What do you think?
Rate this book
The Diary of Anne Frank: The Critical Edition by Anne Frank
Prepared by the Netherlands State Institute for War Documentation
A comparison of the three versions of Anne Frank's diary; Anne's original entries; the diary as she herself edited it while in hiding; and the best-known version, edited by her father.
B & W photographs throughout.
Introduced by Harry Paape, Gerrold Van Der Stroom, and David Barnouw
With a summary of the report by the State Forensic Science Laboratory of the Ministry of Justice compiled by H.J.J. Hardy
Edited by David Barnouw and Gerrold Van Der Stroom
Translated by Arnold J. Pomerans and B.M. Mooyaart-Doubleday
A comparison of the three versions of Anne Frank's diary; Anne's original entries; the diary as she herself edited it while in hiding; and the best-known version, edited by her father.
B & W photographs throughout.
Introduced by Harry Paape, Gerrold Van Der Stroom, and David Barnouw
With a summary of the report by the State Forensic Science Laboratory of the Ministry of Justice compiled by H.J.J. Hardy
Edited by David Barnouw and Gerrold Van Der Stroom
Translated by Arnold J. Pomerans and B.M. Mooyaart-Doubleday
Hardcover
Published January 1, 1883
17 people are currently reading
976 people want to read
About the author
Anne Frank
237 books5,982 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Annelies Marie Frank was a German-born Jewish girl who kept a diary documenting her life in hiding amid Nazi persecution during the German occupation of the Netherlands. A celebrated diarist, Frank described everyday life from her family's hiding place in an Amsterdam attic. She gained fame posthumously and became one of the most-discussed Jewish victims of the Holocaust with the 1947 publication of The Diary of a Young Girl (originally Het Achterhuis in Dutch, lit. 'the back house'; English: The Secret Annex), which documents her life in hiding from 1942 to 1944. It is one of the world's best-known books and has been the basis for several plays and films.
Frank was born in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1929. In 1934, when she was four-and-a-half, Frank and her family moved to Amsterdam in the Netherlands after Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party gained control over Germany. By May 1940, the family was trapped in Amsterdam by the German occupation of the Netherlands. Frank lost her German citizenship in 1941 and became stateless. Despite spending most of her life in the Netherlands and being a de facto Dutch national, she never officially became a Dutch citizen. As persecutions of the Jewish population increased in July 1942, the family went into hiding in concealed rooms behind a bookcase in the building where Frank's father, Otto Frank, worked. The hiding place is notably referred to as the "secret annex". Until the family's arrest by the Gestapo on 4 August 1944, Frank kept and regularly wrote in a diary she had received as a birthday present in 1942.
Following their arrest, the Franks were transported to concentration camps. On 1 November 1944, Anne Frank and her sister, Margot, were transferred from Auschwitz to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, where they died (presumably of typhus) a few months later. They were estimated by the Red Cross to have died in March, with Dutch authorities setting 31 March as the official date. Later research has alternatively suggested that they may have died in February or early March.
Otto, the only Holocaust survivor in the Frank family, returned to Amsterdam after World War II to find that Anne's diary had been saved by his secretaries, Miep Gies and Bep Voskuijl. Moved by his daughter's repeated wishes to be an author, Otto Frank published her diary in 1947. It was translated from its original Dutch version and first published in English in 1952 as The Diary of a Young Girl, and has since been translated into over 70 languages.
Annelies Marie Frank was a German-born Jewish girl who kept a diary documenting her life in hiding amid Nazi persecution during the German occupation of the Netherlands. A celebrated diarist, Frank described everyday life from her family's hiding place in an Amsterdam attic. She gained fame posthumously and became one of the most-discussed Jewish victims of the Holocaust with the 1947 publication of The Diary of a Young Girl (originally Het Achterhuis in Dutch, lit. 'the back house'; English: The Secret Annex), which documents her life in hiding from 1942 to 1944. It is one of the world's best-known books and has been the basis for several plays and films.
Frank was born in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1929. In 1934, when she was four-and-a-half, Frank and her family moved to Amsterdam in the Netherlands after Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party gained control over Germany. By May 1940, the family was trapped in Amsterdam by the German occupation of the Netherlands. Frank lost her German citizenship in 1941 and became stateless. Despite spending most of her life in the Netherlands and being a de facto Dutch national, she never officially became a Dutch citizen. As persecutions of the Jewish population increased in July 1942, the family went into hiding in concealed rooms behind a bookcase in the building where Frank's father, Otto Frank, worked. The hiding place is notably referred to as the "secret annex". Until the family's arrest by the Gestapo on 4 August 1944, Frank kept and regularly wrote in a diary she had received as a birthday present in 1942.
