Anne Frank the Diary of a Young Girl

by Anne Frank

Other authorsB. M. Mooyaart (Translator)
Paperback, 1982

Status

Available

Call number

T 949.207 FRA

Publication

Pocket Books (1982)

Description

Journal of a Jewish teenager describes the joys and torments of daily life and typical adolescent thoughts throughout two years spent in hiding with her family during the Nazi occupation of Holland.

Media reviews

The Guardian
This book at first seems rather light-hearted with the oddness of living without daylight but soon Anne's diary gets flooded with hardship as she gets bullied by almost everyone. A great book about the will to survive.
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It is a truly remarkable book. Its revelation of the emotional turmoil and intellectual growth of an adolescent girl during extraordinarily difficult circumstances is psychologically fascinating. Its portrayal of ordinary people under frightful nervous strain and perpetual forced intimacy is wise
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and perceptive. Anne was precociously mature in her understanding of both herself and of others.
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Anne Frank's diary is too tenderly intimate a book to be frozen with the label "classic," and yet no lesser designation serves... But her book is not a classic to be left on the library shelf. It is a warm and stirring confession, to be read over and over for insight and enjoyment.

Barcode

5107

Language

User reviews

LibraryThing member asciiphil
Sometimes, it seems that everyone except me had to read The Diary of Anne Frank in school. (The fact that I probably got more out of the book because I didn't is a piece for another day.) While I was reading, I learned from a friend of mine that I was reading an edited version. Though it is not
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indicated anywhere in the copy I have, it was edited by Anne's father before publication. (This despite the declaration "unabridged" on the title page.) I am told Anne's father removed much about Anne that was specifically Jewish or related to her burgeoning sexuality. (The former because he wanted her to be a more religion-neutral hero, the latter presumably because he didn't want people reading that about his daughter.) So I suppose I'll have to read the fuller version at some point. Regardless, this one is quite good.

Anne Frank was a talented writer. She does a good job of expressing what her life was like during the two years of her family's hiding from the Germans. At times, I did feel that I was an interloper in someone else's thoughts, especially during the time when she was exploring her feelings for Peter, but that lends to the feel of the book. It tells the tale of a young girl thrust into a situation where she has little control over her life and how she manages to live with that.

I'm not sure what I think of the translation. Anne originally wrote in Dutch, which doesn't work well for a sadly monolingual American such as myself. The translation is very much one for a British audience--in addition to things like footnotes translating guilders into shillings and pence, much of Anne's translated language usage involved very British phrases like, "had a jolly good row with so-and-so." For the most part this was relatively unnoticeable, since the phrasing flowed very smoothly through my understanding, but occasionally I was struck by the contrast inherent in a Dutch girl being given a British voice. I understand the reasons for the mode of the translation, but I do wonder what exactly Anne really wrote. (For a real answer, I'd have to learn Dutch, and for a real answer, I'd probably have to grow up in Holland.)

What strikes me most is Anne's generally unflagging optimism throughout the whole book. In one of her final entries, she waxes very introspective, examining her thoughts and behaviors carefully. Near the end of that entry, she writes, "It's really a wonder that I haven't dropped all my ideals because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet, I keep them, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can't build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery, and death."
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LibraryThing member GlebtheDancer
This is one of those books that I thought I knew what it would say, before I read it. I was expecting a chronicling of an heroic struggle of a family against the forces of oppression. What I found instead, was so much more human, touching, tragic and beautiful. Anne Frank was, from her own writing,
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a typical teenage girl: stroppy, irritating, precocious, gobby and loud. The inmates of the secret annexe are portrayed (by Anne) as constantly bickering over trivialities, being petty and finding little in the way of shared warmth. Anne also chronicles her burgeoning sexuality,and the beginnings of her transition into womanhood, like any young girl. And then, one day, it stops just like that, and they are all taken away, and they all die. Anne's diary is the most shocking reminder that the victims of the holocaust were just people; ordinary, mundane, people, killed in their millions. As a piece if literature its actually not bad, but as a documentation of the holocaust from the inside its incredible.
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LibraryThing member -AlyssaE-
i thought that this was a great book. its amazing. its not as powerful as getting to hear a holocaust survivor speak but its powerful. hearing a holocaust survivor speak is so powerful. everything you hear or read about the holocaust is shocking and almost unbelieveable
LibraryThing member MoniqueReads
"Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl" is to powerful to be adequately expressed in words. At the end I was in tears and so sad. The power in the story is not just not that Anne Frank dies in a concentration camp (I don't think this is a spoiler since it should be common knowledge) but in the hope and
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fear that Frank express throughout the diary.

