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The Boy at the Top of the Mountain
From the author of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas comes another extraordinary story of World War II and innocence in the face of evil.
When Pierrot becomes an orphan, he must leave his home in Paris for a new life with his aunt Beatrix, a servant in a wealthy Austrian household. But this is no ordinary time, for it is 1935 and the Second World War is fast approaching; and this is no ordinary house, for this is the Berghof, the home of Adolf Hitler.
Pierrot is quickly taken under Hitler's wing and thrown into an increasingly dangerous new world: a world of terror, secrets, and betrayal from which he may never be able to escape. This title has Common Core connections.
When Pierrot becomes an orphan, he must leave his home in Paris for a new life with his aunt Beatrix, a servant in a wealthy Austrian household. But this is no ordinary time, for it is 1935 and the Second World War is fast approaching; and this is no ordinary house, for this is the Berghof, the home of Adolf Hitler.
Pierrot is quickly taken under Hitler's wing and thrown into an increasingly dangerous new world: a world of terror, secrets, and betrayal from which he may never be able to escape. This title has Common Core connections.
262 pages, Hardcover
First published September 24, 2015
896 people are currently reading
20358 people want to read
About the author
John Boyne
89 books15.5k followersI was born in Dublin, Ireland, and studied English Literature at Trinity College, Dublin, and Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, Norwich. In 2015, I was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by UEA.
I’ve published 14 novels for adults, 6 novels for younger readers, and a short story collection. The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas was a New York Times no.1 Bestseller and was adapted for a feature film, a play, a ballet and an opera, selling around 11 million copies worldwide.
Among my most popular books are The Heart’s Invisible Furies, A Ladder to the Sky and My Brother’s Name is Jessica.
I’m also a regular book reviewer for The Irish Times.
In 2012, I was awarded the Hennessy Literary ‘Hall of Fame’ Award for my body of work. I’ve also won 4 Irish Book Awards, and many international literary awards, including the Que Leer Award for Novel of the Year in Spain and the Gustav Heinemann Peace Prize in Germany. In 2015, I was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of East Anglia.
My novels are published in 58 languages.
My 14th adult novel, ALL THE BROKEN PLACES, a sequel and companion novel to THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS, will be published in the UK on September 15th 2022, in the US and Canada on November 29th, and in many foreign language editions in late 2022 and 2023.
I’ve published 14 novels for adults, 6 novels for younger readers, and a short story collection. The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas was a New York Times no.1 Bestseller and was adapted for a feature film, a play, a ballet and an opera, selling around 11 million copies worldwide.
Among my most popular books are The Heart’s Invisible Furies, A Ladder to the Sky and My Brother’s Name is Jessica.
I’m also a regular book reviewer for The Irish Times.
In 2012, I was awarded the Hennessy Literary ‘Hall of Fame’ Award for my body of work. I’ve also won 4 Irish Book Awards, and many international literary awards, including the Que Leer Award for Novel of the Year in Spain and the Gustav Heinemann Peace Prize in Germany. In 2015, I was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of East Anglia.
My novels are published in 58 languages.
My 14th adult novel, ALL THE BROKEN PLACES, a sequel and companion novel to THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS, will be published in the UK on September 15th 2022, in the US and Canada on November 29th, and in many foreign language editions in late 2022 and 2023.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,604 reviews
September 3, 2017
This is an unfortunate book, and I regret buying it for my son as a complement to a class novel he recently read in school, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.
Spending some time reading it myself now, after seeing the strange perception of history my son developed reading the above-mentioned Holocaust "fable" in school, I have decided I won't let him read this until he is old enough to discern the blatant mistakes, idiotic language, voyeuristic sensationalism, namedropping and Disneyfication of a time in German history that we take more seriously than the author of this book.
A short glimpse of the content:
A boy grows up in Paris with a French mother and a German father, both of whom fulfill the stereotypes of respective"national" behaviours and opinions. He soon finds himself orphaned and moves to the "top of the German mountain" to live with his aunt. When he is settled there, halfway through the novel, he realises, ALL OF A SUDDEN, that he lives on Hitler's Berghof. What follows is a farce. We get random glimpses of the decade from the mid-1930s to the end of the Second World War in 1945.
The young boy witnesses Hitler and his political and social entourage, and gets insight into Hitler's life from the perspective of a "house pet" that is considered harmless enough to be part of any sensitive discussion. He overhears the planning of concentration camps, for example, in dialogues that are painfully idiotic and unrealistic:
"This is very good, gentlemen", said the Führer, nodding approvingly. "Now, how about security?"
"I propose dividing the camp into nine sections", said Herr Bischoff. "You can see here on my plans there are separate areas. Over here, for example, the women's barracks. Over here, the men's. Each one will be surrounded by a wire fence - "
"An electrified wire fence", added Himmler."
And on and on, about guard towers and other security measures. Then I almost did not believe my eyes, reading on:
"And here?" asked the Führer, pointing to a place at the top of the map. "What is this? It says Sauna."
This is the point where the fictional main character, the young unrelated boy from Paris, interrupts the discussion (between Himmler and Hitler, presumably on the Endlösung! - Can you see me shiver with anger?), to ask why there will be no water in what the men call a shower room. Hitler,"quietly, turning away" (sic!), asks the boy not to interrupt anymore.
I am sorry, but I find this way of fictionalising Hitler beyond disgusting. Either it is completely naive, and should not be given to children in order for them not to have a distorted understanding of history, or it is not, and then I am speechless.
In times like these, I expect more care and sensibility when dealing with a topic like this. Either do it properly, or write about something else, maybe something that proves less challenging for a writer of mediocre imagination and linguistic skill.
But do not make money out of a hysterical, sensational interest in Hitler's character, based on a predilection for historical monsters. Or at least write for grown-ups, not children!
I would not bother review this kind of book if I did not think that the level of naiveté and stupidity has reached dangerous levels, and that parents are carelessly assuming that whatever is labelled children's literature is harmless.
In my opinion, however, making Hitler harmless is dangerous!
Spending some time reading it myself now, after seeing the strange perception of history my son developed reading the above-mentioned Holocaust "fable" in school, I have decided I won't let him read this until he is old enough to discern the blatant mistakes, idiotic language, voyeuristic sensationalism, namedropping and Disneyfication of a time in German history that we take more seriously than the author of this book.
A short glimpse of the content:
A boy grows up in Paris with a French mother and a German father, both of whom fulfill the stereotypes of respective"national" behaviours and opinions. He soon finds himself orphaned and moves to the "top of the German mountain" to live with his aunt. When he is settled there, halfway through the novel, he realises, ALL OF A SUDDEN, that he lives on Hitler's Berghof. What follows is a farce. We get random glimpses of the decade from the mid-1930s to the end of the Second World War in 1945.
The young boy witnesses Hitler and his political and social entourage, and gets insight into Hitler's life from the perspective of a "house pet" that is considered harmless enough to be part of any sensitive discussion. He overhears the planning of concentration camps, for example, in dialogues that are painfully idiotic and unrealistic:
"This is very good, gentlemen", said the Führer, nodding approvingly. "Now, how about security?"
