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amycrea's review against another edition
5.0
A really thoughtful, thorough examination of the Diary as both a historical document and a literary one. I never knew that Anne Frank had been in the process of revising the diary before her death, with an eye towards post-war publication. Nor did I know all the things that happened with the book after its publication.
nssutton's review against another edition
2.0
accidentally left this book in my locker over the weekend, which was the final pin in the already deflating project to read this book alongside the diary of anne frank.
the last few books i've read have been so fantastically depressing that i thought this literally analysis of an another depressing situation might be a burst of fresh air. it wasn't, really, because i hadn't read the book and wasn't really interested in the differences that were then discussed.
i do love the book cover - i could stare at it forever.
the last few books i've read have been so fantastically depressing that i thought this literally analysis of an another depressing situation might be a burst of fresh air. it wasn't, really, because i hadn't read the book and wasn't really interested in the differences that were then discussed.
i do love the book cover - i could stare at it forever.
neilrcoulter's review against another edition
3.0
Last year I read The Diary of a Young Girl for the first time, motivated by the fact that my son will be acting in a school production of the play (which I finally get to see very soon!). What I enjoyed more than the original book, actually, are some related titles I read that delve deeper into the surrounding historical context. In particular, Anne Frank: Beyond the Diary and Miep Gies's Anne Frank Remembered were fascinating and beautiful.
Francine Prose's Anne Frank: The Book, the Life, the Afterlife is the final Anne-related book on my list to read, and while it is interesting, it's not as brilliant as the other two titles mentioned above. It sounds like a strange criticism, but I almost wish that Prose wasn't quite so big a fan of Anne Frank; the book might have been better and less "geek-out." Prose's technique sometimes follows this kind of line: "Anne was just brilliant at writing about this situation. Let me explain it for you. There: Did you notice how brilliant Anne was?" That's overly simplistic, but it's how I perceived Prose's writing too much of the time, particularly in the section "The Book."
I'm glad I had already read the other books, because Prose assumes that her reader is very familiar with the usual photos and some background information. This book contains no photos at all, so Prose is left to merely describe photos--which is perfectly fine if you know what she's talking about, but probably frustrating if you haven't seen the photos before.
The final section, especially the parts about the play and film adaptations, is kind of depressing, and I felt bad for Otto Frank having to spend the rest of his life wrangling the legend of his daughter.
The Book, the Life, the Afterlife was illuminating at times, but in general the middle-road aim of Prose was not quite what I wanted. I either want the all-the-photos scrapbook approach of Beyond the Diary or the full academic analysis of The Critical Edition. Prose's in-between stance is not quite my style.
Francine Prose's Anne Frank: The Book, the Life, the Afterlife is the final Anne-related book on my list to read, and while it is interesting, it's not as brilliant as the other two titles mentioned above. It sounds like a strange criticism, but I almost wish that Prose wasn't quite so big a fan of Anne Frank; the book might have been better and less "geek-out." Prose's technique sometimes follows this kind of line: "Anne was just brilliant at writing about this situation. Let me explain it for you. There: Did you notice how brilliant Anne was?" That's overly simplistic, but it's how I perceived Prose's writing too much of the time, particularly in the section "The Book."
I'm glad I had already read the other books, because Prose assumes that her reader is very familiar with the usual photos and some background information. This book contains no photos at all, so Prose is left to merely describe photos--which is perfectly fine if you know what she's talking about, but probably frustrating if you haven't seen the photos before.
The final section, especially the parts about the play and film adaptations, is kind of depressing, and I felt bad for Otto Frank having to spend the rest of his life wrangling the legend of his daughter.
The Book, the Life, the Afterlife was illuminating at times, but in general the middle-road aim of Prose was not quite what I wanted. I either want the all-the-photos scrapbook approach of Beyond the Diary or the full academic analysis of The Critical Edition. Prose's in-between stance is not quite my style.
19paws's review against another edition
5.0
I’m a little surprised by how much I loved this book which is about Anne Frank’s family, her diary, the story of how it came to be published and the play and movies that were based on it. I expected the parts about Anne and the diary to be interesting, but not the rest of it. The book is just packed with fascinating information and insights, though. I put it down several times to check out videos on the web—those of the movie, and most compelling of all, the rare 10 seconds of footage of Anne before she went into hiding. I had actually seen that before at the Anne Frank Museum, but there is something about it that is so riveting and heartbreaking.
