I couldn't believe the boy would have no idea of the ideals of the Nazis. I also felt that given where they were living, the boys whereabouts would probably be monitored more closely, ie he'd not have been able to spend so much time with the boy in the camp without anyone's knowledge.

I thought it was very moving, and I think it highlighted the innocent viewpoint of children during this time. The form of the novel, like a children's story, also emphasised this theme of innocence.

I have also heard some criticism of the book. For example, 'how could Bruno have not understood what was going on?' and 'no-one will criticise a book which has the holocaust as its subject matter'. I disagree with both these points, I work with young people and it is surprising how unaware of their circumstances they are - they have not yet formed a 'world view' and really only know about themselves and their lives in a very blinkered way.

Another critisism that I agree with to some extent is that there are still several holocaust survivors living in extreme poverty, yet authors and film-makers are making money from their suffering. I don't know any facts and figures regarding this, but it does seem pretty unfair.

If anyone is interested in reading another book that deals with the same theme, and in an unusual way try 'Time's Arrow' by Marin Amis.

I think that an adult reader with knowledge of Auschwitz would understand the ending better and therfore be more disturbed by it. Would younger teenagers know enough to really understand the horror of the holocaust as portrayed in this book???  I don't think the lack of blurb is a good idea as I think reading about this sort of thing should be a personal choice. I hope that any parent giving this to their child knows what its about. Maybe there's no blurb because it would put people off. Don't get me wrong, I love history and I think its important for children to learn what has happened in the world, I just didn't like this way of doing it.

I found the writing style annoying by the second page and the idea that Bruno (or Shmuel for that matter) would have no idea what Nazis were and why the Jews were being segregated is too much.
When the penny dropped as to what 'Out-With' was I did get a sense of dread for the rest of the book. And when he crawled under the fence I made the leap to what Auschwitz is known for. I was sort of praying that it wouldn't end the way I suspected.

I enjoyed this book, but would not say that it deserves all the hype surrounding it.  I had no problem with how naive the boys were, especially in Bruno's case, as I felt that his mother at least would have tried to shield him from what was happening in the world, and it probably is difficult for a 9 year old to understand war.  The main problem for me was that Bruno's mis-understand of certain words would not have worked in the language he would have been speaking in.  

I guessed that the book would not end happily, although I did not believe Bruno would die until he crawled under the fence - up until that point, I thought that Shmuel would just stop being at the fence for good one day and Bruno would come to realise what had happened.

I too loved the simplicity of the book & after reading The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova which took me forever to finish, this book was a delight. I didn't know what to expect & was dreading it a bit as I wanted to read something "lightweight" but once I started I couldn't put it down. I think the key to the novel for me anyway is that is described as a fable on the title page. Therefore I didn't take the language twists & naievety of Bruno to heart. I actually thought the use of Out-With & the Fury was a smart trick by the author. Admittedly I did think that a child of a senior Nazi officer would have been more indoctrinated into Nazi beliefs etc.. but he was only nine & again it is a fable so Bruno was supposed to be innocent & basically a blank canvas in that he had no preconceptions of Jewish people. I figured out early on how it would finish but I thought they would find his body & his father & others might then learn their lesson. I think the ending as it is is better. I was going to put it up for swaps but now thanks to Maureen's idea I'm going to keep it for my kids & hopefully they will read it when they are older. I think it is one of those must read books & would love to see it on the school syllabus. I wish I'd read books like this at school & if I had I'd never have forgotten it.

I found it a simple, yet tragic tale told from a child's perspective. I think if you try to go too indepth with a fable of this kind it begins to lose its meaning and intent. It certainly made an impact on me and I've passed it on to my Mum to read next. I've read a couple of books since and certain parts of this one keep coming back to my mind. I love thought provoking books and this one certainly fits the bill for me, I gave it 5 stars.