"I propose dividing the camp into nine sections", said Herr Bischoff. "You can see here on my plans there are separate areas. Over here, for example, the women's barracks. Over here, the men's. Each one will be surrounded by a wire fence - "
"An electrified wire fence", added Himmler."
And on and on, about guard towers and other security measures. Then I almost did not believe my eyes, reading on:
"And here?" asked the Führer, pointing to a place at the top of the map. "What is this? It says Sauna."
This is the point where the fictional main character, the young unrelated boy from Paris, interrupts the discussion (between Himmler and Hitler, presumably on the Endlösung! - Can you see me shiver with anger?), to ask why there will be no water in what the men call a shower room. Hitler,"quietly, turning away" (sic!), asks the boy not to interrupt anymore.
I am sorry, but I find this way of fictionalising Hitler beyond disgusting. Either it is completely naive, and should not be given to children in order for them not to have a distorted understanding of history, or it is not, and then I am speechless.
In times like these, I expect more care and sensibility when dealing with a topic like this. Either do it properly, or write about something else, maybe something that proves less challenging for a writer of mediocre imagination and linguistic skill.
But do not make money out of a hysterical, sensational interest in Hitler's character, based on a predilection for historical monsters. Or at least write for grown-ups, not children!
I would not bother review this kind of book if I did not think that the level of naiveté and stupidity has reached dangerous levels, and that parents are carelessly assuming that whatever is labelled children's literature is harmless.
In my opinion, however, making Hitler harmless is dangerous!
July 3, 2017
Oh boy......THE BOY AT THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN......really surprised me.
1936 - Pierrot is such a good kid....at age seven, he doesn't even know the meaning of the word prejudice or hatred with a French mom, German pop and Jewish best buddy, but life as he knows it is soon turned upside down when he is orphaned and finds himself traveling alone by train from Paris to Austria to live with an aunt he has never met.
Meeting up with bullies....both young and old along the way....a naive Pierrot finds himself living in a dangerous new world he doesn't understand, but is influenced by darkness and evil that changes his life....and those of others....forever. Oh Pierrot.
Another short, but powerful read by John Boyne with a befitting end....and (for me) like The Boy in the Striped Pajamas....not just for young adults.
January 22, 2018
Some things we do as a child we are proud of. Some things we do as a child we are ashamed of. Can we learn as we grow to cover the shame and only remember the good, or are we destined to bring that shame along with us until the end of our days?
Pierrot is a young boy whose mother is French and his dad is German. Torn between the two cultures still in the throes of the recovery after The Great War, Pierrot finds himself with a father who drinks to excess filled with anger over Germany's loss in WW 1, and a mother who tries to bridge the gap in these two cultures. Pierrot has a best friend, a neighbor, Anshel, a Jewish friend who is deaf. Pierrot loses both his parents, one to being hit by a train and the other to tuberculosis. For a time. Pierrot lives in an orphanage, but is eventually taken by his aunt, a housekeeper for Hitler to Berghof. Before leaving for the orphanage Pierrot swears he will write to his friend, Anshel, and never forget him.
In the environment of Berghof, Pierrot now Pieter is indoctrinated by his awe for Hitler. Pieter is always striving to be the perfect German, never seeing what is happening around him abandoning the boy he once was for the Nazi he will grow to be. Pieter succumbs to the sin of pride, becoming so full of his own importance that he neglects those around them who have been kind and loving. Pieter becomes a true Nazi.
The war years pass and Pieter becomes more and more a shell of his former self. He has lost his innocence. He has become hardened. He has become a young man full of the right he believes Hitler has to mold a nation, to eliminate problems, and to take all that he desires. Hitler has become his god. Pieter survives the war but goes on to live a life filled with regret and memories that will haunt him forever.
Mr Boyne, is an author I admire greatly, especially after reading both his The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and The Heart's Invisible Furies. This author is able to create such feelings and emotion that make his novels ever so hard to put aside. This novel was no exception. The lure of power, the lure of control, and the ability to control the mind of our youth is a chilling testament of how someone like Hitler could have come to power. Although written as a novel for young adults, this book contains a lesson for all.
Pierrot is a young boy whose mother is French and his dad is German. Torn between the two cultures still in the throes of the recovery after The Great War, Pierrot finds himself with a father who drinks to excess filled with anger over Germany's loss in WW 1, and a mother who tries to bridge the gap in these two cultures. Pierrot has a best friend, a neighbor, Anshel, a Jewish friend who is deaf. Pierrot loses both his parents, one to being hit by a train and the other to tuberculosis. For a time. Pierrot lives in an orphanage, but is eventually taken by his aunt, a housekeeper for Hitler to Berghof. Before leaving for the orphanage Pierrot swears he will write to his friend, Anshel, and never forget him.
In the environment of Berghof, Pierrot now Pieter is indoctrinated by his awe for Hitler. Pieter is always striving to be the perfect German, never seeing what is happening around him abandoning the boy he once was for the Nazi he will grow to be. Pieter succumbs to the sin of pride, becoming so full of his own importance that he neglects those around them who have been kind and loving. Pieter becomes a true Nazi.
The war years pass and Pieter becomes more and more a shell of his former self. He has lost his innocence. He has become hardened. He has become a young man full of the right he believes Hitler has to mold a nation, to eliminate problems, and to take all that he desires. Hitler has become his god. Pieter survives the war but goes on to live a life filled with regret and memories that will haunt him forever.
Mr Boyne, is an author I admire greatly, especially after reading both his The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and The Heart's Invisible Furies. This author is able to create such feelings and emotion that make his novels ever so hard to put aside. This novel was no exception. The lure of power, the lure of control, and the ability to control the mind of our youth is a chilling testament of how someone like Hitler could have come to power. Although written as a novel for young adults, this book contains a lesson for all.
July 4, 2020
The only reason I picked this book was because it was written by John Boyne, who stole my heart this year with 3 terrific books.
I had no idea what this book was about. I went blind. I did not read the synopsis or reviews.
And I was amazed!
The writing is terrific!
This man knows how to write a drama.
The storyline is great.
At the second part of the book is when I discovered that the main character (an orphan and a lovable 7 years old boy), is sent to live with his aunt, who just happens to work for Hitler as a housekeeper at his vacation residence (the Berghof) in the Bavarian Alps, during the rise of the Nazi regime.
The transformation of this boy under Hitler’s influence is incredible. The loss of innocence. I can see people hating this book, especially when it comes showing a softer side of Hitler.
We can’t forget that almost a whole nation fell under his (evil) spell.
But this is a work of fiction, so any perspective is acceptable, right?
This book is directed for young adults but I think it’s for all ages.
It’s a fast and engaging read with full of emotions and plenty of dramas.
I had no idea what this book was about. I went blind. I did not read the synopsis or reviews.
And I was amazed!
The writing is terrific!
This man knows how to write a drama.
The storyline is great.
At the second part of the book is when I discovered that the main character (an orphan and a lovable 7 years old boy), is sent to live with his aunt, who just happens to work for Hitler as a housekeeper at his vacation residence (the Berghof) in the Bavarian Alps, during the rise of the Nazi regime.
The transformation of this boy under Hitler’s influence is incredible. The loss of innocence. I can see people hating this book, especially when it comes showing a softer side of Hitler.
