Caging Skies - Original and JoJo Rabbit adaptation

    Caging Skies by Christine Leunens 

 * "Emotions lead you to what logic is incapable of finding on its own.” 

 * "A man who dreams he's being hunted isn't safe and sound in his bed. A man is where his spirit is. If he lived a base life with one woman but had another woman locked up in his heart the whole while, she was the only one he loved. The only one he really shared his life with. The most secret, powerful gift given to a man isn't life, but the capacity to snip at it in his mind, trim it in his heart, cultivate all the branches that should have been and were given life within the nicks in his will, the cuts of his soul. This is where the tree of life is hidden, grafted in each and every man".

The above quotes from Caging Skies are just some of the deep ,meaningful lines from the book. The Author,  Christine Leunens , has the depth and style which makes us a part of the character's life. The author creates Johannes, a child of the second World War , the male protagonist, in such a way that he is constantly learning from his experiences and is being pushed by his chaotic environment.  This is more of an apology writing to Elsa , a Jewish girl elder than Johannes who was kept hidden from the Nazis , at the war time .

 

The story revolves around these two characters who happened to meet during the war and depart after years after the war. The book starts with a brief prologue like paragraphs which gives us an image of what the story beholds. "The great danger of lying is not that lies are untruths, and thus unreal, but that they become real in other people's minds. ..." This first sentence gives away the heart of the story and the following explains it in a Christine way - very meaningful and deep. Johannes explains his family, his background and how he was bought up in the Nazi regime. The experiences told by Johannes or Jojo is much detailed that it contains various German as well as local terms which gives it's own beauty. His family included his father , mother and grandmother mostly. He had a sister who died early. Pimmichen (grandma) stays with him even after his mom's execution by the nazis for working against them. Fortunately Elsa is still not found but from now on Jojo had to look after the house as his father was not with him. He had suffered a brutal injury making him handicapped while his mother was alive. This made it hard for them to live. 

As he was handicapped,  he worked  hard for Elsa and Pimmichen. He didn't have any jobs and he couldn't easily get one due to his condition. Somewhere he fell in love with Elsa . Elsa was hidden in a small space between the walls and the experiences said by her is sad. After the war, Elsa was free technically yet this was kept hidden from her by Jojo . This turned their life into something else from the reality.  Rest of the story beholds twists - His father's reappearance, Nathan's ( Elsa's love) truth, Pimmichen's death all led to JoJo into a situation from which he was unable to escape from.  His hopes were finally  curtailed by reality. At last , the nail to the coffin in which Elsa's disappearance made his mind and life heartbreaking for any reader. 

You can buy this book from the Google books store at Caging Skies ebook   and at Caging skies audiobook   . You can get a free sample for the ebook. Another option is kobo where also you can get an ebook . Click Caging Skies ebook in Kobo

The book is of a average novel size and contains a bleak, dark  story of a lost boy. I absolutely loved this book as it stayed with me in my head for a very long time . It is eye opening as it shows the truth behind lies and its consequences.  Yet the book is only for strong people and if you  feel bad for  Jojo , it is not your fault. The mistakes are done by him only he was the reason for his downfall. Yet the author makes us sentimental at the end ,yearning the reader for every last bit of hope , and of course it is inevitable.  

Many references of the book has actually help create a society that once was born. The book also tells the horrors that germans faced after the war , how they were treated and presents a clear image of Germany pre-war, during the war and post war changes. It tells us the innocent people whose lives where very much affected by the war . It also tells us a little about how the foreigners treated the heart of Germany. 

Recreations

Out of the many adaptations, Taika Watiti's JoJo Rabbit is the most famous.Don't be astonished if you are . The recreation created by Taika Watiti's family friendly humor satiric film Jojo Rabbit was actually inspired by Caging Skies.  This film has made the story into something else that any one is able to watch it and even laugh. The story here ends at a very  different way from the original . It was nominated in the golden globe and is a movie you must watch especially you have read the original. This film lightens the mood for the spectaters. I would recommend you to read the novel first and then the film . This , I believe will help you get through all the pessimist thoughts. If you had watched the movie , then try out the novel and of course it will take you to another world. This is the trailer for the movie - Jojo rabbit . You can watch full movie in Disney Hotstar if you are subscribed.

Author 

Christine Leunens has published 3 books - Primordial Soup, Caging Skies and a can of sunshine. It has been translated to over 20 languages and Caging skies ,her most famous work was a international bestselling novel. She lives in New zealand now ,born in US. Her book Primordial Soup mainly focuses on sex ,food and faith , a critical success in 1999. Her Can of Sunshine tells a vivid story behind a mother- in- law and daughter-in-law relationship. She now lives with her Husband and her 3 children.