After watching JoJo Rabbit at the beginning of the year and absolutely loving it, I knew I had to read Caging Skies, the book that influenced the movie. Luckily, I loved the book too.
The story is set during the height of Hitler’s ruling in the 1940s and is told by Johannes, a member of the Hitler Youth. Johannes idolises Hitler, so much so that he won’t have his cautious mother say a bad word against the man. When Johannes is injured in a raid and is ordered to rest at home, however, he discovers that he’s not alone in the house. Elsa, a Jewish girl being cared for by Johannes’ parents, is hiding within the walls.
The story follows Johannes’ discovery of the girl, his hatred towards her, his intrigue and, eventually, his obsession. Elsa becomes everything Johannes, as a naive boy, could want in his first crush, but can he betray his idol and accept the fact she’s a Jew?
After watching the comical satire of JoJo Rabbit, I expected a similar tone from the book. What I found was almost the complete opposite. Leunens has created two compelling yet frustrating characters who lure you in to becoming a bit too invested in their story.
There are a handful of differences between the film and the book: Johannes is older in the book, his father is present and there are much more in-depth conversations between him and Elsa. What I found the most interesting was the way in which Leunens portrays manipulation and toxicity, something which is brushed off under the guise of comedy in the film.
Overall, Leunens has managed to write an odd but raw narrative against a really interesting historical and political backdrop. I’m glad I got to experience this story from the comical and childish perspective of the film and the much more serious perspective of the novel.
- Katie S x
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