Following their arrest, the Franks were transported to concentration camps. On 1 November 1944, Anne Frank and her sister, Margot, were transferred from Auschwitz to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, where they died (presumably of typhus) a few months later. They were estimated by the Red Cross to have died in March, with Dutch authorities setting 31 March as the official date. Later research has alternatively suggested that they may have died in February or early March.
Otto, the only Holocaust survivor in the Frank family, returned to Amsterdam after World War II to find that Anne's diary had been saved by his secretaries, Miep Gies and Bep Voskuijl. Moved by his daughter's repeated wishes to be an author, Otto Frank published her diary in 1947. It was translated from its original Dutch version and first published in English in 1952 as The Diary of a Young Girl, and has since been translated into over 70 languages.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 18, 2020
A must read for every teen or preteen! We read "The Diary of a Young Girl the Definitive Edition" which needed a little personal editing because of her genitalia descriptions. I've read that this edition leaves those out--which would have been a better choice for my girls.
December 29, 2019
Like a lot of people I first read the diary of Anne Frank when I was at primary school, and I went on to study it as one of my units at university. I had been meaning to sit down and read the whole thing again, and was pleased to be able to get hold of the critical edition which has all 3 versions of the diary (the original diary, the one edited by Anne herself in expectation of publication after the war, and the one edited by Otto Frank) set together so that you can read and compare them if you so wish, or stick to just one. The accompanying essays are also very interesting (especially as regards who might have betrayed them in 1944).
Much like the diaries of Etty Hillesum, you fall deep into the diary and the day-to-day foibles and bickerings - and the war is almost a bankground footnote - knowing with the turn of each page that you are headed to the inevitable. It still comes as a shock when you suddenly reach the end.
Much like the diaries of Etty Hillesum, you fall deep into the diary and the day-to-day foibles and bickerings - and the war is almost a bankground footnote - knowing with the turn of each page that you are headed to the inevitable. It still comes as a shock when you suddenly reach the end.
Read
May 31, 2016“ Het komt me voor, dat later noch ik, noch iemand anders in de ontboezemingen van een dertienjarig schoolmeisje belang zal stellen.” Anne Frank had het succes van haar dagboek zo te zien nooit zien aankomen. Met zo'n zeventig vertalingen is Het dagboek van Anne Frank het meest vertaalde Nederlandstalige boek aller tijden. Mocht Anne Frank de oorlog overleefd hebben, dan was ze vast en zeker één van ' s werelds meest geroemde schrijfsters geworden.
Toen Anne vier jaar oud was verhuisde ze met haar familie vanuit Frankfurt naar Amsterdam. Voor haar dertiende verjaardag krijgt de Joodse Anne Frank een dagboek cadeau. Dat blijkt meteen haar dierbaarste bezit te zijn. Vanaf die bewuste dag in juni 1942 schrijft Anne met grote regelmaat alles op wat haar bezighoudt. Anne heeft wel wat vriendinnen, maar er is niemand waar ze haar hart bij kan luchten. De komst van het dagboek brengt daar verandering in. Annes beste vriendin is nu haar dagboek, genaamd Kitty. Wanneer de familie Frank enkele weken later noodgedwongen moet onderduiken krijgen haar dagboekavonturen een nieuwe wending. Samen met een ander gezin, de familie Van Daan, de norse man Albert Hussel en de hulp van enkele vrienden, brengt Anne haar leventje door in het achterhuis. Het gebrek aan privacy, de eenzijdige voeding en de hoogoplopende discussies zorgen voor heel wat frustraties.
In haar dagboek beschrijft Anne niet alleen de dagelijkse gebeurtenissen, maar ook haar persoonlijke hersenspinsels. Ondanks de penibele omstandigheden blijft Anne ook maar gewoon een bakvis die zich niet begrepen voelt door haar ouders en worstelt met haar gevoelens voor Peter Van Daan.
