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The Diary of Anne Frank
The Diary of Anne Frank by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett
"This Drama Play is a wonderful addition to anyone who has a passion for Anne Frank related reading. A dramatization for the stage and ready for anyone, including schools, to use."
"This Drama Play is a wonderful addition to anyone who has a passion for Anne Frank related reading. A dramatization for the stage and ready for anyone, including schools, to use."
122 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1955
336 people are currently reading
5395 people want to read
About the author
Frances Goodrich
13 books5 followersFrances Goodrich was an American actress, dramatist, and screenwriter, best known for her collaborations with her partner and husband Albert Hackett. She received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama with her husband in 1956 for The Diary of Anne Frank which had premiered the previous year.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 871 reviews
March 5, 2021
My middle school class and I read this adaptation way back in the 2000s. It was in one of those English textbooks that collected short stories or excerpts from bigger stories by various authors. I've yet to read the actual diary.
This adaptation is done in the form of a play or screenplay and was used as a basis for a play and later a movie in the 1950s. When my class read this, I was assigned all the lines of Otto Frank, Anne Frank's father, who survived the Holocaust. He was the only member of the Frank family to survive any of the atrocities.
It was a hard but necessary read.
This adaptation is done in the form of a play or screenplay and was used as a basis for a play and later a movie in the 1950s. When my class read this, I was assigned all the lines of Otto Frank, Anne Frank's father, who survived the Holocaust. He was the only member of the Frank family to survive any of the atrocities.
It was a hard but necessary read.
May 29, 2022
i read this but would love to have seen this performed. i have certain qualms about this play but overall enjoyed it.
April 20, 2015
This review can also be found on A Thousand Lives Lived, check it out for more reviews!
Let's play a wondrous game of 'Never Have I Ever.' Of course, you've all heard of this game in those cute, cheeky contemporary novels... but many few have played it. Here's a first for me, too. But my main point here is: Never have I ever read a play before. Stepping into a new kind of writing format and learning the basics of the great scripts, The Diary of Anne Frank brought back memories of when I actually read Anne's diary back in the day, and it gave me a whole new experience to love and devour for ages to come.
So here's the thing: I have an obsession with Anne's diary. Since I was young and once decided that I might write a speech on the inspirational young girl herself, I've read her diary and researched all about her, continuously. When's Anne's birthday? June 12. And trust me, I did not search that up. *winks* Until reaching the smitten age of 14, I actually had not known that there was an amazing playwright of her story, and that I'll be getting the chance to read it in Grade 9. This was a true memorable experience for me, from start to finish.
All I feel like doing right now, right here, is banging my head on my desk repeatedly and sob. I wish that I could sob for a whole eternity. I feel that with a play like this, readers are more prone to understand Ms. Frank's story even better, and in the end, the actual ending may not be exactly correct when looking at the way her life ended in reality, but you feel everything. The emotions are present, the feels, and throughout the whole two Acts, I felt that I was actually imaging the wonderful real personalities playing these roles. It hadn't been a play all along for me, there were moments when this was realer than ever, and since there was dialogue between the people Anne spent years with in annexation, I have gotten to know their personalities much better than I ever would have if I just reread her diary over and over again for fifteen times. There's a true difference, my friends.
For those of you crazy weirdos who don't know Anne's story at all, you must be living under a rock or a shoe and have no access to wonderful books and history novels. But since I'm that much of a nice person, then I'll surely give you a mini-recap, so you can continue to read this review and get what I'm saying. *grins widely* Anne Frank was just a normal girl living in Holland when her life turned upside down... just because she was a Jew. Anne's father, Otto Frank, was a hero to his family, and his decision to bring the Franks into annexation and hiding in a dusty attic hiding spot on top of a warehouse saved their lives... at least for a couple of years. Anne and her family went into hiding in 1942, and the Van Daan family also joined them with a surprise visitor afterwards. All of these people's traditions and ways of living were disrupted to the highest extent, and they spent their days without a peep and no talking or heading to the washroom. It was all about fear, and if the slightest noise was heard, someone ought to find out.