The story is compelling because Anne Frank the reader gets to see a 13 year old girl develop while hiding in a back attic (apartment) during the holocaust. The reader gets to see her go though all the emotional and developmental changes that teenage girls go through. They get to read about her dream of being a reporter. Her appreciation for the Dutch people for not only hiding them but taking them in as refuges before the Germans conquered the country. Anne expresses her disassociation with her parents and the mixed feelings that age and Independence bring to the parent-child relationship. It is all there pain, hope, frustration, happiness.

Even knowing how Anne's story ends I couldn't help but hoping for her.

On another note: I really enjoy reading not only nonfiction books but also historical fiction but sometimes they put the world in order. For instance I know the time period that the holocaust happen. I know about Gandhi. But to put them together and to see how Gandhi's words affected Anne Frank and her family is eye opening. When in school there is a tendency to look at bits and pieces of history and disconnect places and events. Reading story like this mesh them together and gives people a boarder more encompassing view of the world.

Pros: Writing, Characters, Everything
Cons: Sad

Overall Recommendation:

I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It is most definitely now a favorite book. It is a real tear jerkier so keep a box of tissues with you and don't read it in a public place.
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LibraryThing member Goldengrove
I recently re-read this, as I'd done a display about Anne and her family in the school Library. Designing the display made me very sad, so I went back to Anne's own words.
As an adult reading the diary, it's amazing how self-aware Anne is; you can see her growing up as she writes, and more than
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that, you can see her noticing her own development. Anne's appeal is perhaps because she was both an ordinary teenager, and at the same time a very unusually clear-eyed individual.
It is, of course, impossible to read the diary without the constant shadow of Anne's future in mind. Although this is tragic, it also highlights the beauty and creativity of her brief life. I am encouraged that so many of the girls at school read the diary, and feel that they know this courageous, curious and exuberant young woman. She certainly achieved her ambition to become a writer, at the same time utterly defeating the Nazi's attempts to silence her.
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LibraryThing member varwenea
“I want to go on living even after my death!” – Anne Frank, April 4, 1944. She has far exceeded her expectations.

It is unnecessary to write a review of a person’s diary, especially when it’s the historical phenomenon of Anne Frank. My words here are perhaps notes more for myself than a
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review for my fellow LT users. Had she survived, I surmise that she would have been awarded a Nobel Peace prize, carrying on the message of peace and understanding, preventing these atrocities from repeating in the future, which is what Otto Frank did in his remaining years.

About the diary version, mine is “version b” the most common variant, a paperback stocked by the book shop at the Anne Frank House; this contains the editorial passages that Anne inserted upon her re-read and wanted her diary to be thorough and to be a reference for her future book, ‘The Secret Annexe’. It also has full content including her blossoming sexuality.

The diary was certainly intriguing. The first half was solid with historical notations, the specifics of living a life in hiding, and the relationships, interactions, frustrations, angst amongst those in hiding. I particularly enjoyed learning about their saintly helpers. The third quarter dragged for this reader as much of it was her pining for Peter van Daan. The last quarter contained her most mature and elaborate thoughts about war, its effects, the destruction.

Despite knowing the aftermath, I cried like a faucet reading the 'Afterword' and 'The Legacy of Anne Frank'.

