What I like

[Erika]

I really did not get this book. But I am younge, what do I know.

[Genia]

Look, I'll say this quite openly. In terms of literary merit, this isn't an amazing book. It's not even a great book. It was written by a young girl, whose talent for writing may or may not be debatable. It can often be repetitive because the life of every person is repetitive, and the life of a person confined to a room for a few years is very much so.

The reason this book became so famous, and has an importance, is that suddenly, there came out this diary of a girl, who was just like any other 13 year old girl. She wasn't special in most ways. She was fairly precocious, but not a child-genius; she was fairly entertaining, but not a comedian; she was, in a few words, just a random kid who could be in your school and you wouldn't know the difference.

The only thing different about this fairly ordinary kid was that she was forced to spend years hiding, and then was dragged off and killed. All because of a random quirk of birth which, let's be honest, even she wasn't paying much attention to. Culturally, Anne frank was a Dutch; she was all over the Christmas presents and the pork chops. But in the end it didn't matter. She died all the same. While still a teenager.

Before that, the Holocaust was nebulous numbers and the trials of some Germans in Nuremberg. The survivors were far away, and, really, most of them were pretty odd; some European Jews who were so horribly traumatized nobody, not even American or Israeli Jews, could identify with them. The stuff they've been through was just too terrible, too shocking, too unbelievable... When this book came out it was a shock to people's systems because suddenly it was conceivable. It wasn't too horrible to believe true, as Anne Frank's experience of the Holocaust was a remote one till the end, and her diary entries are identifiable with by people who are not even Jewish, because in so many ways she wasn't, either. It suddenly struck people that they could actually see themselves in place of this girl. They could see their teenage daughters in place of this girl. And they could see that these perfectly ordinary teenagers and girls would have died just the same. It shattered the belief that the Holocaust was something that happened to other people, something that might be rational, or preventable if you were nice and ordinary.

That's the point of this book. That's why it's considered a must read. In countries outside of Israel, it's no wonder that it is a must-read even above writers such as K. Tzetnik and Primo Levi (in Israel this is less so, for obvious reasons). We can distance ourselves from horrors and things that transcend our imagination, but it's dashed hard to really disassociate ourselves from the ordinary.

You're allowed not to like this book as a book - I didn't, really - and it's permissible to be bored by it - i had been, to an extent - but you've still got to read it.

[Kressel]

I like to think that Anne would have become a writer had she been allowed to live. So for anyone who's curious for more of a taste of her writings, there's Tales from the Secret Annexe. The best is her short story, "Eva's Dream." She acknowledged that herself.

[Cindy]

It's hard to believe but the first biography ever written about Anne Frank wasn't published until 1998. It is Anne Frank : The Biography by Melissa Muller and is a remarkable book which goes well beyond the diary. I highly recommend it.

[Nakeya]

i love this book because it very interesting and good .It let me learn what annie went through as a little girl and growing up

[Sophie]

This is one of the very few books where I cried at the end. With most books I just feel slightly sad, but I was in tears with this one. I think It's such a shame that her creative talent was cut short, as she could have written some incredible books in the future.

[Sasha]

I love the book. For a 13 years old. Its a big up. Besides it was a diary changed to a book. If only she would have been given a chance to write. The book is self I find it sad and interesting.

[Ade]

'The Diary of Anne Frank' was incredible. I couldn't believe a 13 year old girl wrote it! What is so amazing is the depth of emotion Anne wrote with at such a young age. She articulated her complex emotions during that two year period so beautifully. While reading her diary, I felt her longing to go outside and do things that other girls her age were doing. It is so tragic she was denied a chance to grow and develop her talents and skills. That is something the world will never get back.

[Desiree *Primrose*]

It was really well written for a 13 year old girl but I didn't get the point of it. I really thought it would to be interesting about going into hiding and all the challenges she faced but was just boring and very confusing.

[[deleted user]]

To the first commenter (and the one before me for that matter): I don't understand why you would not "get it". It's not like postmodern fiction, where there's an intended meaning but you have to dig for it. It's just Anne's diary, a real person's diary...it was confusing because that's the way a real diary is. Anne didn't intend for anyone to read it.

Do you not understand that The Diary of Anne Frank is a real, historical document? The most fascinating thing about it is that you can actually experience all of the hopes and thoughts of a real ACTUAL person.

[Amiee]

i was actually crying when the book ended,anne that little expressed all her feelings in that diary,no-one
would ever lover a diary as anne did and now,anne's lovable diary is read by the whole world!!! the end was really heart-breaking!!:[ ANNE FRANKS DIARY was so life-like,i felt like the scenes were happening infront of me!!the way she talked about her surroundings,was completely marvellous!!

I TERRIBLY LOVED THE BOOK!

[Faith]

i agree with you Amarbati i was life like when you read this book. i love that she wasnt alone that she had peter an i do think that if she did get out of there alive she would be one of the greatest writers the world as even seen. I do wish her peace on an that the world will understand what she went throw

[Cynth]

great book.

[Leaning-Good]

Hayley wrote: "To the first commenter (and the one before me for that matter): I don't understand why you would not "get it". It's not like postmodern fiction, where there's an intended meaning but you have to di..."


Good Comment, I like it !
:D

[J]

I read this book in my early teens and did not enjoy it at all. I picked it up again as an adult and it hadn't improved as I aged. It is probably a good way to introduce the holocaust but I have read several other books that give more information and are first hand accounts. I think it has its place in the genre but it is not necessarily the one I recommend to other readers of any age. I am drawn to books and accounts about WWII from all viewpoints and still put this book down the line of recommendations.