Na een volle twee jaar komt er in augustus 1944 abrupt een eind aan de vertrouwde epistels van Anne Frank. Op 4 augustus 1944 werden alle onderduikers uit het achterhuis gearresteerd en naar Duitse en Nederlandse concentratiekampen gevoerd. Enkel vader Otto Frank overleefde de oorlog. De vijftienjarige Anne stierf in maart 1945 in het concentratiekamp Bergen-Belsen, twee maanden voor de bevrijding van Nederland.
De dagboeken van Anne Frank is de enige integrale en letterlijke weergave van alles wat Anne gedurende meer dan twee jaar als dagboek bijhield. Dit boek bevat de verschillende versies. Per pagina wordt op heldere wijze de samenhang weergegeven tussen Annes eerste versie, Annes herschreven tekst en de versie uit Het Achterhuis. Verder is er ook een uitvoerige inleiding en uitleg bij heel wat thema's, verzorgd door het Nederlands instituut voor oorlogsdocumentatie.
Dit boek verschaft ons niet alleen een pijnlijk beeld van joodse slachtoffers uit de tweede wereldoorlog, maar bovenal ook een werkelijk beeld. We beleven het hele onderduiken door de bril van een tienermeisje. Niet zomaar een tienermeisje, maar een bijzonder moedige meid die ondanks alle ellende haar best doet om vrolijk te blijven. Onder Annes ruwe bolster zit een blanke pit. Door middel van humor, stoer gedrag en af en toe een kwetsende opmerking, probeert Anne haar onzekerheid en angst te maskeren.
Hoe moeilijk moet het zijn om in Annes plaats te volharden, wetende dat alles dat ooit deel uitmaakte van je vroegere, vertrouwde leventje verwoest is, inclusief vrienden en kennissen die zijn afgeslacht. Niemand weet met zekerheid wanneer de barbaarse oorlogsstrijd wordt gestaakt. Toch geeft Anne niet op. Ze blijft geloven in een toekomst.
Het dagboek van formaat is Annes innerlijke neerslag van haar gevoelswereld. Het was mij werkelijk een eer om te mogen delen in Annes enige en meteen ook meest persoonlijke bezit.
October 21, 2023
I feel cheated now, after reading The Diary of Anne Frank: The Critical Edition. I was looking for the absolute latest version of Anne's diary, after I'd heard even more new passages had been included as of the past few years—unfortunately this version does not include all of the latest versions, but even so, it was an extremely different reading experience than the original 1952 diary that I had read before. And because it was so different, I find my opinions about the diary have completely changed. The book that I read before was not Anne's writing: it was clearly Otto Frank's. Now, hear me out: I'm not a conspiracy theorist who thinks Anne Frank never existed or her father wrote the entire book, no, no. What I mean is that in this version of the original diary—which puts the original writing on the same page next to the highly edited version both by Anne and her father—you actually get a sense of who Anne is by the way she writes and the way she structures her sentences and thoughts. Her original thoughts are included, good, bad and in between, and it sounds like a teenager writing out her concerns with the backdrop of a very stressful war situation. After she decided to edit her own diary so it could be published after the war, a lot of that original thought was lost to the propriety of editing, unfortunately, and even more of it was lost later when the Frank estate published and prodded more out of it. So much of the appeal of the Anne’s diary, too, is that we know what happens to her in the end, and there is a sense of dread throughout even while Anne is taking life as best she can. The original diary keeps that sense of dread in it, with more details about their situation and the people around them; and certainly I understand the need for changing identifiable details of people, but in doing so, and deleting certain passages, the genuine, authentic feel of the diary is also lost. So, sure, read the official diary courtesy of the Frank estate. But know that the original, all text included (and there are still minor omissions even in this book), is a much better and more insightful read.
May 11, 2011
I have been an Anne Frank fan since I was a little girl, so when the Critical Edition was released after Otto Frank's death, I bought it to add to my collection of books on her.
This volume was compiled by the Netherlands State Institute for War Documentation. In addition to a great deal of historical background, it also contains 3 versions of her diary -- her original diary; the version she edited while in hiding; and the version edited by her father (the most familiar one). I have mixed feelings about the portions added -- the reader who has loved her for more than 30 years, loves all the detail; but the mother in me winces at the private moments added.
This volume was compiled by the Netherlands State Institute for War Documentation. In addition to a great deal of historical background, it also contains 3 versions of her diary -- her original diary; the version she edited while in hiding; and the version edited by her father (the most familiar one). I have mixed feelings about the portions added -- the reader who has loved her for more than 30 years, loves all the detail; but the mother in me winces at the private moments added.