I just can't even explain to you how much this play and Anne's story means to me. Yes, it's completely tragic and worrisome for readers, but the fact that Anne and her crush-afterwards Peter Van Daan were just two normal teenagers crushed me even more. I bet that if Anne was put into our modern day society just the way she was, she'd be normal. No one would suspect that she's a historical figure who died in the 1940s because of the Second World War. No one would suspect that she spent years in hiding or that she went into a concentration camp. And this is the aspect that makes this the most memorable: amazing playwrights brought her legacy and story back to life once more. I've never heard of this play actually turning into a production on stage and everything (like Broadway), but just having readers given the chance to see a reenactment of this all brings tears into my heart.
What the playwright had done perfectly was making sure that the facts weren't 100% correct. This is Anne's story to tell, and as we can tell, she didn't write this play, so they couldn't make sure that everything was left open as her story was and still is today. The ending of the whole play was different than to what actually had happened. In reality, nobody knows who told that the Franks were hiding there. In the play, it was the thief who wandered in the office building and blackmailed Mr. Kraler. The play and the audience had to be left leaving the play with answers. Some are still not complete, but at least you can say that you've seen/read the play and understand it all. And that makes the fixture of the plot perfect.
Since I had to read this for school, I read both Acts at separate times. But in a matter of a week, I had the play done, and all of the discussion questions that we had to answer on this were done and scribbled on to with loads of thoughts that got me thinking. I'm telling you, this review wouldn't even be half as long if I didn't have the discussion questions to answer. They really got me thinking, thinking about the characters, the development, the ending, and everything in between.
Anne... Well that was a perfect example of her. The diary scenes, her attitude and personality, everything, all of the aspects gotten readers to understand and know her better. It's obvious and easy to tell that there was a lot of research put into writing this play so the writers could get Anne on the dot and know her in and out. Her character just made me realize how young she really was, and all of those playful moments that she shared with her parents, Peter or with Mr. Dussel just shattered me because at the moment when she was taken away by the Germans, it was easy to tell that the world had just lost a great soul. She was optimistic, and she always felt that she would have a great future and would become someone big, but she never thought that something like this would happen to her. Her fame is a legacy, my friends.
Some people have argued with me over the romance of Anne and Peter, and I have to tell you that it was adorable, but puppy-love at the same time. I don't care about the difference in ages of them, which was about 3 years. The audience can tell that throughout the play, Anne was seeking for a person to talk to and understand. Margot, her older sister, was completely out of the picture, and I can only wish that her character was brought out more. Thankfully, her mother and father's crazy but funny moments were constantly brought up and we got to know who Anne really came from strongly.
Looking at my liking of this dramatized story in an overall matter, I can tell you that I am able to go on forever with how much I enjoyed this. Although this was only 'based' on the real thing, it was done perfectly and it didn't go too far or not hit the exact point of the book. The message was so deep and it made me smile and break out into a sad face continuously, but the most important thing that I saw was that the writing and the descriptions were set to the exact point. And it did. *smiles* This was everything I could ask for and more, and I recommend this TO YOU, whether you've read Anne's diary or not, or even if you haven't heard of my inspiration, her. Just walk into reading this play with a huge smile, because you'll be left quivering and slowly dying of sadness and pathos inside.
Let's play a wondrous game of 'Never Have I Ever.' Of course, you've all heard of this game in those cute, cheeky contemporary novels... but many few have played it. Here's a first for me, too. But my main point here is: Never have I ever read a play before. Stepping into a new kind of writing format and learning the basics of the great scripts, The Diary of Anne Frank brought back memories of when I actually read Anne's diary back in the day, and it gave me a whole new experience to love and devour for ages to come.
So here's the thing: I have an obsession with Anne's diary. Since I was young and once decided that I might write a speech on the inspirational young girl herself, I've read her diary and researched all about her, continuously. When's Anne's birthday? June 12. And trust me, I did not search that up. *winks* Until reaching the smitten age of 14, I actually had not known that there was an amazing playwright of her story, and that I'll be getting the chance to read it in Grade 9. This was a true memorable experience for me, from start to finish.
"We don't need the Nazis to destroy us. We're destroying ourselves."
