The Diary of a Young Girl: The Definitive Edition (A Puffin Book)

I could not put this book down. I have been to numerous Holocaust memorials and museum around the world, and met descendants of victims of the Holocaust. All have affected me to a degree, but none like the innocent voice of this young girl. There are three reasons for the strong impact: She writes about what is happening to Jews during the Holocaust in such a matter of fact manner, she did not labour over the injustice of the situation or dwell extensively on it. The innocence of this young girl is unintentionally juxtaposed with the brutality of the Nazi regime. This understated way of telling the story left a huge impact on me. She spends a huge amount of time talking about her boy troubles and her treatment by the adults in the hideout. The arguments they have are so trivial compared to the fate that awaits them and the rest of the Holocaust victims that you get the sense that they do not understand the extent of the trouble they are in. [example of argument]. Telling the story this way worked extremely well in building up tension for the reader, as the days and months rolled on and the end drew closer. She is full of hope. Just three months before the household was caught and taken captive, she speaks about her hope that she will be able to go back to school within that time. The fact that I knew how the book ended made every word she wrote gut wrenching to read. This is such a wonderful book about the strength of the human spirit. Not only from Anne but from all the members of the household. There were 7 members in hiding, and while Anne alluded to running out of food and the constant fighting from the tension that builds up when people live in close quarters 24/7, they found room in their heart to compassionately take in another friend, to share their space and food and increase the chances of them getting caught. While in hiding they also managed to buy each other gifts for their birthdays. Lots of generous gifts at that. It is easy to dismiss such behaviour as non-essential and a waste of money in times when necessities such as food are hard to come by, but it must have been essential to the members of that household to have something to look forward to. Otherwise they might have gone insane. This is an important book and a great read for lovers of memoirs and history. www.11hackney.com

This is not normally the type of book I would read, but being interested in the Second World war, I thought I would try it. I found I simply couldn't put it down, and finished in two days. The book provides valuable information both on the War and conditions for Jews in hiding at that time, but also reads like a novel as Anne talks about the other members of the Annexe and their strengths and weaknesses as people. Also she constantly evaluates her own character and personality, sometimes being over critical and too self deprecating. She was clearly a great writer and never seems like a young girl. The thing that really struck me though was what a terrible waste, not just Anne but all the other members in hiding. By the end of the diary you feel like you know them all, yet they were murdered for no reason whatsoever other than their religion. This book should be read by anybody of any age who wants to know what life was like during the war. The constant hardships and living in fear of being discovered. I am glad I read it.

It took some time, over the years, to finally sit down and read Anne's book. Having read sections and even visited the Annexe, I never read the entire book. Holocaust studies have been my focus for decades, both as a History teacher and 'civilian'. I found Anne's writing to be engrossing, illuminating and tragic. Her descriptions of life before and during the Annexe are important for Holocaust studies but also for the simple fact it is the thoughts, hopes, fears and aspirations of an ordinary though talented young girl. Anne's writing's could have been those of millions of others and that is what makes it so valuable; she speaks, in many ways for those millions and it emphasises the tragedy of the Holocaust because we will never know what the 13 million Jewish and non-Jewish victims of the Holocaust might have achieved. So easy to read, well written and should be read by school children especially. Otto Frank edited some portions but what is left is a fascinating insight into Anne Frank and the life forced upon her. Five stars without a doubt. Would also recommend 'The Diary of Peter Ginz' to compliment Anne Frank's diary.

To say that I enjoyed this book would feel wrong. It should never be enjoyed. If you pick up this book you probably already know the ending. What I wasn't prepared for was the sadness I felt when the diary ends so abruptly. I feel like I have watched a young girl grow up incredibly fast. Anne was wise beyond her years, it's easy to forget that she was only 15 when the diary was cut short. She was robbed of a childhood as well as not being allowed to fully mature and lead an adult life. It was fascinating to learn about a teenager's thoughts and how the cramped living arrangements and being in her parents' pockets were more important to write than anything regarding the war. This diary has the sense that Anne always knew that it would become public property one day. She writes intelligently and from the heart. I give this book a four star rating because it is an interesting read but some parts are long and mundane, which is I suppose a true account of life in hiding. I would urge anyone to read this book, if only for its historical importance. We must never forget what these, and millions of others, went through. A timeless story, every teenager could relate to hating their parents, feeling stifled, falling in love. A must read, if ever there was one.