We can’t forget that almost a whole nation fell under his (evil) spell.
But this is a work of fiction, so any perspective is acceptable, right?
This book is directed for young adults but I think it’s for all ages.
It’s a fast and engaging read with full of emotions and plenty of dramas.
July 19, 2016
¿Me ha gustado? Probablemente. ¿Me ha convencido? No. ¿Lo he disfrutado? A medias. Sí, la cosa está complicada.
El niño en la cima de la montaña era una novela que quería leer debido a lo que me había gustado El niño con el pijama de rayas. Me esperaba algo similar y al mismo tiempo que no se repitiera la fórmula, y es que justamente ha sucedido. No con un tono tan infantil e inocente, pero sí similar, y encima en la misma época... Que sí, el planteamiento es totalmente diferente, pero lo siento: no es original. Ese punto lo perdemos, Boyne.
Sin embargo, sí es cierto que es más interesante que el primer libro. Pero es importante diferenciar que tan solo lo es la segunda mitad, pues la primera me costó muchísimo (no conectaba con el personaje, no veía una trama clara...). El hecho de vivir en una de las casas de Hitler y ver la evolución de un joven niño medio francés a una persona totalmente irreconocible es un largo camino que no creo que esté bien tratado, pero que sí: resulta más que curioso.
No, Pierrot no me ha gustado nada. Desde el momento en el que se convierte en Pieter pierde mucho para mí y no me parece que esté justificado. La narración es pobre en ese aspecto. No me creo ese cambio, no me das motivos ni razones suficientes. Con enseñarme dos escenas clave por cada año del muchacho no voy a entenderlo mejor, ni a comprenderlo. No. En ese aspecto me han faltado muchas páginas y mucho desarrollo.
Pero en general, no está mal escrito. Tiene un estilo sencillo, que te deja con la sensación de que las cosas ocurren sin más, pero hay algo más oscuro detrás que tienes que ir descifrando. Eso me encanta. La trama no es nada del otro mundo, es interesante el lugar donde se encuentran y la evolución del protagonista -que aunque no convence del todo, te mantiene en vilo. Sí, la he leído rápido. He disfrutado de algunos personas, pero para mí es una novela que no termina de conseguir sus objetivos. Si te gusta el tema, puede gustarte.
El niño en la cima de la montaña era una novela que quería leer debido a lo que me había gustado El niño con el pijama de rayas. Me esperaba algo similar y al mismo tiempo que no se repitiera la fórmula, y es que justamente ha sucedido. No con un tono tan infantil e inocente, pero sí similar, y encima en la misma época... Que sí, el planteamiento es totalmente diferente, pero lo siento: no es original. Ese punto lo perdemos, Boyne.
Sin embargo, sí es cierto que es más interesante que el primer libro. Pero es importante diferenciar que tan solo lo es la segunda mitad, pues la primera me costó muchísimo (no conectaba con el personaje, no veía una trama clara...). El hecho de vivir en una de las casas de Hitler y ver la evolución de un joven niño medio francés a una persona totalmente irreconocible es un largo camino que no creo que esté bien tratado, pero que sí: resulta más que curioso.
No, Pierrot no me ha gustado nada. Desde el momento en el que se convierte en Pieter pierde mucho para mí y no me parece que esté justificado. La narración es pobre en ese aspecto. No me creo ese cambio, no me das motivos ni razones suficientes. Con enseñarme dos escenas clave por cada año del muchacho no voy a entenderlo mejor, ni a comprenderlo. No. En ese aspecto me han faltado muchas páginas y mucho desarrollo.
Pero en general, no está mal escrito. Tiene un estilo sencillo, que te deja con la sensación de que las cosas ocurren sin más, pero hay algo más oscuro detrás que tienes que ir descifrando. Eso me encanta. La trama no es nada del otro mundo, es interesante el lugar donde se encuentran y la evolución del protagonista -que aunque no convence del todo, te mantiene en vilo. Sí, la he leído rápido. He disfrutado de algunos personas, pero para mí es una novela que no termina de conseguir sus objetivos. Si te gusta el tema, puede gustarte.
October 10, 2015
John Boyne author of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas returns with another children's novel set during The Second World War. The story is about a boy called Pierrot an orphan who must leave his home in Paris and travel to Germany to live with his Aunt Beatrix who is a servant in a house calll the Berghof at the top of a mountain.
John Boyne is a wonderful adult and Children's writter. In this Novel he tells the story the of the corruption of Innonence and the horrors of war that children can get caught up in.
The book is extremely well written for children as it takes the reader to a time and place in histroy that should never be forgotton and I think it is a great introduction for 12 years and upwards to events of World War Two. I love how the author slips in names of people and places throughtout the stroy that will stay with the reader and when they study this period of histroy in school will be aware of the names and places.
I had to keep reminding myself that I was reading a childrens's novel because there were times when I felt that the 7 year old Pierrot seemed way beyond his years and read more like a child of 12 or 13.
I also thought that the author took a huge risk with the Pierrot being such a dislikable character as children tend to enjoy reading about likable characters but I see where he was going in the end and I think it will make the reader think outside the box.
I also think any book that can get kids asking questions and discussing events in history is a great book.
A good discussion book for youngsters but not much in this one for the adult reader.
September 10, 2018
“Just don't ever tell yourself that you didn't know.... That would be the worst crime of all.”
July 2, 2025
After absolutely and utterly despising John Boyne's 2006 The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, I did not really want to read his other Third Reich themed children's novel, his 2015 The Boy at the Top of the Mountain (as trusted Goodreads friends have already pointed out that in many ways The Boy at the Top of the Mountain is sadly and frustratingly even more naive and silly, even more screamingly unbelievable with regard to Boyne's take on WWII and National Socialism than has been the case with The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, and that this is indeed a pretty devastating and sad commentary in and of itself).
However, since I noticed I could easily download The Boy at the Top of the Mountain for free online and since I was also a bit curious whether this novel, whether The Boy at the Top of the Mountain is indeed and truly oh so much more ridiculously naive and defying reality than The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, I decided to skim through The Boy at the Top of the Mountain for verification (and yes, mainly if not even only just for verification, as I certainly was NOT expecting John Boyne to suddenly be penning something authentic and realistic regarding Adolf Hitler et al, but I guess I was also kind of hoping a bit that perhaps the level of naiveness in The Boy at the Top of the Mountain would maybe not be quite as horrible as my Goodreads friend Lisa has shown in her scathing but wonderful review).
But no, not only is The Boy at the Top of the Mountain definitely and hugely considerably more naively written than The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, I also (and totally in agreement with Lisa) do think that The Boy at the Top of the Mountain actually and in fact features a potentially very dangerous to and for young readers take on 20th century history and that John Boyne should not only be massively ashamed of this, but should also really and in my humble opinion be soundly taken to task for this. Because honestly, considering that during the Third Reich, IN REALITY, ALL German citizens, including children, were constantly being watched and monitored by the Gestapo, by the SS etc. and that any kind of rumours listened to, spread and sometimes even just casually picked up, including information and news about the existence of probable concentration and death camps for Jews and indeed for any opponents of the Nazis, could (and generally would) result not only in official censure but often in arrest (and even execution), sorry, but there is absolutely NO REALISTIC WAY that in The Boy at the Top of the Mountain, in Hitler's Berghof, the young protagonist Pierrot would be allowed to sit in, to listen and to even give his own comments when Hitler and company are discussing the so-called Endlösung (the final solution of not just putting Jews into camps, but basically and horribly murdering them en masse, and not to mention that Pierrot would likely also be disdained due to his mixed German/French background).