All I feel like doing right now, right here, is banging my head on my desk repeatedly and sob. I wish that I could sob for a whole eternity. I feel that with a play like this, readers are more prone to understand Ms. Frank's story even better, and in the end, the actual ending may not be exactly correct when looking at the way her life ended in reality, but you feel everything. The emotions are present, the feels, and throughout the whole two Acts, I felt that I was actually imaging the wonderful real personalities playing these roles. It hadn't been a play all along for me, there were moments when this was realer than ever, and since there was dialogue between the people Anne spent years with in annexation, I have gotten to know their personalities much better than I ever would have if I just reread her diary over and over again for fifteen times. There's a true difference, my friends.
For those of you crazy weirdos who don't know Anne's story at all, you must be living under a rock or a shoe and have no access to wonderful books and history novels. But since I'm that much of a nice person, then I'll surely give you a mini-recap, so you can continue to read this review and get what I'm saying. *grins widely* Anne Frank was just a normal girl living in Holland when her life turned upside down... just because she was a Jew. Anne's father, Otto Frank, was a hero to his family, and his decision to bring the Franks into annexation and hiding in a dusty attic hiding spot on top of a warehouse saved their lives... at least for a couple of years. Anne and her family went into hiding in 1942, and the Van Daan family also joined them with a surprise visitor afterwards. All of these people's traditions and ways of living were disrupted to the highest extent, and they spent their days without a peep and no talking or heading to the washroom. It was all about fear, and if the slightest noise was heard, someone ought to find out.
I just can't even explain to you how much this play and Anne's story means to me. Yes, it's completely tragic and worrisome for readers, but the fact that Anne and her crush-afterwards Peter Van Daan were just two normal teenagers crushed me even more. I bet that if Anne was put into our modern day society just the way she was, she'd be normal. No one would suspect that she's a historical figure who died in the 1940s because of the Second World War. No one would suspect that she spent years in hiding or that she went into a concentration camp. And this is the aspect that makes this the most memorable: amazing playwrights brought her legacy and story back to life once more. I've never heard of this play actually turning into a production on stage and everything (like Broadway), but just having readers given the chance to see a reenactment of this all brings tears into my heart.
"I only know it's funny never to be able to go outdoors... never to breathe fresh air... never to run and shout and jump. It's the silence in the night that frightens me most. Every time I hear a creak in the house, or a step on the street outside, I'm sure they're coming for us. The days aren't so bad. At least we know that Miep and Mr. Kraler are down there below us in the office. Our protectors we call them."
What the playwright had done perfectly was making sure that the facts weren't 100% correct. This is Anne's story to tell, and as we can tell, she didn't write this play, so they couldn't make sure that everything was left open as her story was and still is today. The ending of the whole play was different than to what actually had happened. In reality, nobody knows who told that the Franks were hiding there. In the play, it was the thief who wandered in the office building and blackmailed Mr. Kraler. The play and the audience had to be left leaving the play with answers. Some are still not complete, but at least you can say that you've seen/read the play and understand it all. And that makes the fixture of the plot perfect.
Since I had to read this for school, I read both Acts at separate times. But in a matter of a week, I had the play done, and all of the discussion questions that we had to answer on this were done and scribbled on to with loads of thoughts that got me thinking. I'm telling you, this review wouldn't even be half as long if I didn't have the discussion questions to answer. They really got me thinking, thinking about the characters, the development, the ending, and everything in between.
Anne... Well that was a perfect example of her. The diary scenes, her attitude and personality, everything, all of the aspects gotten readers to understand and know her better. It's obvious and easy to tell that there was a lot of research put into writing this play so the writers could get Anne on the dot and know her in and out. Her character just made me realize how young she really was, and all of those playful moments that she shared with her parents, Peter or with Mr. Dussel just shattered me because at the moment when she was taken away by the Germans, it was easy to tell that the world had just lost a great soul. She was optimistic, and she always felt that she would have a great future and would become someone big, but she never thought that something like this would happen to her. Her fame is a legacy, my friends.
Some people have argued with me over the romance of Anne and Peter, and I have to tell you that it was adorable, but puppy-love at the same time. I don't care about the difference in ages of them, which was about 3 years. The audience can tell that throughout the play, Anne was seeking for a person to talk to and understand. Margot, her older sister, was completely out of the picture, and I can only wish that her character was brought out more. Thankfully, her mother and father's crazy but funny moments were constantly brought up and we got to know who Anne really came from strongly.
