6 reviews for The Diary Of A Young Girl
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The Diary Of A Young Girl
by Anne Frank
Description:
Discovered in the attic in which she spent the last years of her life, Anne Frank’s remarkable diary has since become a world classica powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit. In 1942, with Nazis occupying Holland, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl and her family fled their home in Amsterdam and went into hiding. For the next two years, until their whereabouts were betrayed to the Gestapo, they and another family lived cloistered in the “Secret Annexe” of an old office building. Cut off from the outside world, they faced hunger, boredom, the constant cruelties of living in confined quarters, and the ever-present threat of discovery and death. In her diary Anne Frank recorded vivid impressions of her experiences during this period. By turns thoughtful, moving, and amusing, her account offers a fascinating commentary on human courage and frailty and a compelling self-portrait of a sensitive and spirited young woman whose promise was tragically cut short.
About The Author
Annelies Marie “Anne” Frank was a Jewish girl born in the city of Frankfurt, Germany. Her father moved to the Netherlands in 1933 and the rest of the family followed later. Anne was the last of the family to come to the Netherlands, in February 1934. She wrote a diary while in hiding with her family and four friends in Amsterdam during the German occupation of the Netherlands in World War II.
She lived in Amsterdam with her parents and sister. During the Holocaust, Anne and her family hid in the attic of her father’s office to escape the Nazis. It was during that time period that she had recorded her life in her diary.
Anne died in Bergen-Belsen, in February 1945, at the age of 15.
Skryf Review
“Good Book”
parth
For her 13th birthday Anne Frank received a diary she dubbed Kitty. Shortly after her birthday with the fear that her older sister, Margo may be taken by the Nazis the Franks disappear into the night and go into hiding. It is through Kitty that Anne records her thoughts and daily life living behind a bookcase in the secret annex.When I was younger I went through a “holocaust” phase before moving on to Harriet Tubman and slavery. The funny thing is that Anne Frank’s Diary was not the first Holocaust book I read, I think that was The Devil’s Advocate. Anyway,I soon became fascinated by the Secret Annex and the secluded life she lived for two years. Unfortunately she and the other occupants of the Annex were betrayed and sent to concentration camps with only her father Otto Frank surviving. The tragic thing (not to minimize the inhumanity of it all) is that Anne died mere weeks before liberation. Anne’s dream was to have her diary published after the war and after liberation her father saw that happen, making Kitty a time capsule to an unfathomable past.
arif
I confess to feeling slightly voyeuristic while reading this. It was constantly in the back of my mind that this was no ordinary novel, or even a true-to-life account. This was someone’s diary. Every page written in confidence, each word revealing the thoughts closest to the heart of this young girl. As a journal-keeper myself, I sometimes find myself wondering, “What if someone else were to read this?” which causes me to wonder how much to filter my words. But then, isn’t the purpose of a diary or journal just the opposite? To record one’s honest and unfiltered thoughts? While reading Anne Frank – The Diary of a Young Girl I do not get the sense that there is any such ‘filtering’ going on. From the ages of 12-15 Anne lived an extraordinary life, and quickly grew far beyond her years in her understanding and handling of a horrendous situation.I would recommend Anne Frank – The Diary of a Young Girl to absolutely everyone, for I believe that it holds some truth or enlightenment for everyone. I do not own this copy – it was borrowed from my daughter’s school library. She will be reading it next. She is 10. And you can bet that before long I will purchase my own copy, for I will be reading it again someday soon.
Kalgi
It happened. That thing, the reason I have put off reading this, happened. My heart broke. And I knew it would. Sure, I had heard of Anne Frank, I knew who she was, what she did, what happened. She is a historic figure, and a tragic one certainly. But I didn’t make the really personal connection until I read her words, this diary. Her words bring her to life again. What a precocious young girl, so smart, so full of life; a life with so much promise, so much hope. She thinks, even writes, very much like a young girl would today. I think that’s why so many young people feel a connection with her still. It’s not a great work of literature. It can be tedious at times, even repetitive. But it’s an important contribution to history. It tells a story that needs to be told again and again, not forgotten. Yes, Anne’s words do give her life, and they will break your heart. But more importantly they resonate across time and around the world, and I expect they always will.
pankti
I’ve read reviews of The Diary of a Young Girl that complained about how Frank ignored the bigger picture of the war and that her subject matter was trite, whiny and insular. What else could it be, this diary of a teen secreted away in the compact environs of an attic with the same people for years learning little-to-no outside information?From the standpoint of a detached, pure read, the fact that the diary includes a love interest is a blessing. But even without it, it’s a wonderful and at times intense read. There were numerous times when the family was nearly caught during which my heart would race uncontrollably and my breath would catch. Knowing what happens to all of them after the diary ends packs the kind of punch you get in fiction…only it’s not.
Helly
I really wish I had a different translation of this book because this one lacks a lot of the personality and ease compared to the audiobook version I partially listened to. But this book should definitely be one of the books you read before you die because it is so tragic and enlightening. Nothing makes me angrier and sadder than seeing someone with so much potential and excitement rave about their passion for life, and in the end, never made it to accomplish their dreams, or see their work published. (this is also why This Star Won’t Go Out made me sob.) Anne surprised me with how real and relatable she is, and she really seems to grow into her writing style and throughout the book you can note a change in her maturity and the way she describes and reflects on things. Had this book been easier to get through it would have been 5 stars, but some parts just dragged for me.