"Il bambino con il pigiama a righe" si classificherebbe facilmente in cima alla mia lista dei "Libri peggiori sull'Olocausto".Scrivo come uno che era lì – una volta anch'io fui un bambino in pigiama a righe e sono un sopravvissuto di sei campi di concentramento tedeschi. Questo libro ignora talmente i fatti storici sui campi di concentramento da prendere a calci la storia dell'Olocausto dritto nei denti.La premessa di John Boyne è che il figlio di nove anni del comandante di Auschwitz, annoiato ...

Come direbbe Michael Kors a uno stilista spaesato a Project Runway: da dove comincio? Iniziamo con alcuni aggettivi che riassumono questo libro, che poi spiegherò più nel dettaglio: paternalistico, insipido, sdolcinato, semplicemente brutto. Paternalistico: credo che per scrivere buona letteratura per bambini, si debba pensare che i bambini siano esseri umani intelligenti e capaci, per i quali valga la pena scrivere – come Stephen King, che probabilmente pensa che i bambini siano più intelligent...

Non so davvero da dove cominciare a demolire questo libro. Inizio dal bambino di 9 anni e da sua sorella di 12, che leggono rispettivamente come bambini di 6 e 8 anni? Dalle unità di misura imperiali (miglia, piedi) nonostante l'ambientazione tedesca? Dal ragazzino tedesco, cresciuto a Berlino, che pensa che Der Führer sia "La Furia" e Auschwitz sia "Fuori-Con," nonostante sia stato corretto diverse volte e l'abbia visto scritto? Dagli altri idiomi e incomprensioni in inglese, nonostante ci veng...

When I saw the film version at the cinema, the entire audience remained in their seats and sobbed into tissues as the credits rolled. I’ve never experienced anything like it since. With John Boyne finally releasing a much-anticipated sequel, I figured it was about time I read this!The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a simple, yet powerful fable-like story. It was a quick read, but one that will remain with me, and one which I’m still thinking about. This is definitely a book that pulls at the hear...

"When he closed his eyes, everything around him just felt empty and cold, as if he was in the loneliest place in the world. The middle of nowhere."*May 2021 Re-readOne of the worst fictional sister characters. Gretel, you're really annoying. Exactly a Hopeless Case.Maria's character is memorable. She's grateful and I really appreciate such characters in stories.But you know the most memorable character in the entire story is? The one who peels potatoes. Pavel. I will always have a soft spot for ...

Two innocent boys, and two very different worlds, separated by a not so infallible fence.Berlin 1942, middle of WWII, beginnings of the Holocaust. Bruno is a little boy of barely nine years old, son of a very well standing german family. His life passes relatively uneventful until one day his father is appointed commander in a faraway region. Bruno, his sister Gretel and his parents are compelled to relocate to Out-With, to a much smaller house, forsaking family and friends, and sacrificing ever...

3.5*

I didn't love this, but I did appreciate the fact that it had a very powerful message (and an ending I wasn't expecting at all). My feelings were definitely changed by the fact that the author describes the story as a fable. The abstractness makes a lot more sense in that way. Definitely an unforgettable read, nonetheless!

There are plenty of insightful reviews on this piece of sensationalist, badly written, idiotic Disneyfication of the Holocaust on Goodreads. I don't have anything to add to the criticism, except that I would love to see it taken off the curriculum in schools.Here are my replacement suggestions:Upon the Head of the Goat: A Childhood in Hungary 1939-1944When Hitler Stole Pink RabbitA Day of Pleasure: Stories of a Boy Growing Up in WarsawAnd of course for more mature students, I recommend Anne Fran...

A powerful concept, but very poorly written (even allowing for the young adult target audience) - and one of a tiny number of books I can think of that was better in the film version.PlotBruno is 9 and lives in Berlin in 1943 with his parents and 12 year old sister. They are wealthy and his father is an important soldier who is promoted to be the Commandant at Auschwitz. The trick of the story is that Bruno doesn't realise the horror of what goes on behind the barbed wire, where everyone wears s...

I seriously suggest you read about what happened to real children in the Holocaust. It won't fill your thoughts for many days or shock you; rather it will fill your LIFE and make you feel sick to the core of your being.Paul Friedlander, himself a survivor, recounts in his recent highly praised book the incident of 90 Jewish infants all under the age of five, orphaned after their parents were murdered in a mass shooting.These children were subjected to indescribable mistreatment for days.Then the...