The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a novel by Irish novelist John Boyne.

Summary of the Book

In 1942, a young boy returns home from school in Berlin, only to discover that his belongings are being packed in a crate. His family is moving away since his father has been promoted. They are going to a place where there is no one to play with, and nothing to do. Their new home is surrounded by a tall fence, cutting them off from the outside world. Bruno doesn’t enjoy his new home, and decides to explore what little he can. During one of these excursions inside the confines of the new neighbourhood, he discovers a curious young boy whose circumstances are very similar to his own. Soon, these two boys begin a friendship that will keep them sane through their surroundings. For despite the charade of calm, they are in a German death camp, where people die around them every day.

About John Boyne

John Boyne is an Irish novelist, and has also written The Thief of Time, This House Is Haunted, The House of Special Purpose, and Stay Where You Are And Then Leave.

This book was adapted into a 2008 film by Mark Herman and produced by David Heyman starring Asa Butterfield, Jack Scanlon, David Thewlis, Vera Farmiga, Amber Beattie and Rupert Friend.