The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne (Book Analysis)

This practical and insightful reading guide offers a complete summary and analysis of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne. It provides a thorough exploration of the novel’s content and main themes, including Nazi ideology, prejudice and guilt. The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect opportunity to improve your literary knowledge in no time.

This clear and detailed 48-page reading guide is structured as follows:

• Biography of John Boyne
• Presentation of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
• Summary of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
• Character study
  • Bruno
  • Shmuel
  • Father
  • Mother
  • Lieutenant Kotler
  • Gretel
• Analysis of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
  • Life in Nazi Germany
  • Innocence vs. culpability
  • Style and form

About The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is John Boyne’s best-known novel. It tells the story of Bruno, an innocent and naive nine-year-old boy who befriends Shmuel, a Polish Jew of his own age, when his family relocates to the countryside for his father’s work. He is intrigued by Shmuel’s emaciated frame and strange uniform of striped pyjamas and tries to understand his new friend’s position, with tragic consequences for them both.

Over five million copies of the novel have been sold to date, and it is regularly studied in schools. It was adapted into a film in 2008.

About John Boyne

John Boyne is an Irish novelist who is best-known for his 2006 novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. He has written eleven novels for adults and five novels aimed at younger readers, and his books have been published in over 50 languages to date. In the course of his literary career, he has won numerous awards, including the Hennessy Literary ‘Hall of Fame’ Award in 2012 and the Gustav Heinemann Peace Prize in 2015. He currently lives in Dublin, and regularly writes literary reviews for The Irish Times.