And well, for John Boyne to have Pierrot in The Boy at the Top of the Mountain rather actively be listening in and taking part in this and other similar "Berghof" scenarios, to be in the same room as Hitler, Himmler etc. while these monstrosities are officially discussing these horrible and so-called matters of state (and to be accepted by them, to be liked by them), honestly, the blatant historical inaccuracy of all this is for me and in my opinion almost something I personally would consider majorly criminally naive and is certainly also more than enough reason to both NOT EVER recommend The Boy at the Top of the Mountain to anyone and for me to also wish that negative star ratings would be available on Goodreads, since for me, The Boy at the Top of the Mountain is most definitely deserving of a lower than one star rating (and honestly, the very high generally ratings for The Boy at the Top of the Mountain on Goodreads and elsewhere, this makes me feel rather physically ill and even more angry than I felt with regard to Boyne's The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and to really wonder if John Boyne knows anything at all about WWII, The Nazis and the Holocaust).
However, since I noticed I could easily download The Boy at the Top of the Mountain for free online and since I was also a bit curious whether this novel, whether The Boy at the Top of the Mountain is indeed and truly oh so much more ridiculously naive and defying reality than The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, I decided to skim through The Boy at the Top of the Mountain for verification (and yes, mainly if not even only just for verification, as I certainly was NOT expecting John Boyne to suddenly be penning something authentic and realistic regarding Adolf Hitler et al, but I guess I was also kind of hoping a bit that perhaps the level of naiveness in The Boy at the Top of the Mountain would maybe not be quite as horrible as my Goodreads friend Lisa has shown in her scathing but wonderful review).
But no, not only is The Boy at the Top of the Mountain definitely and hugely considerably more naively written than The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, I also (and totally in agreement with Lisa) do think that The Boy at the Top of the Mountain actually and in fact features a potentially very dangerous to and for young readers take on 20th century history and that John Boyne should not only be massively ashamed of this, but should also really and in my humble opinion be soundly taken to task for this. Because honestly, considering that during the Third Reich, IN REALITY, ALL German citizens, including children, were constantly being watched and monitored by the Gestapo, by the SS etc. and that any kind of rumours listened to, spread and sometimes even just casually picked up, including information and news about the existence of probable concentration and death camps for Jews and indeed for any opponents of the Nazis, could (and generally would) result not only in official censure but often in arrest (and even execution), sorry, but there is absolutely NO REALISTIC WAY that in The Boy at the Top of the Mountain, in Hitler's Berghof, the young protagonist Pierrot would be allowed to sit in, to listen and to even give his own comments when Hitler and company are discussing the so-called Endlösung (the final solution of not just putting Jews into camps, but basically and horribly murdering them en masse, and not to mention that Pierrot would likely also be disdained due to his mixed German/French background).
And well, for John Boyne to have Pierrot in The Boy at the Top of the Mountain rather actively be listening in and taking part in this and other similar "Berghof" scenarios, to be in the same room as Hitler, Himmler etc. while these monstrosities are officially discussing these horrible and so-called matters of state (and to be accepted by them, to be liked by them), honestly, the blatant historical inaccuracy of all this is for me and in my opinion almost something I personally would consider majorly criminally naive and is certainly also more than enough reason to both NOT EVER recommend The Boy at the Top of the Mountain to anyone and for me to also wish that negative star ratings would be available on Goodreads, since for me, The Boy at the Top of the Mountain is most definitely deserving of a lower than one star rating (and honestly, the very high generally ratings for The Boy at the Top of the Mountain on Goodreads and elsewhere, this makes me feel rather physically ill and even more angry than I felt with regard to Boyne's The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and to really wonder if John Boyne knows anything at all about WWII, The Nazis and the Holocaust).
September 30, 2025
A minha opinião em vídeo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxMEA...
John Boyne volta a provar que ninguém escreve sobre crianças e o nazismo como ele.
O livro é impressionante na forma como mostra essa transformação e ainda mais nos detalhes históricos, com figuras reais como Leni Riefenstahl, Eva Braun, Goebbels ou Himmler a surgirem pelo caminho. Há até uma pequena ligação subtil ao Rapaz do Pijama às Riscas que me deixou arrepiada.
Forte, duro e brilhantemente escrito. Não há 6 estrelas para dar, mas merecia. John Boyne nunca desilude.
John Boyne volta a provar que ninguém escreve sobre crianças e o nazismo como ele.
O livro é impressionante na forma como mostra essa transformação e ainda mais nos detalhes históricos, com figuras reais como Leni Riefenstahl, Eva Braun, Goebbels ou Himmler a surgirem pelo caminho. Há até uma pequena ligação subtil ao Rapaz do Pijama às Riscas que me deixou arrepiada.
Forte, duro e brilhantemente escrito. Não há 6 estrelas para dar, mas merecia. John Boyne nunca desilude.
January 7, 2018
Uff.. was ein Buch. Ich weiß gar nicht wirklich, was ich dazu sagen soll. Ich kann es nur jedem ans Herz legen.
March 22, 2022
Ein sehr eindrückliches Buch darüber, wie ein vermeintliches Zugehörigkeitsgefühl, die Chance, statt des gepeinigten, zum Peiniger zu werden und eine persönliche Instabilität, die empfänglich für verschiedene Arten von Gehirnwäsche macht, aus einem unschuldigen Kind einen Täter werden lässt. Man kann der Wandlung zusehen und bleibt fassungslos zurück, wenn sie vollzogen wurde. Es gibt die Menschen, die Täter und gleichzeitig Opfer sind. Es ist tragisch und diese Tragik ist dermaßen greifbar. Es tut regelrecht weh, dies mit anzusehen. Genau damit spielen extremistische Gruppierungen. Sie spielen mit essentiellen Sehnsüchten von ungefestigten Persönlichkeiten. Der Sehnsucht, gesehen und gehört zu werden. Der Sehnsucht nach Wertschätzung, Anerkennung und Zugehörigkeit. Ein extrem wichtiges, anschauliches und tief berührendes Buch. Für mich, ein weiteres Highlight von John Boyne. ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
June 7, 2021
Another beautifully written historical fiction novel by author John Boyne. This is a very entertaining read from the author of ‘The Boy in the striped pyjamas’ and once again focuses on the war.
A young boy named Pierrot living in France is orphaned following the death of his mother and father. His father was a German soldier who is killed by a train and his mother dies of consumption. In the beginning Pierrot struggles to find a new home but is eventually taken in by his aunt, a housekeeper in Austria. Although Pierrot is happy to have a new home he is also sad to be leaving his best friend, a deaf Jewish boy named Anshel.
Seven year old Pierrot is put on a train and makes his way alone to a large mountain retreat where the staff live in fear of the master of the home. are terrified of the approach of “the master”. His aunt Beatrix is the housekeeper and her role is to look after the house for the master, Adolf Hitler.