Looking at my liking of this dramatized story in an overall matter, I can tell you that I am able to go on forever with how much I enjoyed this. Although this was only 'based' on the real thing, it was done perfectly and it didn't go too far or not hit the exact point of the book. The message was so deep and it made me smile and break out into a sad face continuously, but the most important thing that I saw was that the writing and the descriptions were set to the exact point. And it did. *smiles* This was everything I could ask for and more, and I recommend this TO YOU, whether you've read Anne's diary or not, or even if you haven't heard of my inspiration, her. Just walk into reading this play with a huge smile, because you'll be left quivering and slowly dying of sadness and pathos inside.
April 5, 2013
Diary of Anne Frank is about a young girl who was a Jew. Not only was she a Jew but her whole family were Jews. At this time the Germans were taking over and World War II was going on. The reason for all of this was Hitler. he was a very sick man. The Germans were capturing people who didn't meet their standards' the Jews weren't apart of their standards. if you didn't meet their standards or if you were a Jew then you got sent to a concentration camp. These camps were in horrible condition. If you went there and you weren't a strong man or woman or you were an elderly person or child then you were automatically sent off to die. The camps was were filled. Anne was lucky her family had a hiding spot. They hid in an attic where he father worked. The attic was packed with people. Anne wrote all about it in a dairy that she had received for her birthday. This was not only her diary it was best friend.
i enjoyed reading this book because it taught me all about the holocaust. I didn't know what the holocaust was until I read this book. It told me all about and everything I needed to know about it.
I recommend this story if you like learning about the past. If you like to learn about World War II then this is the book for you. It tells you everything you need to know.
i enjoyed reading this book because it taught me all about the holocaust. I didn't know what the holocaust was until I read this book. It told me all about and everything I needed to know about it.
I recommend this story if you like learning about the past. If you like to learn about World War II then this is the book for you. It tells you everything you need to know.
April 29, 2024
Very poignant.
Read
January 19, 2013No one should take ones freedom or right to live because of their religion, nationality or ethnic background.
Such a tragic story but Anne Frank had never lost her hope, one of her last writing was 'In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/annefrank/timeli...
Such a tragic story but Anne Frank had never lost her hope, one of her last writing was 'In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/annefrank/timeli...
May 30, 2020
The Diary of Anne Frank was a new genre that I never touched on before: Diary. The reading experience was extremely unique, but I came to detest the overall writing style. Although this was written in a time of tragedy, her writing is similar to a modern 13 year old's. We understand what she is explaining, but everything is dull; there aren't many metaphors, similes, or any writing tools. Personally, I found the adventure slightly interesting, especially the going into hiding in the Secret Annex and her personal feelings, but I would enjoy it much more if she could weave a little more 'pop' into her writing. I recommend this to anyone interested to the personal feelings of a Jew going through the holocaust. But for readers seeking for great writing, I wouldn't say this is the best piece.
August 12, 2020
En mi opinión es un libro sobre valorado y en algunos aspectos aburrido. Aunque la historia de los judíos que vivieron el holocausto y la persecución de los alemanes durante la segunda guerra mundial cobra un valor incalculable en la historia de la humanidad, el hecho que no haya claridad si lo escribió en verdad Ana o su papá desvirtua si es una novela o un retrato histórico. De hecho cuando lo leí me dio la impresión que había sido escrito por dos personas diferentes.
Lo que vi muy interesente y doloroso al leerlo es la calidad de vida de ella y su familia durante su tiempo de escondite, las reflexiones que se hace frente a la oscuridad de la humanidad y las frases motivacionales que se escriben allí las cuales surgieron de vivir en la adversidad.
Te guste o no te guste este libro, es una lectura que todo el mundo debe hacer en algún momento de su vida.
Lo que vi muy interesente y doloroso al leerlo es la calidad de vida de ella y su familia durante su tiempo de escondite, las reflexiones que se hace frente a la oscuridad de la humanidad y las frases motivacionales que se escriben allí las cuales surgieron de vivir en la adversidad.
Te guste o no te guste este libro, es una lectura que todo el mundo debe hacer en algún momento de su vida.
September 21, 2008
I loved this book because of the well written format of this book. The story in this theatrical version is told so well that the reader can feel as if they are in the story themselves.