It’s been many years since I’ve read the diary and much I didn’t remember—plus a whole lot more I didn’t know. I’m looking forward to reading the Critical Edition of the diary (or the Definitive edition? I get them mixed up.)
It’s been many years since I’ve read the diary and much I didn’t remember—plus a whole lot more I didn’t know. I’m looking forward to reading the Critical Edition of the diary (or the Definitive edition? I get them mixed up.)
marthagal's review against another edition
3.0
This is an interesting critical look at Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl. Prose analyzes and compares Frank's original diary with her revisions and her father Otto's edits. I found this book really interesting at times - and it's certainly well-researched and written.
I think, though, that it's a bit too critical and exacting for, say, me. Me who hasn't read the original diary since sophomore year of high school. And me sitting on the couch on a Sunday afternoon while my husband watches football, anyway. However, it would be great for me for anyone taking a trip to Holland or Germany or who has a special interest in the diary.
I think, though, that it's a bit too critical and exacting for, say, me. Me who hasn't read the original diary since sophomore year of high school. And me sitting on the couch on a Sunday afternoon while my husband watches football, anyway. However, it would be great for me for anyone taking a trip to Holland or Germany or who has a special interest in the diary.
dja777's review against another edition
5.0
This was a really interesting book. I had no idea there had been so much (forgive the pun) drama about the creation of the play based on Anne Frank's diary. The author definitely does not think highly of either version of the play, nor of the movie, but her love and regard for the diary comes shining through. This definitely made me want to read [b:The Diary of a Young Girl|48855|The Diary of a Young Girl|Anne Frank|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1358276407s/48855.jpg|3532896] and see how my response to it has changed now that I am adult.
lazygal's review against another edition
4.0
I can understand why HarperCollins was a little nervous about this book: Prose does not play into the cult of Saint Anne. Rather, she looks at the "diary" (which, according to the evidence, was as much a literary creation - edited, reedited - as it was a documentation of Anne's thoughts and life) as the work of an author learning her craft under extraordinary circumstances.
The version I read, and the stage play I saw, in junior and high school are not the version that Anne wrote. Back then, who imagined that Anne had re-written almost the entire diary? We knew that her father had edited it somewhat, and obviously things are lost and changed when being translated, but Prose points to major changes that many may not be aware of.
Prose also looks at what happened before Anne began writing (was our vision of her, of the Annex, correct?) and what happened both to Anne, the others in the Annex and the diary after the arrest. Knowing that all, except Otto, died wasn't a surprise, although Prose seems to suggest that for many it is. Readers may be surprised to learn that it was not an immediate success as a book - rejected by a great many publishers, not a huge seller when it was published - and that the play and film were so difficult (and acrimonious) to create.
The book humanizes Anne in a way I didn't think possible, and is a definite Must Read to any one also reading the diary.
The version I read, and the stage play I saw, in junior and high school are not the version that Anne wrote. Back then, who imagined that Anne had re-written almost the entire diary? We knew that her father had edited it somewhat, and obviously things are lost and changed when being translated, but Prose points to major changes that many may not be aware of.
Prose also looks at what happened before Anne began writing (was our vision of her, of the Annex, correct?) and what happened both to Anne, the others in the Annex and the diary after the arrest. Knowing that all, except Otto, died wasn't a surprise, although Prose seems to suggest that for many it is. Readers may be surprised to learn that it was not an immediate success as a book - rejected by a great many publishers, not a huge seller when it was published - and that the play and film were so difficult (and acrimonious) to create.
The book humanizes Anne in a way I didn't think possible, and is a definite Must Read to any one also reading the diary.
sxtwo's review against another edition
3.0
Prose details the history of Diary from its inception to the late 1990s when the Critical Edition (which includes all of Anne's writing from the Annex) was published.
Prose argues convincingly that Anne was a great writer even at 15 that hoped that her diary would be published and that she crafted and recrafted the characters and dialogue accordingly.
When I read the Diary as a child, I was taught that she wrote just for herself. Prose's argument that Anne's craft was already so developed even at 15 somehow makes her murder even more heartbreaking.
I need to reread Diary now!
Prose argues convincingly that Anne was a great writer even at 15 that hoped that her diary would be published and that she crafted and recrafted the characters and dialogue accordingly.
When I read the Diary as a child, I was taught that she wrote just for herself. Prose's argument that Anne's craft was already so developed even at 15 somehow makes her murder even more heartbreaking.
I need to reread Diary now!