Pierrot is a sweet naïve boy and he is taken in by the surroundings and the strange relationship he develops with Hitler himself. Pierrot is told to change his name to Pieter and never to mention his treasured friendship with Jewish boy Anshel. It is 1935 and the second world war is growing closer, with the friendship and influence of Hitler, Pierrot is rapidly becoming drawn by the German uniforms and power and becomes more remote from his aunt and friends.
This is so well written and the reader will go through many emotions throughout the book. Another masterclass in storytelling by John Boyne.
A young boy named Pierrot living in France is orphaned following the death of his mother and father. His father was a German soldier who is killed by a train and his mother dies of consumption. In the beginning Pierrot struggles to find a new home but is eventually taken in by his aunt, a housekeeper in Austria. Although Pierrot is happy to have a new home he is also sad to be leaving his best friend, a deaf Jewish boy named Anshel.
Seven year old Pierrot is put on a train and makes his way alone to a large mountain retreat where the staff live in fear of the master of the home. are terrified of the approach of “the master”. His aunt Beatrix is the housekeeper and her role is to look after the house for the master, Adolf Hitler.
Pierrot is a sweet naïve boy and he is taken in by the surroundings and the strange relationship he develops with Hitler himself. Pierrot is told to change his name to Pieter and never to mention his treasured friendship with Jewish boy Anshel. It is 1935 and the second world war is growing closer, with the friendship and influence of Hitler, Pierrot is rapidly becoming drawn by the German uniforms and power and becomes more remote from his aunt and friends.
This is so well written and the reader will go through many emotions throughout the book. Another masterclass in storytelling by John Boyne.
July 11, 2017
Una lectura corta, ágil y entretenida.
Una historia conmovedora que te remueve sentimientos y que particularmente me ha hecho enfadarme con el protagonista hasta llegar a comparecerme de él por ser una víctima más de Hitler.
Una historia donde vemos la inocencia de un niño, las influencias ideológicas y las repercusiones que estas tuvieron. Una parte de nuestra historia más reciente desde los ojos de un niño, que aunque sea ficción nos muestra la realidad que se vivió.
Si te gustó "El niño con el pijama de rayas" este libro te gustará.
Valoración: 9/10
Una historia conmovedora que te remueve sentimientos y que particularmente me ha hecho enfadarme con el protagonista hasta llegar a comparecerme de él por ser una víctima más de Hitler.
Una historia donde vemos la inocencia de un niño, las influencias ideológicas y las repercusiones que estas tuvieron. Una parte de nuestra historia más reciente desde los ojos de un niño, que aunque sea ficción nos muestra la realidad que se vivió.
Si te gustó "El niño con el pijama de rayas" este libro te gustará.
Valoración: 9/10
February 4, 2019
"You know why people wear uniforms, don't you, Pierrot?' continued the chauffeur. The boy shook his head. "Because a person who wears one believes he can do anything he likes. He can treat others in a way he never would while wearing normal clothes. Collars, trench coats, or jackboots, uniforms allow us to exercise our cruelty without ever feeling guilt." (93)
"Do you think they are good Germans?" he asked her then. "No, that's not a sensible question. I suppose that would depend on how you define the word good wouldn't it?" "Not really," said Katarina, putting the book in the center of her novel and looking directly at him. "I don't think there are too many ways to define the word good. You're either good or you aren't." "I suppose I meant do you thin that they're patriots?" "How would I know?" asked Katarina, shrugging her shoulders. "Although there are, of course, different ways to define patriotism. You, for example, might have the opposite view of it from me." (175)
The Boy at the Top of the Mountain is another fantastic edition by author John Boyne. The story follows Pierrot Fischer, a young boy of half-German half-French descent who lives with his parents in Paris in 1936. Pierrot idolises his father, a WWI veteran who fought for Germany under the Kaiser and suffers from PTSD, and lovingly adores his mother while befriending a Jewish boy named Ansel whom the two bond over writing and stories. As the story progresses, Pierrot loses both his parents, ends up in an orphanage, and finally travels to be with his aunt Beatrix, a maid who lives in an extravagant Austrian household outside Salzburg. Little does Pierrot know the house belongs to Adolf Hitler, and Pierrot will descent into a persona of a German nationalist under his influence. By the time the book reaches its epilogue, Pierrot will question everything he ever believed and have to come to grips with the unfortunate choices he has made.
Pierrot acts as a personification of the humiliation, anguish, and desperate need for redemption Germany as a country faced post WWI with the treaty of Versailles. It's little wonder why German citizens felt the need to go to such aggressive methods based on this. Pierrot begins by opening celebrating his duel background and his friendship with Ansel, but through a rather torturous discovery of just how vulnerable he has become, he lashes out into something he believes will aid him in purpose and strength, regaining and reforming that identity he lost. He not only loses himself, he becomes monstrous to people that under other circumstances he'd most likely be kind and accepting of. We as an audience essentially want to slap him a few times in these scenes. It's through this character study that we can see how people in societies turn their vulnerabilities into something super dangerous, enacting policies and making decisions in an illogical manner. Pierrot's own questions with Katerina regarding the idea of a "good citizen" versus a "patriot" and just what that really means are a good example of this dynamic. So is the power Pierrot feels when he puts on his own uniform when he grows in delusion with each purposeful choice he makes. Boyne is great at looking at the character analysis of average people who in turn make horrible decisions based on tragic circumstances and vulnerabilities.
Rating: 4.5/5
"Do you think they are good Germans?" he asked her then. "No, that's not a sensible question. I suppose that would depend on how you define the word good wouldn't it?" "Not really," said Katarina, putting the book in the center of her novel and looking directly at him. "I don't think there are too many ways to define the word good. You're either good or you aren't." "I suppose I meant do you thin that they're patriots?" "How would I know?" asked Katarina, shrugging her shoulders. "Although there are, of course, different ways to define patriotism. You, for example, might have the opposite view of it from me." (175)
The Boy at the Top of the Mountain is another fantastic edition by author John Boyne. The story follows Pierrot Fischer, a young boy of half-German half-French descent who lives with his parents in Paris in 1936. Pierrot idolises his father, a WWI veteran who fought for Germany under the Kaiser and suffers from PTSD, and lovingly adores his mother while befriending a Jewish boy named Ansel whom the two bond over writing and stories. As the story progresses, Pierrot loses both his parents, ends up in an orphanage, and finally travels to be with his aunt Beatrix, a maid who lives in an extravagant Austrian household outside Salzburg. Little does Pierrot know the house belongs to Adolf Hitler, and Pierrot will descent into a persona of a German nationalist under his influence. By the time the book reaches its epilogue, Pierrot will question everything he ever believed and have to come to grips with the unfortunate choices he has made.