I remember being at school in that history class, the desks lined up facing the front. The old floor wooden, worn and dusty. The view from the third floor windows down to the concrete playground. And yet, I never really found myself looking out of the windows wishing to be elsewhere. Why? History fascinated me. We had one of those great teachers who was so enthusiastic about her subject. Yet despite this my memory of what we covered isn't great. However I remember seeing clips of a film about the Anne Frank Story, perhaps we watched it all, I don't remember. But I recently remembered bits of the story from class and wanted to learn more about Anne Frank. So I bought and have recently finished reading The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. The Frank family were Jews at the time the second World War started. They along with another family had the foresight to hide from the German authorities. They knew from German propaganda that the authorities were blaming Jews for the problems the country had. They also knew it would not be long before they faced persecution if they didn't hide. The Frank family went in to hiding in The Secret Annex, which is the place Anne Started to write her diary. Anne starts off by introducing herself and explaining she wants a friend that she can write to and tell her deepest thoughts. She names this friend `Kitty'. Then she begins to write regular dated letters always starting "Dear Kitty". These entries start by covering a lot about her family, the food they eat, the other family in the Annex and how they get on (or not). You continue to read on through the diary and you start to see that this was a very intelligent girl. She self analyses, shares her dreams (of being a writer) and a huge driver in her life is to improve herself. As her body begins the transformation from girl to young woman she writes about the changes she is under going both physically and emotionally. She starts to get frustrated with her parents, they don't understand her; she starts to have feelings for the boy who lives upstairs Peter. You begin to connect with her and remember your own adolescence, the dreams you had and your first crush. Throughout The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, Anne keeps you informed on what is going on in the war and what the families living in the Annex think it means for them. Anne discloses how her paralyzing fear gets the best of her at times and she reflects on how lucky she is to still be alive. She often thinks about her friends from life before the Annex and wonders what's happened to them. Although in the war things are going well, Britain and the other Allies are making progress; things worsen at the Annex. The are break ins at the factory below The Secret Annex, the food is poor with little nutritional value and toileting is limited. But at least they are alive with renewed hope that British and other Allied troops will soon be at their rescue. And then the diary ends. Throughout the diary I looked for those famous words "In spite of everything, I still believe there's good in people." But I never found them. The Afterword explaining the details of the families discovery in The Secret Annex by the authorities and what happened to the the two families members individually as well as their hiders. The conclusion also covers what's happened historically since then. Otto Frank (Anne's Father) deciding to publish the diary, the diary selling well, the house of The Secret Annex being saved from demolition and becoming more than a museum. Become a place were people can learn tolerance, in the hopes nothing like this ever happens again. The Afterword explains that the famous quote (above) was actually said by Otto in a news paper interview after the diary had been published. I felt that I knew Anne after reading her intimate diary and that she displayed the true spirit of humanity. The true spirit of humanity consisting compassion, hope and love on all levels. That through dark and tough times we should keep these good aspects of humanity and know that we will come out of the dark times stronger. The book is a aids as a reminder of the mass genocide that happened during the war and that intolerance breeds the conditions that would be necessary in order for mass genocide to happen again.

Present for my wife. She appreciated it and read it every chance she had,

I have just read '' Diary of a Young Girl'' by Anne Frank, one of the most famous and influential pieces of writing of the twentieth century. Anne was a Jewish girl, born in 1929 who never got to see her book in print and who never got to celebrate her sixteenth birthday. Anne Frank is a symbol of lost innocence, resilience, and tragedy in the face of the Holocaust. I first read Anne's diary back when I was in first year (1982). As I have aged I have become more interested in diaries and the effects of the Holocaust. The book is an intimate confession of a teenage girl and an exploration of her thoughts, desires and her hopes for the future. All of this happens in the shadow of World War 2 and the antisemitism of the Nazi party throughout Europe. Anne Frank was and still is a bright light in the darkest situation imaginable. The book covers 2 years and it is tragic to read the hopes, desires and expectations of a young girl in the knowledge of hindsight where we know the story does not end well, and after reading we are left feeling heartbroken and angry at the loss of so many lives caused by the holocaust. Anne died of typhus at a concentration camp in 1945. Her name lives on. And her life did not die in a camp but lives on in this excellent 'memoir'. This is a must read, a book that everyone should read before they die. A solid 5/5 rating for this remarkable piece of writing, which continues to enthrall readers of all ages all over the world.

It’s readable and obviously cheap, but there are a lot of errors throughout the entire book.