[Sandybeach]

I'm in my 40s and have only just read this for the first time. I read it for what it was - a diary written by a young girl and I did enjoy it. Like any 13 / 14 year old, she was honest about what she thought and didn't hold back in her descriptions of the other people in the Annexe. Her diaries weren't exceptionally exciting, but she was just documenting her everyday events, so to expect it to be anything other than that would probably disappoint most people. This diary allowed the reader to be a fly on the wall, to see how it actually was for this group of people, or at least through the opinions of a teenager. Rather than be bored by Anne's diary, I found myself at times becoming angry at the residents of the Annexe. I often wanted to shout, Be Quiet, Turn the light off, Stop opening the Window - it's already been noticed, Stop going downstairs - it's already been noticed, Stop arguing so loudly - you've already been heard !!! Some of the time I found them to be irresponsible and selfish for people that were meant to be in hiding for fear of their lives. Maybe they were just completely naive about what could actually happen to them (as well as what would happen to those hiding them) if they were found?

[Yesenia]

A experiencia que tuve al leer el Diario de Ana Frank, es unica y especial. A través de sus letras pude entender a la niña/joven que fui e identificarme con ella. Me parece increible la habilidad que Ana tenia para escribir de una forma profunda para tener 13 años de edad. Aunque en su Diario no se habla en su totalidad de la persecusión, me parece mas interesante porque es el echo real de una persona que vive escondiendose para mantenerse con vida. El Diario debe ser leido desde una perspectiva social y no tanto como una obra literaria. No soy padre pero recomiendo este libro a quienes tienen hijos adolescentes. A traves de Ana aprenderan a entender a los suyos.

Por ultimo; Cada ser humano tiene un poco de Ana Frank.

[Sandybeach]

I agree Yesenia.

[Gin]

Genia wrote: "Look, I'll say this quite openly. In terms of literary merit, this isn't an amazing book. It's not even a great book. It was written by a young girl, whose talent for writing may or may not be deba..."

Genia - excellent response. I read this book when I was young because my grandmother wanted me to read it and anything associated with the Holocaust. She had relatives that did not survive in the Concentration Camps and wanted all her family to never forget what had happened. Gran asked me to read this book pretending that Anne was my friend who suddenly disappeared from my everyday life and all I had to remember her with was the diary. Really helped me put everything in perspective. Just like Sandybeach, I found myself yelling or berating the occupants in the annexe. I still remember the emotions from that first read and encourage everyone to read the Diary.

[Leaning-Good]

Gin wrote: "Genia wrote: "Look, I'll say this quite openly. In terms of literary merit, this isn't an amazing book. It's not even a great book. It was written by a young girl, whose talent for writing may or m..."

Great comment, Gin
:D

[Marie]

Erika wrote: "I really did not get this book. But I am younge, what do I know."

I encouraged my granddaughter at age 9 to read this book one summer. As young as she was then I think it made a positive impression. I remember reading it as a child myself and it also made an impression. I was born right after WWII and as a child heard about the horrific events that occurred in the concentration camps. To this day I can't believe any culture could have allowed that to happen, yet it did. The book reminds us to be tolerant, to be compassionate, and never let this happen again. Yet of course considering what is happening in places like Somalia you need to wonder about mankind and why stuff like this is ever allowed to occur.

[Leaning-Good]

Marie wrote: "Erika wrote: "I really did not get this book. But I am younge, what do I know."

I encouraged my granddaughter at age 9 to read this book one summer. As young as she was then I think it made a pos..."

I really agree with you, Marie.
:D

[Kayla Perrin]

I haven't read the book in a long time but I have read it multiple times. But I did enjoy it. I have seen how people say it is not well written.You have to keep in mind she didn't write it with the thoughts of it being published in her mind. It was meant to be a personal diary. Meant for her eyes only. Only later was it published long after her death.

[Faith]

I'm a teenager an I read this book an I think that life is nothing what people know what they say when there life sucks or they wish they were died. She loved life she was life an when with all the pain an sorrow life she still loved i. I don't like that you need it to like it but to understand it an learn from it. She is truly amazing may she rest in peace.

[J]

Sandybeach wrote: "I'm in my 40s and have only just read this for the first time. I read it for what it was - a diary written by a young girl and I did enjoy it. Like any 13 / 14 year old, she was honest about what..."

Good point. It is a diary of a young girl and is best reviewed from that perspective.

[Sandi]

I was born right after the war. I saw the movie before I read the book. When I saw the movie, I was just about the same age as Anne was when she died. Prior to seeing the movie and reading the book, I had no idea that there were people who intentionally made war on and murdered children. We learned about WWII in school and watched war movies but The Diary of Anne Frank had a profound effect on me. From that point on, I've read as much as possible about the war and the Holocaust in particular.

[Rajat]

Anne Franks Diary is a book of extreme tragedy. It is heart rending and what amazes me the most is the clear thought and dexterity in expressions by a 13 year old. I think the world lost a literary genius in the horrors of the holocaust. People who talk about being unable to get the point of the book miss the fact that the diary was an impromtu account of experiences of a small girl in hiding. There was no INTENTION of making a point.

[Leaning-Good]

Rajat wrote: "Anne Franks Diary is a book of extreme tragedy. It is heart rending and what amazes me the most is the clear thought and dexterity in expressions by a 13 year old. I think the world lost a literary..."

Great comment Rajat !
:D

[Rajat]

Thnx Leaning..