Pierrot acts as a personification of the humiliation, anguish, and desperate need for redemption Germany as a country faced post WWI with the treaty of Versailles. It's little wonder why German citizens felt the need to go to such aggressive methods based on this. Pierrot begins by opening celebrating his duel background and his friendship with Ansel, but through a rather torturous discovery of just how vulnerable he has become, he lashes out into something he believes will aid him in purpose and strength, regaining and reforming that identity he lost. He not only loses himself, he becomes monstrous to people that under other circumstances he'd most likely be kind and accepting of. We as an audience essentially want to slap him a few times in these scenes. It's through this character study that we can see how people in societies turn their vulnerabilities into something super dangerous, enacting policies and making decisions in an illogical manner. Pierrot's own questions with Katerina regarding the idea of a "good citizen" versus a "patriot" and just what that really means are a good example of this dynamic. So is the power Pierrot feels when he puts on his own uniform when he grows in delusion with each purposeful choice he makes. Boyne is great at looking at the character analysis of average people who in turn make horrible decisions based on tragic circumstances and vulnerabilities.
Rating: 4.5/5
September 21, 2020
John Boyne is the master of YA World War II novels. His ability to capture the atrocities of the era, without any of the horrendous detail but retaining the devastating impacts of the time-period, are just masterful.
Young orphan Pierrot leaves Paris to live with his servant aunt Beatrix, who works for a wealthy household at the top of the German mountains, in 1935. Pierrot quickly becomes Pieter for his on safety and without too much sentimentality we see life through the eyes of a child for the next eight years.
Devastatingly good, the difficult story is told with an excellent pace and readability. The simplicity of the story belies its complexity, and the lack of power a child normally poses belies the power Pieter truly holds. Nazism and Hitler reign but the lesson is in the moral price we pay for both action and inaction. The ending is sheer brilliance.
Highly recommend for all ages (12+)
Young orphan Pierrot leaves Paris to live with his servant aunt Beatrix, who works for a wealthy household at the top of the German mountains, in 1935. Pierrot quickly becomes Pieter for his on safety and without too much sentimentality we see life through the eyes of a child for the next eight years.
Devastatingly good, the difficult story is told with an excellent pace and readability. The simplicity of the story belies its complexity, and the lack of power a child normally poses belies the power Pieter truly holds. Nazism and Hitler reign but the lesson is in the moral price we pay for both action and inaction. The ending is sheer brilliance.
Highly recommend for all ages (12+)
January 27, 2022
«Το αγόρι στην κορυφή του βουνού»
Ένα εφηβικό βιβλίο το οποίο διαβάζεται πολύ γρήγορα. Μου είχε κεντρίσει το ενδιαφέρον μιας κ αναφέρεται σε ένα παιδί το οποίο αφού χάσει τους γονείς του θα βρεθεί στο σπίτι του Χίτλερ. Εκεί θα ανατραφεί, θα χειραγωγηθεί κ θα υπηρετήσει πιστά τον «Φύρερ.» Είμαι προκατειλημμένη διότι δεν μπορώ να κρίνω ένα βιβλίο στο οποίο αποτυπώνονται τα σχέδια αυτού του φρικτού ανθρώπου που εξαιτίας του χάθηκαν τόσες αθώες ανθρώπινες ψυχές. Θα τολμήσω όμως, να πω πως στο τέλος υπάρχει μία ανακούφιση αφού ο μικρός ήρωας δεν αποποιείται τις φρικαλεότητες που έμμεσα κ αυτός αποδεχόταν. Υπήρξε έρμαιο, αδυνατούσε να κρίνει το σωστό κ το λάθος έχοντας μεγαλώσει σε ένα «νοσηρό» περιβάλλον περιτριγυρισμένος από αρρώστους ψυχικά ανθρώπους.
February 24, 2019
Chilling.
I’ve yet to read a John Boyne novel and be disappointed.
I’ve yet to read a John Boyne novel and be disappointed.
August 24, 2015
A short novel but intriguing and disturbing in equal measures.
Forget the links to Boy in the Striped Pyjamas as this is quite a different book all together , while it is set in WW2 and has the Fuhrer , the main character is very different and the book has a bit more meat to it than the simpler fable of The Boy in the striped Pyjamas. This is definitely a good thing. The predecessor is a brilliant book but trying to replicate it wouldn't have worked nearly as well.
The main character here is Pierrot / Pieter and there is a certain amount of naivety and innocence to begin with, the story develops into one about bullys, propaganda, brain washing, and what people will do because they are told or are protected by a uniform.
The path of the main character is both sad and disturbing. The loss of innocence and the rise of hatred is well written and I felt sad at the changes as the book progresses.
The finish is quite poignant with brings the book nicely full circle.
I really loved Boy in the Striped Pyjamas ( and Boyne's other YA war related novel Stay Where You are and Then Leave) but I was a little wary starting this as I expected a similar confused innocence book but I am glad I was quite wrong. This is another great book by Boyne and I will not hesitate to recommend it freely.
Happy to give it a full 5 .But be prepared to be disturbed by the content.
Forget the links to Boy in the Striped Pyjamas as this is quite a different book all together , while it is set in WW2 and has the Fuhrer , the main character is very different and the book has a bit more meat to it than the simpler fable of The Boy in the striped Pyjamas. This is definitely a good thing. The predecessor is a brilliant book but trying to replicate it wouldn't have worked nearly as well.
The main character here is Pierrot / Pieter and there is a certain amount of naivety and innocence to begin with, the story develops into one about bullys, propaganda, brain washing, and what people will do because they are told or are protected by a uniform.
The path of the main character is both sad and disturbing. The loss of innocence and the rise of hatred is well written and I felt sad at the changes as the book progresses.
The finish is quite poignant with brings the book nicely full circle.
I really loved Boy in the Striped Pyjamas ( and Boyne's other YA war related novel Stay Where You are and Then Leave) but I was a little wary starting this as I expected a similar confused innocence book but I am glad I was quite wrong. This is another great book by Boyne and I will not hesitate to recommend it freely.
Happy to give it a full 5 .But be prepared to be disturbed by the content.
September 2, 2020
Tras “El niño con el pijama de rayas”, John Boyne vuelve a escribir sobre un niño que sufre las consecuencias del horror nazi. Una historia que nos relata como una guerra trastocó la vida y el destino de millones de personas.
Descubrimos la fragilidad de la mente de un niño que es aleccionado para convertirse en un adolescente terrorífico y cómo el ansia de poder lo transforma en un déspota, llevándose a su paso seres queridos y amigos.
Es una novela destinada al público juvenil, pero que a mí me ha emocionado. Con una prosa sencilla llegará a un sorprendente desenlace, que obligará al lector a reinterpretar un aspecto clave de la historia: la insondable dimensión del perdón y la amistad.
Descubrimos la fragilidad de la mente de un niño que es aleccionado para convertirse en un adolescente terrorífico y cómo el ansia de poder lo transforma en un déspota, llevándose a su paso seres queridos y amigos.
Es una novela destinada al público juvenil, pero que a mí me ha emocionado. Con una prosa sencilla llegará a un sorprendente desenlace, que obligará al lector a reinterpretar un aspecto clave de la historia: la insondable dimensión del perdón y la amistad.
January 14, 2022
Ich muss das erst mal alles sacken lassen, aber Pierrots Entwicklung hat mir einfach das Herz gebrochen 🥺
Und das Schluss-Statement: dass er ein Leben lang Zeit hat, sich seinen Namen wieder zu verdienen. 💔
Und das Schluss-Statement: dass er ein Leben lang Zeit hat, sich seinen Namen wieder zu verdienen. 💔
January 29, 2025
4 stars
I rarely read a YA novel - however there are some authors that I will read everything they write regardless of genre. John Boyne is one of those authors - I would read his grocery lists, and probably find them interesting.
