a clever ad campaign (and even the flap copy) has been careful not to give away much, if any, of the plot.
Publishersweekly.com

The word on the shop floor is that David Fickling has found the most exciting book since Curious Incident with John Boyne's Boy In The Striped Pyjamas.
Mary ByrneInis

An extraordinary tale of friendship and the horrors of war seen through the eyes of two young boys, it's stirring stuff. Raw literary talent at its best. More please!
Irish Independent

A powerful and emotionally-charged piece of literature.
Yorkshire Evening Post

A tale of the innocence of youth and the disastrous consequences of a friendship across a divide.
Waterstone's Books Quarterly

This novel is a fine addition to a once taboo area of history, at least where children's literature is concerned. It provides an account of a dreadful episode short on actual horror but packed with overtones that remain in the imagination. Plainly and sometimes archly written, it stays just ahead of its readers before delivering its killer punch in the final pages.
Nick TuckerIndependent

Deceptively simply written... the story is beautifully written in the style of a fable and the message seems clear - adults do stupid, cruel things.
TES Teacher

An extraordinary book that made me feel increasingly chilled.
Gerald SperlingTES

The new The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night-Time?
Heat

The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas is about to become the publishing sensation of 2006 and deservedly so.
Oxford Mail

The great strength of Bruno's narrative is the way it is mired in the parochial preoccupations of a nine-year-old... for the younger reader, the slow revelation of detail becomes an education in real time of the horrors of 'Out-With', known to the grown-ups as Auschwitz.... The Boy in Striped Pyjamas is a small wonder of a book. Bruno's education is conducted slowly, through a series of fleeting social encounters rather than by plunging him into a nightmare landscape.
The Guardian

Successful fiction captures the imagination, it allows us to live lives that are extraordinary to us. The story of Bruno and Schmuel within The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas does exactly that, through it we gain a fresh and new perspective on the Holocaust... it is a novel whose ending remains with readers long after the pages are finished, it is a novel that inspires thought and difference of opinion, it is a book that deserves to be read, to be discussed, to be held close to the heart.
Jacob HopeACHUKA

Ostensibly a book for teenagers, it should be read by anyone who cares about modern Irish fiction, young or old, because it's that very rare thing - a book so simple, so seemingly effortless, that it's almost perfect... packs quite an emotional punch... will be one of the most talked about children's books this year.
Irish Independent

Keeps you guessing and when you finish reading, it will make you think about history and the Holocaust... it'll keep you entertained and you'll want to read on to find out what happens to Bruno and Schmuel
Newsround online

Very simply written and highly memorable. There are no monstrosities on the page but the true horror is all the more potent for being implicit.
Ireland on Sunday

A very special book indeed... a most emotional book for readers age 10 plus (definitely including adults)
Newmarket Journal

Reading the last three chapters, two things struck me: the author's stunning poetic prose - with shades of Hemingway - and the lump in my throat. Boyne is an outstanding writer and this is a book that is going to find many admirers.
Stoke on Trent Sentinel

Highly recommended
Saffron Walden Reporter

An extraordinary book... a powerful story, simply told.
Irish Examiner

An unforgettable and moving book.
Newcastle Upon Tyne Evening Chronicle

The word Holocaust is not mentioned once, but the skill with which Boyne delivers the reality of the concentration camp through a young child's eyes makes this book a must-read.
Fife Free Press

Review of Film

It’s one of the most moving and remarkable film about childhood I’ve ever seen….this is a hugely affecting film. Important, too. It engages with the complexity of the Holocaust in a language that can move children as profoundly as adults
James ChristopherThe Times

Review of Film

Your Children MUST see this…As a film for children between the ages of eight and 12, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a well-intentioned and very well-made introduction to one of the greatest atrocities in recent history.
Matthew BondThe Mail on Sunday

Review of Film

The genius of this seemingly modest tale from Herman is not that it manages to weld two seemingly disparate genres – a kids coming of age tale and a Holocaust drama.But that, in doing so, it somehow sees the ineffable horror of the latter with entirely new eyes.
Kevin MaherThe Saturday Times (The Knowledge)

Review of Film

…this is a brave and moving tale of innocence lost…It’s an unusual and brave piece of family entertainment, and one worth seeing.
Cosmo LandesmanThe Sunday Times (Culture)

Review of Film

The heartbreaking tale of a Nazi’s son and a Jewish boy pulls no punches. Nor should it be… Mark Herman, director of Brassed Off and Little Voice, handles everything with great skill, sympathy and seriousness.
Jason SolomonsThe Observer