Let’s close with these words from Anne, on July 15, 1944, shortly before they were taken on August 4, 1944:
“It’s utterly impossible for me to build my life on a foundation of chaos, suffering and death. I see the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness, I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too, I feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that this cruelty too will end, that peace and tranquility will return once more. In the meantime, I must hold on to my ideals. Perhaps the day will come when I’ll be able to realize them!”
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LibraryThing member ariebonn
One of the most touching books, the diary of Anne Frank gives you a closer look of the suffering that the Jews went through during World War II. When Anne started writing in her diary she didn't think anyone would be interested in reading it years later, but wow that certainly was not the case as
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this books lives on for years after her death and will continue to do so.

As Anne and her family go into hiding in a secret annexe in a warehouse, their life changes tremendously and they all have to learn to live together in the confined spaces of the annexe. As a thirteen year old, when so many changes are taking place, this was not easy for Anne but she never lost hope and kept dreaming that one day she will be a journalist and a writer. Her diary was her friend, the only way she could express her feelings and frustrations during these hard times. As everyone knows Anne Frank died in a concentration camp after they were discovered, and even though you know how it ends her writing keeps you hoping that they make it through. She had visions of the kind of woman she wanted to grow up to be and it is so sad to know that all those hopes and dreams were lost, and for what? The afterword must have been the most powerful part of this book, when it finally dawns what an unfortunate fate this talented girl had.

Everyone should read this book at some point in their lives, even if you're not into WWII writings, everyone should know about the suffering that these crazy times brought for the people irrelevant of the race, religion or nationality.
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LibraryThing member multifaceted
To be brutally honest, I did not like “Anne Frank: the Diary of a Young Girl” that much. Sorry. There are so many books about the Holocaust (yes, the event is a capitalized word—the lowercase word is something different) out there, and this was not the first I read. As a result, perhaps, I
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think there are a lot of books that can, and do, do better than this one to make the events “hit home”.

It found it somewhat uneventful; but of course, my life would be uneventful, too, if I lived in an annex and could barely ever make contact with the world! I can’t blame her for that, of course. Some of the events that did take place involved fights or Anne getting mad at her mother or sister, which I found to be kind of trivial.

Maybe part of the “blahness” is due to editing in order to make the book more acceptable? I notice there is a “newly” translated “definitive” edition out there, which could be different than the version I read.

I also found it extremely girly—I can’t deny that Anne Frank was example of a normal girl in a rather unique situation, so most women can more easily identify, I suppose. And I can’t deny that she was very insightful and smart. I, however, was never really into the whole pouring-my-heart-out-into-a-diary kind of thing, nor much “inspirational” writing. As I mentioned, I had read similar insightful stories about the Holocaust before (and shortly after) this one, so her maturity didn’t jump out at me and seem so profound. I’m sure this also contributes to why I couldn’t identify with/ didn’t like this book so much.

It’s good if you want something “inspirational”, and want to learn a bit about life in the Holocaust without reading about too many of the death facts, politics, whatever (naturally, being a kid in an annex, she was sheltered from much of it). Personally, I like something that has more of a mix of the two ends.
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LibraryThing member Milina_Moreno
This is an incredibly, incredibly powerful and moving biography. Anne Frank’s story is a heavy topic, but this story is wonderfully written because of how honest it is. Anne was given a journal for her thirteenth birthday and wrote in it everyday for years. This story is excellent because it
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contains real entries from Anne living in the Annex, hiding from the Germans. This made the story so much more real, as being able to read the entries was truly eye opening. I also love this story because the real struggles of Anne living in a tiny office building with her family, amongst others, are brought to life. While reading this story I felt deeply bad and sorry for Anne and the rest of the Jews living during this time. Although I’ve learned much about the Holocaust, this specific story was the one to bring it to life for me. The message behind this story is to fight for your rights and your families, no matter how hard the circumstances are.
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LibraryThing member Kait_scott
This book is about a young girl how had to go into hiding. while she was hidding she kept a diary of all the thing that happened.Unfortunately they got caught when they were hiddening. After all the camps let out her dad published her diary, because her dream was to be a writter.
My favorite part
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of this book was when she was talking about this girl J.R and how stuck up she was. This book was really good. Help explaine wah the Jews went through when it came to the Concentration camps. This was also one of thoughs book that i didn't want to put down.
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LibraryThing member harleyqgrayson02
I read this book when I was a teenager in middle school. I didn't really understand it but now since I am grown and I know the story. I love the book it was good.
LibraryThing member MeganS.B3
Unlike any of the other books I have reviewed, The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank, is a diary, written from Anne's point of view. The Frank Family (Otto, Edith, Margot, and Anne) was a Jewish family living in the time of World War II. Initially living in Frankfurt, the Franks were forced to
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move out of the heart of Germany to ensure their safety. In Amsterdam, they had set up a 'Secret Annex' on the third floor of Otto Frank's office and moved in with a couple other refugees. For months, the Franks and the refugees hid from the Nazis, who eventually took over the Netherlands. The Franks had to adhere to very strict rules: no one was to make a sound during the day and all windows had to be blacked out -- no one could open them. The Franks and the refugees hid successfully for over two years, but they were eventually betrayed. Anne was sent to Auschwitz, one of the worst German Concentration Camps. Tragically, Anne dies, not of the gas showers, but of typhus. Her greatest dream was to become a well known author, and thanks to her diary, her dream is fulfilled. Millions of people have read her diary in dozens of translations.