The Boy at the Top of the Mountain is one of those YA novels, and I found it very good. I would say that this book is geared for youth aged 10 to 14. So as an adult reading this, parts of it are predictable. But even with that, this novel is captivating.
A young boy loses his parents right at the beginning of World War II. Young and naive, of French and German heritage, his German aunt, who works in an esteemed Austrian household, takes him in. We then see what the influence of this house and his German heritage brings forth.
This is actually a well known story, it is just altered somewhat by seeing it through the eyes of a young boy as he grows into a man. Well worth the read for youth and adult alike.
I rarely read a YA novel - however there are some authors that I will read everything they write regardless of genre. John Boyne is one of those authors - I would read his grocery lists, and probably find them interesting.
The Boy at the Top of the Mountain is one of those YA novels, and I found it very good. I would say that this book is geared for youth aged 10 to 14. So as an adult reading this, parts of it are predictable. But even with that, this novel is captivating.
A young boy loses his parents right at the beginning of World War II. Young and naive, of French and German heritage, his German aunt, who works in an esteemed Austrian household, takes him in. We then see what the influence of this house and his German heritage brings forth.
This is actually a well known story, it is just altered somewhat by seeing it through the eyes of a young boy as he grows into a man. Well worth the read for youth and adult alike.
March 4, 2019
Cognitive dissonance, my old friend.
I really hated this book but at the same time I literally could not put it down. From the very beginning I had a gut feeling it was going to make me sad. But it also made me angry. Experiencing those conflicting emotions simultaneously made me uncomfortable and I think that is, simply put, what makes Boyne's writing so compelling.
He writes about the human condition with such audacity and incisiveness, yet its also clever and engrossing. In this case we have Pierrot, a boy of 7 with a French mother and a German father living in Paris in 1936. His father, dogged by his demons from WWI, has become an alcoholic and abusive. He (I believe) either committed suicide or was so inebriated that he fell in front of a train leaving Pierrot and his Maman to fend for themselves. Shortly thereafter she succumbs to tuberculosis orphaning Pierrot. This is in the blurb and not a spoiler.
What's important to note here is Pierrot's characterization. His best friend is the deaf Jewish boy downstairs, Anshel, who writes stories and gives them to Pierrot to critique. Their bond is a palpable one and they even develop their own language. He is small for his age, is constantly ridiculed for it and the cherry on top was how Boyne ensnared me with how sweet, kind and tender-hearted he is which made all the suffering exponentially harder to stomach. After a brief time with Anshel's family he's sent to an orphanage where he was bullied before his long lost aunt sends for him.
Beatrix is the housekeeper at the Berghof.
Things rapidly deteriorated from there, as you can imagine. He grows up under the diabolical tutelage of the Führer in the heart of the Nazi regime from the ages of 7 to 16. Formative years, to be sure.
What I found so riveting was this notion that Boyne's playing with of power and corruption and how easily, given a certain set of circumstances, they can alter a person. Beatrix in her desire to do right by her brother set in motion a chain of events that irrevocably changed people's lives, altering sweet little Pierrot in chilling ways and transforming him into loyal Pieter, Oberscharführer, who's unruly and capable of monstrous deeds. Which leads to the question of can reparations be made? And at what age are we to be held accountable for our actions?
I'm certain everyone will have a different experience with this book. I lean towards optimism and perseverance, but regardless, anything that makes me think, examine and evaluate this much is worthy of 5 stars despite the fact that I still feel a bit sickened and in desperate need of some fluff.
Nevertheless, Boyne's writing leaves an impression that's hard to ignore, so I will continue to read his words.
I really hated this book but at the same time I literally could not put it down. From the very beginning I had a gut feeling it was going to make me sad. But it also made me angry. Experiencing those conflicting emotions simultaneously made me uncomfortable and I think that is, simply put, what makes Boyne's writing so compelling.
He writes about the human condition with such audacity and incisiveness, yet its also clever and engrossing. In this case we have Pierrot, a boy of 7 with a French mother and a German father living in Paris in 1936. His father, dogged by his demons from WWI, has become an alcoholic and abusive. He (I believe) either committed suicide or was so inebriated that he fell in front of a train leaving Pierrot and his Maman to fend for themselves. Shortly thereafter she succumbs to tuberculosis orphaning Pierrot. This is in the blurb and not a spoiler.
What's important to note here is Pierrot's characterization. His best friend is the deaf Jewish boy downstairs, Anshel, who writes stories and gives them to Pierrot to critique. Their bond is a palpable one and they even develop their own language. He is small for his age, is constantly ridiculed for it and the cherry on top was how Boyne ensnared me with how sweet, kind and tender-hearted he is which made all the suffering exponentially harder to stomach. After a brief time with Anshel's family he's sent to an orphanage where he was bullied before his long lost aunt sends for him.
Beatrix is the housekeeper at the Berghof.
Things rapidly deteriorated from there, as you can imagine. He grows up under the diabolical tutelage of the Führer in the heart of the Nazi regime from the ages of 7 to 16. Formative years, to be sure.
What I found so riveting was this notion that Boyne's playing with of power and corruption and how easily, given a certain set of circumstances, they can alter a person. Beatrix in her desire to do right by her brother set in motion a chain of events that irrevocably changed people's lives, altering sweet little Pierrot in chilling ways and transforming him into loyal Pieter, Oberscharführer, who's unruly and capable of monstrous deeds. Which leads to the question of can reparations be made? And at what age are we to be held accountable for our actions?
I'm certain everyone will have a different experience with this book. I lean towards optimism and perseverance, but regardless, anything that makes me think, examine and evaluate this much is worthy of 5 stars despite the fact that I still feel a bit sickened and in desperate need of some fluff.
Nevertheless, Boyne's writing leaves an impression that's hard to ignore, so I will continue to read his words.
July 22, 2016
Más bien un 3,5 quizá. Pronto habrá reseña en el blog.
March 18, 2022
The worst example of pure crap I have ever read. Pretending to be historical. Pretending to teach something about the worst dictator ever to be born. Pretending a Jew who lost everything to Hitler could kindly take a german who had abandoned him, into his home to tell his story. As if he were any different from the millions of Germans who adored and paid homage to their leader. Oh right, when it was over they were sorry? Dialogue that reads like dropped blocks. Ridiculous plot twists. Preposterous all together and making me the most sick is that this tripe is being taught in schools where many adults and children think it’s just a peachy keen YA book. A best seller?!?!?! No wonder we have the president we do if this passes for history.
March 7, 2016
Knihu som čítal už strašne dávno, ale ostala mi v pamäti jedna veta, ktorá je teraz asi najväčšmi aktuálna:
"Je naozaj také ľahké skaziť nevinného?"
Nemám, čo viac dodať... Len to, že až to vydáme v máji tohto roku, tak si to všetci prečítajte. Podľa mňa ide o oveľa silnejší príbeh ako Chlapec v pásikavom pyžame a po dočítaní som len nemo hľadel pred seba a premýšľal o knihe a príbehu...
