The boy in the striped pyjamas....

I haven't seen it, but have read it and I thought the book was amazing. It covered a massively sensitive subject brilliantly, so ti sounds like the film has done it justice

L
xx

It certainly has. I would put it down as one of the best films I've seen.

I have recently read the book but havent yet seen the film, I am always worried the film will spoil the book for me especially one as sad, but evocative (is that the word I want???) as this one. I will probably end up watching the film but I think I need to wait a while so the book isn't so fresh in my mind.

I've read the book but not seen the film and I'm not going to bother with the film. I don't think I could cope with actually seeing the ending. I think the book is amazing - so well written and perfect for it's age group witout alienating adult readers.

If I'd continuted with my course and become an English teacher I think it's a book I'd have used lots. There are so many aspects of it to study.

Those I know who have seen the film have loved it but I'm just not brave enough to put myself through it.

I have read the book and seen the film and the book is so much better. Much more evocative and really captures all the events with a child like innocence. The ending is also slightly changed in the film and I prefer the book ending, though can see why it wouldn't have worked so well for the film.

We watched the film just a couple of weeks ago. I did like it and it was very sad but it felt like there was something missing. I cant put my finger on what though. Wasnt as good as I thought it would be.

Now, this may be controversial, but I don't like the book. It's very readable, and very moving, but it annoys me because it's also completely unbelievable. It rests on the premise that this little boy has no idea what was going on around him.

Now, it may well be that he wouldn't have known what was going on inside the camps, but as the son of a concentration camp commander, his naivety is just not possible. I think he's about to be about 9 or 10 isn't he? And he doesn't know who the Jews are. In reality, by this age he would have been filled with Nazi propaganda, would be filled with hatred for the Jews and would know the signs to look for to spot one.

I may be being to fussy here, I know that it allows you to see the Holocaust throughinnocent eyes, but one of the many horrors of the holocaust was that the childlike innocence seen in this book simply didn't exist. Children were taught to hate from a very early age.

I never saw the point of the book to be true to life though. It's a children's book, it is fantasy, and it is introducing just about the biggest issue in a very clever and sensitive manner, imo.

L
xx

Yeah, you may be right. As I said, it is a very readable book. I just think it might give off the wrong impression, as its often used as a historical teaching tool. Simply as a story, it's pretty powerful.

I read the book before I saw the film and like so many book to movies...I preferred the book. They'd missed a lot out in the film and the scene at the end just didn't have the impact that the book had.

I wouldn't say it was the best film about the holocaust...but it's pretty good. One that is good though was recommended to me by Mr JK and it's a polish film called 'fateless'...now THAT is good!

Weird coincidence, I read this book yesterday. We were away for a relaxing weekend and once I started I had to read it all. We got back today and tried renting the film but someone already had taken it out. Usually hate watching something I've read the book of first but we'd seen it advertised a while back and I wasnt sure about it. Loved the book, very sad but so well written.