Review of the Film

It knuckles down, crawls on its belly, and goes the way you least expect it.
Xan BrooksThe Guardian

Review of Film

Subtle, chilling, brilliant.
James KingBBC Radio 1

Review of Film

Thumbs up, bravo and applaud
Mark KermodeBBC Radio 5 Live

Reviw of Film

This is a brave, consummately crafted, admirably intentioned movie, with some nuanced performances by David Thewlis and Vera Farmiga as Bruno’s parents…I’d initially thought to warn off younger spectators from this 12A certificate film. But then the movie wouldn’t be doing its job if it didn’t upset us, and as an appalled history lesson the film is an absorbing, responsible work.
Edward LawrensonThe Big Issue

Review of Film

It will stay with you much longer than the 90mins it takes to watch it.
Fiona PhillipsThe Daily Mirror

Review of Film

Movie is must-see… Every school pupil in the country should read the book and see the movie to spark discussion of one of the most unspeakable horrors of modern times.
Lorraine KellyThe Sun

This is a story that will linger in your mind.
Luton News

A book that lingers in the mind for quite some time. It is a subtle, calculatedly simple and ultimately moving story. For any age.
Irish Times

Chilling, poignant, and deeply unsettling, it is a thoughtful book suitable for older readers... definitely a book you will remember long after you finished the last page.
Norwich Evening News

Written in a compelling, child-like style, this haunting story is easy to read but horrifying to think about.
Northern Echo

A stor ywith a difference... read it to find out why.
Woman's Way (Eire)

Chillingly compelling.
The Scotsman

John Boyne is one of the most exciting young writers of the moment, and this, his first novel for children, is likley to be the one that makes him a household name. It is one of the most powerful and bitterly touching books I have read... the story is told so beautifully and with such poignancy that I challenge anyone not to be affected and impressed by it. A definite five out of five.
Homes 2 Business Journal

A very sad and haunting story...it will really make you think, long after you have finished it, and leave you slightly stunned as Bruno's innocence contrasts with the cruel world of the nazi's. Not for th faint hearted, but definitely for everyone else.
Herts & Essex Observer

A moving book that will have you gripped from start to finish
Daily Ireland

So chilling is the conclusion that children under 12 would be advised to stay away
Jewish Chronicle

This is such a poignant tale it will pull at the heart strings
Colchester Evening Chronicle

It has much in common with the classic children's book My Name is David, a novel that similarly attempted to describe the tangential horrors of war by adopting a naive, ingenuous narrator's voice.... a brave, unusual and heart-rending tale; it may be a world seen through a child's eyes, but it deals with adult - indeed, timeless - themes.
Capital

An ambitious debut.
Books for Keeps

A book which sensitively deals with the Holocaust and is bound to provoke questions in young readers.
Inis magazine

Overwhelmingly powerful... this is a story so exceptional and vivid that it cannot be erased from the mind.
Carousel

Fantastic... interesting yet deceiving
Bristol Evening Post

An incredibly well written, totally absorbing book - it will stay with you long after you have finished reading it.
Primary Times in Hampshire

A book for teenagers that will be read by even more adults and is sure to win literary prizes... a wonderful, haunting story.
The Bookseller

This is what fiction is supposed to do: introduce you to the minds of those you wouldn't ordinarily meet.
Dina RabinovitchThe Guardian

A very human and profoundly moving introduction to one of the darkest moments in human history
The Good Book Guide

Review
Daily Telegraph

A beautifully written, heart-rending story.
Lowestoft Journal

Nicely written book, with some beautiful expressions... a good plot.
Teen Titles

According to the press release this is an extraordinary book and set to become a modern classic. The hype is not misplaced; it is every bit as powerful as they claim. The writing is deceptively simple and understated and there are no overt horrors, nevertheless, the feeling of entering a terrifying world without moral boundaries permeates the whole book.
Historical Novels Review

Utterly compelling.
Jayne HowarthBirmingham Post

...brilliantly written, superbly conceived novel, ending with words as bleakly ambiguous as any i have ever read. Boyne's ability to lead us on with crystal clear prose so that we unthinkingly fall into the elephant trap reminds me irresistably of another Irishman - Jonathan Swift.
Dennis HamleyThe School Librarian

Incredibly poignant and beautifully written book...
Jayne HowarthBirmingham Post

I thought the book was an eye opener. Not many teenagers knew a lot about the history of germany, even though the book was a fable and might have offended some it does convey innocence and domination. some of these characters represent the people who are still with us till this day. we are just blinded by what we are told to believe and we choose to listen out of fearing death. yes, the book might have exaggerated and mixed stupidity with innocence but still got the point across.