"Je naozaj také ľahké skaziť nevinného?"
Nemám, čo viac dodať... Len to, že až to vydáme v máji tohto roku, tak si to všetci prečítajte. Podľa mňa ide o oveľa silnejší príbeh ako Chlapec v pásikavom pyžame a po dočítaní som len nemo hľadel pred seba a premýšľal o knihe a príbehu...
February 4, 2018
Tenía muchas ganas de leer este libro hace tiempo, y aunque no estaba en un lugar prioritario en mi lista de pendientes, lo empecé a leer para salir de un bloqueo lector. Si bien al principio fue un poco lento y no terminaba de atraparme, pasada la mitad, me lo leí de una pasada. En este libro nos cuentan la historia de Pierrot, niño medio aleman medio francés, que termina viviendo con su tía, cuando sus padres mueren, y ella es el ama de llaves en la casa de Hitler. A lo largo del libro vemos la pérdida de la pureza de este niño, como lavan su cabeza, quiebran su inocencia y termina asumiendo como correctas cosas que están muy mal.
Sin duda hermoso libro, y del que estaré hablando más, dentro de poco, con una reseña en mi canal.
Sin duda hermoso libro, y del que estaré hablando más, dentro de poco, con una reseña en mi canal.
September 20, 2025
“Just don't ever tell yourself that you didn't know.... That would be the worst crime of all.”
I've been a big fan of John Boyne for a while now. This is his 5th most successful book, and with all the acclaim surrounding it, my expectations were definitely high. That said, I’ve come to realize I prefer Boyne’s contemporary work over his historical fiction.
While this is technically a children’s book, I felt the tone was overly simplified to the point of being infantilized. The portrayal of Hitler was particularly odd, and something about the narrative just felt… off. It seemed like the book was trying to echo the emotional resonance of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, but it didn’t quite land in the same way for me.
As always with Boyne, there’s a strong concept at the core, and I do appreciate what he was aiming for. Unfortunately, the execution didn’t fully work for me. Still, I will say I liked how the book wrapped up; it ended on a strong note.
June 8, 2016
4.5/5 stars
John Boyne is the author of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, a book that showed the horror of concentration camps through the eyes of a child. In this new novel, Boyne has written a story in a similar vein (this time with more grit/violence) that shows the innocence and naiveté of childhood and how easily it can be corrupted.
This is a short novel (220-ish pages) but it's packed with a lot of food for thought as it tackles some serious issues. While this book is written for a youth audience I'd suggest it for readers 12 years of age and up since there are some violent scenes which, while they would make for some great discussion with tweens/teens, may be too much for more sensitive readers.
In this new novel, Boyne deftly juggles the horrors of WWII with the innocence of childhood. He showcases how hatred and power can trounce innocence especially when one sees no other worthy options. He includes some touching scenes and some that are hard to witness but Boyne's words bring the reader into the heart of the issues that face this young boy and his unique living conditions.
I enjoyed seeing Pierrot's progression from likable protagonist who has lost so much to witnessing his metamorphosis into a very different person. Gradually, Pierrot/Pieter accepts Hitler's teachings, eagerly wanting to have the acceptance, leadership and attention that Hitler could provide, as he transforms into Hitler's little minion. While it was equally sad, maddening and frustrating that Pierrot was such a blind follower to Hitler, Boyne shows how this progression was possible with Pierrot not wanting/needing to think for himself or to think about the ramifications of his decisions. I went through many emotions regarding Pierrot from wanting to shake him, hug him, help him and pity him but more than anything I wanted him to come to his senses.
Overall, this was a well-written and enlightening read that I read in two sittings. While the book is a little slow taking off the amount of discussions that it can provide for young readers is well worth the wait. It tackles many important issues including friendship, death, bullying, the loss of innocence, standing up for what's right and learning to find your own way in spite of the powers around you.
Highly recommended.
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Doubleday Children's Canada for providing me with a complimentary hardcover copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
John Boyne is the author of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, a book that showed the horror of concentration camps through the eyes of a child. In this new novel, Boyne has written a story in a similar vein (this time with more grit/violence) that shows the innocence and naiveté of childhood and how easily it can be corrupted.
This is a short novel (220-ish pages) but it's packed with a lot of food for thought as it tackles some serious issues. While this book is written for a youth audience I'd suggest it for readers 12 years of age and up since there are some violent scenes which, while they would make for some great discussion with tweens/teens, may be too much for more sensitive readers.
In this new novel, Boyne deftly juggles the horrors of WWII with the innocence of childhood. He showcases how hatred and power can trounce innocence especially when one sees no other worthy options. He includes some touching scenes and some that are hard to witness but Boyne's words bring the reader into the heart of the issues that face this young boy and his unique living conditions.
I enjoyed seeing Pierrot's progression from likable protagonist who has lost so much to witnessing his metamorphosis into a very different person. Gradually, Pierrot/Pieter accepts Hitler's teachings, eagerly wanting to have the acceptance, leadership and attention that Hitler could provide, as he transforms into Hitler's little minion. While it was equally sad, maddening and frustrating that Pierrot was such a blind follower to Hitler, Boyne shows how this progression was possible with Pierrot not wanting/needing to think for himself or to think about the ramifications of his decisions. I went through many emotions regarding Pierrot from wanting to shake him, hug him, help him and pity him but more than anything I wanted him to come to his senses.
Overall, this was a well-written and enlightening read that I read in two sittings. While the book is a little slow taking off the amount of discussions that it can provide for young readers is well worth the wait. It tackles many important issues including friendship, death, bullying, the loss of innocence, standing up for what's right and learning to find your own way in spite of the powers around you.
Highly recommended.
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Doubleday Children's Canada for providing me with a complimentary hardcover copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
July 26, 2018
Leí "Epílogo" y dije: "qué raro que no me hizo llorar este libro"
...
JA!
Bueno, otro libro necesario. Súper rápido de leer; aunque te canta las cosas como eran, no te angustia, porque no te las _muestra_, y eso permite que la lectura sea fluida.
No busca redimir a los malos (no, no hablo de Hitler, hablo de otros malos, aunque a ese tampoco :p) y eso me gustó. Es una narración bastante descriptiva y si bien eso de a ratos te aleja del personaje principal, al final es buenísimo porque creeme, te sentirías horrible si lograras empatizar con él. Bah, al menos yo no pude ni empatizar ni simpatizar, no sé ustedes.
LEANLO Y ME CUENTAN.
btw NECESITO leer más de este autor...
...
JA!
Bueno, otro libro necesario. Súper rápido de leer; aunque te canta las cosas como eran, no te angustia, porque no te las _muestra_, y eso permite que la lectura sea fluida.
No busca redimir a los malos (no, no hablo de Hitler, hablo de otros malos, aunque a ese tampoco :p) y eso me gustó. Es una narración bastante descriptiva y si bien eso de a ratos te aleja del personaje principal, al final es buenísimo porque creeme, te sentirías horrible si lograras empatizar con él. Bah, al menos yo no pude ni empatizar ni simpatizar, no sé ustedes.
LEANLO Y ME CUENTAN.
btw NECESITO leer más de este autor...
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