Discovered in the attic in which she spent the last years of her life, Anne Frank's remarkable diary has since become a world classic -- a 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 Annex" 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.
A beloved classic since its initial publication in 1947, this vivid, insightful journal is a fitting memorial to the gifted Jewish teenager who died at Bergen-Belsen, Germany, in 1945. Born in 1929, Anne Frank received a blank diary on her 13th birthday, just weeks before she and her family went into hiding in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. Her marvelously detailed, engagingly personal entries chronicle 25 trying months of claustrophobic, quarrelsome intimacy with her parents, sister, a second family, and a middle-aged dentist who has little tolerance for Anne's vivacity. The diary's universal appeal stems from its riveting blend of the grubby particulars of life during wartime (scant, bad food; shabby, outgrown clothes that can't be replaced; constant fear of discovery) and candid discussion of emotions familiar to every adolescent (everyone criticizes me, no one sees my real nature, when will I be loved?). Yet Frank was no ordinary teen: the later entries reveal a sense of compassion and a spiritual depth remarkable in a girl barely 15. Her death epitomizes the madness of the Holocaust, but for the millions who meet Anne through her diary, it is also a very individual loss. --Wendy Smith
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
review:
Received item in a very timely manner...would certainly recommend this seller to others...keep up the good work! God's blessings and prosperity to you!
The more real Anne:
While any edition of Anne Frank's diary is worth reading, I prefer the definitive edition. Most of you know that it includes previously removed material about her strained, complicated relationship with her mom, her more saucy comments that convey her frustration with many of the adults in the secret annex, and her developing sexuality. All these things make her more well rounded than in the regular version. Her progression from a silly school girl to a more mature, introspective young woman is even more... more info
Greatest bit of propaganda in the 20th century:
An overwrought bit of propaganda that has been worth well over $300 billion in aid to Israel over the last several decades.
Stories of Fear, Love, Religion, etc.:
I was shocked at how insightful this young girl was in her entries. I tended to forget that Anne was a girl who was only 13-15 years old. The way she discussed such issues as love, religion, politics, a life of anonymity, her relationship with her parents, the war, etc. were a joy to read. The progression of the diary entries truly showed how Anne matured into a young women. Although Anne was in a situation very few have been in, I believe her diary entries reflect the general mind of teenage girls.... more info