The reason why I picked up The Diary of a Young Girl was because my family and I were traveling to Amsterdam to see her 'Secret Annex.' This book is not a light, easy read. Anne Frank spills herself out onto the pages of her diary. She expressed herself more than she ever did to her parents. In the diary, you can really hear Anne's own words as you read. I am almost 13, the same age as Anne. It is very interesting to put myself in her shoes and see what it was like. I very much recommend her diary to teens who are interested in history, action, and suspense!
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LibraryThing member ShakelaWilliams
I remember reading Anne Frank The Diary of a Young Girl as a young adult, and I was moved by her story. I enjoy this book for many reasons. First, this book tackles The Holocaust in an age-appropriate way, without sugarcoating the topic. The reader sees the true effects of the Holocaust through the
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eyes of a young girl that is around the same age as them. Not only does it expose the reader to the true events of the Holocaust, but also it forces them to see a different perspective of life for someone their age in a different time period. When Frank states, “I can’t tell you how oppressive it is never to be able to go outdoors, also I’m very afraid that we shall be discovered and be shot.” The constant state of fear Anne Frank describes is really poignant and comes through transparently in the text. Also, the use of dates also helps the reader understand the time period and the relation to major events. The reader has the ability to see the date and compare it to major occurrences during the Holocaust. This helps them to develop a clearer understanding of historical events, while analyzing how traumatic this experience was for the Jews. The main purpose for this autobiography is to really get the reader to understand Anne Frank’s perspective of The Holocaust, and how the Jews really felt during this time period.
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LibraryThing member mbabst
In this novel,The Diary of Anne Frank, you are taken into life of a Jewish family and their struggle to survive. Anne Frank and her family hid out in a house during this time I which all Jews were sent to the concentration camp. When you read this book you are taken into their difficult yet
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simplistic lifestyle they endure while in this house. You will have a different perspective on the war because it shows how difficult living in the attic really was. I would assign this book to a group of 8th-9th graders because they will be able to understand the concept of the second world war along with how much suffering her family endured.
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LibraryThing member jcuttitta
I liked this book because it shed a realistic light on the holocaust. Most people know about the holocaust, but having it told from the perspective of a teenage girl makes the events more relatable to someone who did not go through this. Reading about how she liked Peter made the book relatable and
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showed how she was just an average teenager. I also liked this book because it was a first person telling of what actually happened during the Holocaust. So many Americans have no idea what it could have possibly been like and this story shows the reader from the perspective of Anne Frank which I throughly enjoyed. The big idea of this story was perseverance.
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LibraryThing member Charitas
This is the true story ofa young Jewish girl named Anne Frank. For her 13th birthday she received a diary and named it Kitty. In the diary she talks about the Nazi's sending a notice for her dad and sister departure for a concentration camp. The family flees to a hiding place and are joined by the
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Vans. The diary is about her life in hiding with her family and the Vans.

