1.
move
2.
new house
3.
Gretel's sister
4.
The view outside the window
5.
restricted area
6.
Housekeeper Maria
7.
Uncle Pavel
8.
Grandma's anger
9.
Exploration play
10.
The boy I met at the barbed wire fence
11.
Mr. Fury
12.
Shmiel's Story
13.
The wine incident
14.
A lie with a reason
15.
betrayal
16.
Bruno with a shaved head
17.
Back to Berlin?
18.
Exploration Plan
19.
Exploration
20.
The Last Story

Translator's Note

The warm friendship of two boys who never let go of each other's hands until the very end

Although this novel deals with war and the Holocaust, it leaves an undeniable feeling of warmth, sadness, and a beautiful fairy tale.
That's because it's a touching story of friendship drawn by young boys.
The image of two boys armed with warm understanding and innocence for each other contrasts strongly with the hatred, violence, and submission of adults, capturing the hearts of readers and leaving a deep impression.
Bruno, who used to live in a large mansion in Berlin, has a hard time adjusting to the desolate place after moving to a new place due to his father's promotion.
Eventually, they decide to go on an adventure, and as they walk along the barbed wire fence surrounding their house, they come across Shmiel, a Jewish boy wearing striped pajamas.


The child of the German Nazi who was the perpetrator and the child of the Jewish victim met.
However, there is no barrier between the two, such as the barbed wire fence artificially created by the older generation.
Although they sit facing each other across a barbed wire fence, the two become one as they talk about their lives and dreams.
And to help Shmiel find his father, Bruno disguises himself in striped pajamas and enters the barbed wire fence.
The boy in the striped pajamas is ultimately both Shmuel and Bruno.
Children end up becoming victims of adults' fights.
The two boys suddenly feel fear as they clasp their hands together amidst the screaming crowd, vowing, "No matter what happens, I will never let go of my friend's hand."

The Holocaust Through the Eyes of a German Boy

The novel is told from the perspective of nine-year-old Bruno.
However, the reader initially does not know where this world, depicted through the child's eyes, is or what the story is about.
The place name there is 'Aubitz' because Bruno doesn't know it properly, and Hitler is referred to as 'Mr. Fury'.
Throughout the novel, there is no mention of war or the Nazis, but as the story progresses, the reader gradually learns that Bruno's father is a German Nazi general, that the new place they have moved to is the Auschwitz concentration camp, and that Shmiel is a Jewish child imprisoned there.
The conversation between two boys across a barbed wire fence will be thought-provoking for young readers, adult readers, and anyone familiar with World War II and the Holocaust.


The boys wonder why Jews have to live together in the same place wearing the same striped pajamas, why German men are so infinitely scary, and why the train Bruno took to get there was empty, but Shmiel's train was so packed that he couldn't even breathe.
This soon piques the curiosity of readers and provides an opportunity to think about this tragedy again and again.
Author John Boyne said:
“As you read this book and walk along the same path as Bruno, you will come across barbed wire.
Such barbed wire fences are spread all over the world.
I hope you never encounter that in your life.”