I enjoyed the style of writing and found it a compelling read. It certainly appeals to adults as much as children IMO. I know there has been some debate regarding the "out-with" and "The Fury"  play on words, and I do agree that this obviously doesn't translate into German when the book is set from a German speakers POV. However this didn't ruin anything for me. I guessed the play on "The Fury" quite quickly, but didn't get "out-with" until closer to the end when Gretal moans at Bruno for not pronouncing it correctly.

I liked the subtleties regarding Bruno's mother and Lieutenant Kotler.

I also liked Bruno's total naivity and thought it was plausible. He's only nine and his parents seem to have gone out of their way to not tell him where they are or what's going on. A nine year old boy probably had no interest in the news and didn't understand much about his father's role and clearly felt unable to ask any questions about it.

I didn't guess the ending at all and was totally shocked and horrified. Even when the people were rounded up and made to "march" I still kept thinking that a soldier would recognise Bruno and he'd get pulled out. I was actually pondering an ending where the family end up back in Berlin and he has to live his life with the knowledge of what had happened to his friend. That shows how off the mark I was!

I found the style very hard to read and didn't paticulary enjoy it right up until the end when i was blown away, moved to tears and just devastated by what i had just finished reading. I gave it 5 stars simply because it's ending did what it was intended to do- and that is to shock the reader and slam him face forward into a brick wall of harsh reality. it is one thing to read about this sort of thing but another to have it forced down your throat in such a fashion. some might not like this approach but if it can bring out strong emotion and make you stop for a moment and just think about what you have just read and the importance of the fact that this ( the holocaust) was a real event not just something in a book then the whole idea and motive behind the book works.

There are inconsistencies and they will nark some people. i did not think about the language differences i will admit but did think it was a bit too easy for bruno to cross the fence. But that said IT IS ONLY A NOVEL- A FABLE OR PARABLE NOT A RECREATION OF EVENTS THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED! It is a symbol of those paticular times, a metaphor for what happened in Germany; a simplistic recreation of a time most people have tried to forget but whom should probably bot forget and the whole concept behind fiction after all is the suspension of disbelief!

I read a lot of sci-fi, horror and crime novels. much of what i read is impossible and couldn't happen but for those 500 + pages none of that matters and so a little leniency has to be allowed i feel for this book. it is not a true life account in the same way something like the book thief is not a true account but that is no less a book because it is not real!

This is one of several books i have read in the last twelve months that has had a serious affect on the boooks i have chosen to read in the future and though i didn't like the style of writing and did not want to keep the book in my house because its subject matter disturbed and upset me too much, it nonetheless rates for me alongside the kite runner, thousand splendid suns, sarah's key, wild swans , mao; not because it is as good as any of those titles but because it has caused me to examine the world at large more closely and because it has inspired me to read books i feel are important as well as just books i enjoy to read!

i will not watch the film because the last pages really really upset me- even thinking about it now upsets me- and i am not one normally to show emnotion in such a way. that this book can still makle me want to cry months after i read it, for me means it deserves the full rating even if i never want to read it again! This is as much because i feel i don't need to read it again as iot is about feeling so disturbed by what i read

The ending was a complete shocker to me, and I didn't know what to do with myself. Unfortunately I was cheekily reading it walking around the house with my boys about and playing. I was so close to the end I didn't want to put it down. Now I wish I had saved it until they were in bed. I was so shocked about the matter of fact way that Bruno was led to his death with the others that I felt my heart plunge to my stomach. I sat down reeling from the impact of what I'd just read to then have my 4 year old asking me to play. I almost didn't know how to respond to him for a few minutes.

I also now don't know what to do with the book. I don't know if I'll read it again, but to add it to my swaps list almost makes me feel that I don't care for the subject matter so I'm casting it aside. The book is sitting in my spare room waiting for me to make a decision on it.

Although I enjoyed the style of writing and didn't get annoyed with it at all, I agree that the 5 stars mark is mostly due to the ending.