December 31, 2023
Ik lijk dit jaar misschien overvloedig met sterren te strooien, maar ik heb werkelijk zo veel prachtige werken gelezen!
Anne Franks dagboek(en) waren onverwachts mooi, ontroerend en zelfs inspirerend. Hier een quote van haar, om het jaar mee af te sluiten:
"Ik ben niet rijk aan geld of aardse goederen, ik ben niet mooi, niet intelligent, niet knap, maar ik ben ik zal gelukkig zijn! Ik heb een gelukkige natuur, ik houd van de mensen, ben niet wantrouwend en wil ze allemaal met mij samen gelukkig zien
je toegenegen Anne M. Frank."
Een fijne jaarwisseling gewenst allemaal!
Anne Franks dagboek(en) waren onverwachts mooi, ontroerend en zelfs inspirerend. Hier een quote van haar, om het jaar mee af te sluiten:
"Ik ben niet rijk aan geld of aardse goederen, ik ben niet mooi, niet intelligent, niet knap, maar ik ben ik zal gelukkig zijn! Ik heb een gelukkige natuur, ik houd van de mensen, ben niet wantrouwend en wil ze allemaal met mij samen gelukkig zien
je toegenegen Anne M. Frank."
Een fijne jaarwisseling gewenst allemaal!
July 7, 2016
An English translation/edition is available that is quite helpful to teachers and historians. While it is not listed on Goodreads the title "The Diary of Anne Frank: The Criterion Edition" is presented by The Netherlands State Institute for War Documentation. ISBN 9 780389 240239
Included are versions of the diary, her original manuscript, and a great deal of scientific evaluations of her handwriting. The biographies of her family members and those involved are enlightening.
The publication I have shares different translations of her diary side by side.
Included are versions of the diary, her original manuscript, and a great deal of scientific evaluations of her handwriting. The biographies of her family members and those involved are enlightening.
The publication I have shares different translations of her diary side by side.
June 22, 2020
Dit boek geeft een weergave in het leven in het Achterhuis, zoals origineel geschreven door Anne Frank. Een uitgebreide analyse naar de echtheid van het dagboek, en de druk van het originele dagboek (inclusief spel- en grammatica fouten).
De eerste hoofdstukken van het boek zijn puur analyse, maar geven wel de achtergrond informatie die niet altijd in het dagboek zijn verwerkt.
Het Achterhuis is naar mijn mening een dagboek dat jongeren verplicht moeten lezen, dit boek is echter te wetenschappelijk om het essentieel in de opvoeding te noemen.
De eerste hoofdstukken van het boek zijn puur analyse, maar geven wel de achtergrond informatie die niet altijd in het dagboek zijn verwerkt.
Het Achterhuis is naar mijn mening een dagboek dat jongeren verplicht moeten lezen, dit boek is echter te wetenschappelijk om het essentieel in de opvoeding te noemen.
January 3, 2025
"I keep trying to find a way to become what I’d like to be and what I could be if...if only there were no other people in the world."
Ann Frank wrote true last words. That is precious. And what poetry, she's a stifled young girl right before her death. That is pure individualism, what ASI has to become. "I want to be who I could be. I want my potential." This is why what she wrote has such ethos. Because the content is good, and doesn't depend on the backstory of the author.
Ann Frank wrote true last words. That is precious. And what poetry, she's a stifled young girl right before her death. That is pure individualism, what ASI has to become. "I want to be who I could be. I want my potential." This is why what she wrote has such ethos. Because the content is good, and doesn't depend on the backstory of the author.
January 6, 2010
I thought the beginning was a LITTLE boring, but then got really interesting towards the end of this book. I read this book as an assignment for school, but ended up enjoying reading this book. I was a little disappointed on how the book ended, but overall enjoyed this book.
Want to read
May 15, 2011The Dutch "Critical edition" of the diary. Looking very much forward to read it!
January 5, 2019
Deskundige vergelijking tussen de 3 versies van de dagboeken. Mooi gedaan. Helder beeld.
Read
May 3, 2021i have been wanting her diaries for really long! was really interesting
August 14, 2022
Very interesting book about wwII
August 7, 2025
Anne frank is so funny!!!!!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews