The Boy At the Top of The Mountain
- TalkingCircles
- Mar 18
- 4 min read
A young adult fiction that is important for any impressionable mind to read- to know how easy it is to get carried away by a notion, without pausing to think about the consequences, until it is too late. Recommended reading for 14+
Teenage is such a vulnerable time. So easy to get swayed by different influences and get completely absorbed in them. The key not to get lost in something that may be potentially harmful is the recognition that people around who care and love, often offer advice based on experience. Listening first to understand instead of dismissing them right away, is an important takeaway from the book apart from of course all the knowledge it provides a young reader by presenting a very different perspective of World War 2. Had the protagonist, Pierrot, listened to what his aunt and the people around who truly cared for him, had to say, when they warned him to be careful, perhaps his life would have turned out to be a lot more fruitful.
A brief about the book
Pierrot is all of seven when he becomes an orphan. To see a character in such a helpless state when there was much going on in Europe with Hitler rising to power, makes for a compelling start to this terrific book, thanks to the amazing, gripping writing style of Joyne Boyne known for his book The Boy in Striped Pyjamas. How will the character survive? What will happen next? Questions such as this one, will push the young reader to read further. After all it is just the beginning of the book.
Pierrot is born to a French mother and a German father. Put that in the context of Hitler wanting to usurp whole of Europe, the story begins to gain a new perspective altogether. Add a best Jew friend in the mix. It is the best Jew friend's family that takes him in after he loses both his parents. It is this family that does what they can to help him through tough times. The friend's mother, a widow herself, must make ends meet. She has to take a difficult decision about Pierrot. She is the one who finds information about his aunt, in Austria, whom he has never seen. The aunt is a housekeeper in a rich household. Not any ordinary household, but this is Berghof and belongs to Adolf Hitler. The aunt manages to get permission from her master to take in Pierrot. Pierrot comes to the house as an innocent child who is grieving the loss of his parents. He leaves as a young man who has done many wrong things, driven by his fascination for Hitler. The immense desire to serve Hitler, blinds this young protagonist and he does not see the consequences of Hitler's doctrines and methods.
The Power of the book also lies in the writing style:
John Boyne's powerful narrative style of writing gives the young adult ample room to ponder and interpret as one reads along. What could be a better perspective than a third person, reading the story of a young boy who got swayed by the man who was considered a terror by many and yet blindly aspired to serve him?
Relevance of the book in this day and age
Apart from showcasing the consequences of the thirst for power over others, this book also shows the reader what it is like to get carried away by a notion. In the age of social media it is a lot easier to create a propaganda, a notion and/or get influenced by it, without a second thought. Equally easy to believe any news that comes through multiple channels. Taking a moment to question, to think, is perhaps becoming even more important. Although this book is set in the most horrifying periods in human history, it is an excellent example of how easy it is to get swayed by a notion.
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