Well written and powerful fictionalize view of worn torn eastern Europe during WW II. A real page turner!

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Harrowing story of a jewish boy wandering through eastern Europe during World War II.

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This book is autobiographical and an excellent study of the effects of the horror of war, especially on young children. Jerzy finally committed suicide but only after becoming one of the best authors of all time. A very worthwhile read if you have a strong stomach.

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awesome and disturbing book. one mans account of how he, as a small child, survived the nazi occupation of his homeland.
this new printing has a forward by the author.
warning- this book does have some very disturbing sexual practices
i found this book so interesting i finished it in one sitting.

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If Kafka's In the Penal Colony upset your appetite, this one is definitely not your forte. This explores the absolute worst of humanity. The ravages of occupying military forces have been portrayed for ages; in this the author described the outrages of the civilian population against its own. And, the military may well take second place in the atrocity category. But, if Kafka intrigues you, you will want to read this. I might also suggest some other equally disgusting classics: McKinley Kantor's Andersonville and Michener's The Bridge At Andau, both primarily non-fiction.

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This is the harrowing story that follows the wanderings of a young boy abandoned by his parents during World War Two. This is rather gory in many parts and as another reviewer says " warning, there are some rather unusual sexual practices" this is true. Not for the squimish. But very good book, as this is how it was then.

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The Painted Bird describes the evils of war and their effects on a young boy, the narrator who is 6 yrs old when the story opens at the onset of WWII. The innocent, sheltered boy's parents, presumably wealthy Jews, arrange to send away their only child for safekeeping at a Slav village. But due to a series of unfortunate events, the boy finds himself alone and unprotected, as he endures crisis after trauma followed by disaster. With each horror he survives, the boy loses more of his naivete, and eventually even bits of humanity.

In this book, written in 1965, this little boy is exposed to beatings and abuse of just about every variety imaginable, natural disasters from fires to lightning, and a range of the very worst of human nature; he endures misinformation of all kinds (religious, political, and outright lies), being chased and captured, and intense isolation; he is both witness and victim to sickness, injury, torture, sex and sexual depravity, starvation, and animal cruelty.

Miraculously the boy reaches the age of 12 and the war ends. His ordeal, and the outcome are devastating.

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