This is a very moving book. It really gave me a understanding of things that Jewish people went through.

For a classroom extension students would read a chapter in the diary and then we would discuss how the felt about it. They could always start their own diaries of their lives.
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LibraryThing member Polo.Pony
Everybody should read "Anne Frank: The Diary of a Yong Girl." Anne is Jewish during the time of the holocaust. Her family has to go into hiding and she writes about her experiences and thoughts in her diary that she received for her birthday. One of the things that makes this such an amazing story
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is that it is true and really was written by Anne.
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LibraryThing member sooziebeaker
Whether you're young or old this is a must read. A bittersweet tale of a family struggling to live in the 20th Century's darkest hour.
LibraryThing member Tahlil77
This is the unabridged version of one of the most famous diaries in human history. Coming with its own slipcase, it's bound in cloth and the book is constructed to look exactly like the original diary that is on display in the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. It's loaded with rare fotos, and has an
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introduction by Elie Wiesel.
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LibraryThing member mlcraft
Very litte illustrations beside the actual real pictures that depict Frank. This an excellent story of her diary that portrays incidents and struggles in her life.
LibraryThing member ajohns75
I absolutely love this book. It allows the readers to see how Anne Frank was feeling throughout her whole journey of going through World War II and The Holocaust. This would be good for fourth grade up until sixth graders, but any readers of a younger age should be approved by an adult to read this
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text. This book not only teaches students about Anne Frank and her family, but it also teaches about Word War II and The Holocaust, an extremely tragic time in history that should be taught to students for generations to come in order to avoid history repeating itself. One of my favorite aspects of this diary were the photos included in parts of the text, allowing readers to visualize the annex and significant points in Anne's life.
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LibraryThing member Patrick-Shea14
Anne Frank was a jewish kid living in Amsterdam, Holland during Nazi reign in Europe. Her and her family went into hiding in a local businesses attic. While living in the attic for almost two years, Anne Frank wrote a dairy sharing her experiences during Nazi occupied Europe and shares her wisdom
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in life though she is rather young but always humble in a way where her readers have a really strong connection to. This dairy is a another must read that not only kids, teenagers, but for everyone to understand what life of a Jewish immigrant in Europe had to go through.
This is a historic Realism
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LibraryThing member EdselC.B1
I think that anne frank is a really good book i though it had a story and im surpried that just i little girl can make the best book. I think people should read it beacuse it talks about a girl when she is hidding from the germans.She talks about what happens every day for example she talks about
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her house getting robed becuse germany is getting poor.Or when she needs to be cilent in the day time. Also this book is great this book people need to read it beacuse it is amazoning its alsome. She also talks about her sister and her mom and dad anne franks is inteligent she nows how to rite. Also anne tells use when it was the day of her birthday that she got chocloate for her birthday from her dad.These are some things that i like about anne frank.

The story starts when she has to mave to amsterdam beacuse the germans dont like the jews even thought anne frank is a german citicens they still hated the jews. When they moved anne mad lots of friends but one day the germans took over of poland and the frank family had to hid. So anne dad otto had a great plane he had a factory that had a back part to it and the only way to get their is to pass a book self.So anne frank and her family and some friends stayed their for over two years.but one day the germans found out were they were hiding .An that is how the story ends beacuse anne never came back to rite on her diary beacuse she died and this is how the story ends.
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LibraryThing member Andorion
The toughest part about reading this book was reading all of Anne's thoughts, dreams and ambitions and then looking at the date of the entry and realizing how little time she had left.
LibraryThing member douglasse2
Honest. Sweet. Achingly sad. Moving beyond words.

The autobiography of a young girl growing into adulthood under the eye of the Nazi regime. She is a deep thoughtful and observant person who ends up hiding with her family as well as another family in an attic. Her descriptions were powerful: being
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silent for hours in fear of discovery, of hoarding flour to bake a cake for a birthday celebration, falling in love and having her first kiss. You will grow as a person reading this book.
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ISBN

0671617605 / 9780671617608
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