January 2, 2022
Gahhh it’s so hard to rate anything related to Anne Frank. The poor girl didn’t know her diary was going to be published, so I feel like it’s unfair to rate it?
Nevertheless, the play version of her diary definitely gives a better picture of the tension, fear, and boredom in hiding in the Annex from the Nazis. You get to know each person a little better, and I think it gives a broader perspective of their behaviors.
Nevertheless, the play version of her diary definitely gives a better picture of the tension, fear, and boredom in hiding in the Annex from the Nazis. You get to know each person a little better, and I think it gives a broader perspective of their behaviors.
February 28, 2024
Read this in school
Words can’t describe how much I love Anne Frank and her story
I have to read her actually diary now😭
Words can’t describe how much I love Anne Frank and her story
I have to read her actually diary now😭
May 13, 2024
As someone who voiced Mrs. Van Daan, I got to expirence the novel in another sight as well. This was one of the better things I've read in school, and I think Mrs. Van Daan is my spirit animal.
January 16, 2020
Releer este libro, muestra lo maravillosamente triste, pero en el fondo el agrado de la historia de la pequeña Ana, como así ella misma se describe. Una historia verídica contada desde la perspectiva de una víctima de su tiempo, que con una asombrosa la fuerza y madurez relata su vida hasta convertirse en adolescente.
Tras la invasión de Holanda, los Frank, comerciantes judíos emigraron a Ámsterdam en 1933, en pequeña buhardilla anexa a un edificio logran ocultarse de la Gestapo, la policía secreta de la Alemania nazi. Ocho personas recluidas desde junio de 1942 hasta agosto de 1944, año en que fueron detenido y más luego traslado a los campos de concentración.
Leerlo o escucharlo nos trasporta a esos años de horror y barbarie nazi, lo desgarrarte que resultaron ser esos años, todo muy humano
Ana murió En el campo de Bergen-Belsen en marzo de 1945
Tras la invasión de Holanda, los Frank, comerciantes judíos emigraron a Ámsterdam en 1933, en pequeña buhardilla anexa a un edificio logran ocultarse de la Gestapo, la policía secreta de la Alemania nazi. Ocho personas recluidas desde junio de 1942 hasta agosto de 1944, año en que fueron detenido y más luego traslado a los campos de concentración.
Leerlo o escucharlo nos trasporta a esos años de horror y barbarie nazi, lo desgarrarte que resultaron ser esos años, todo muy humano
Ana murió En el campo de Bergen-Belsen en marzo de 1945
December 8, 2024
Anne è una giovane che scopre il suo corpo, le pulsioni, i desideri e le sue ambizioni, le trascrive impulsivamente, come giustamente ci si aspetta da un diario e non da un memoir.
Sono rimasta davvero colpita dalla differenza con la versione non integrale che lessi io da adolescente a scuola, censurata e manovrata da scelte di privacy dal padre, ve la sconsiglio proprio perché perde totalmente la genuinità di questo diario adolescenziale, in un contesto storico certamente particolare ma che non è il fulcro della narrazione. Leggete la versione integrale.
Sono rimasta davvero colpita dalla differenza con la versione non integrale che lessi io da adolescente a scuola, censurata e manovrata da scelte di privacy dal padre, ve la sconsiglio proprio perché perde totalmente la genuinità di questo diario adolescenziale, in un contesto storico certamente particolare ma che non è il fulcro della narrazione. Leggete la versione integrale.
April 30, 2020
This is a play of Anne Frank's story. Read this with my granddaughter during COVID 19. It had been awhile since I read this. I was in high school like my granddaughter is now. It was very emotional. Then we looked up pictures of the attic. It was much larger than I thought. The museum is closed due to COVID 19. As Anne and the others were isolated, so are all of us.
Read
May 11, 2020No rating for this one but it was a good dramatization of the book.
February 16, 2024
I must have read this book once upon a time, but now that I will be visiting Anne Frank's House soon, I wanted to refresh my memory of her story...
This diary is just unbelievable. I still can't comprehend that this really happened. What a remarkable, young lady - so intelligent and eloquent in her retelling of the day's, week's, year's events. I feel massively inspired by her words and how she conducted herself: so witty, clever and level-headed. Everyone could learn a thing or two from reading this. I am so glad I have read this with a fresh pair of eyes. We definitely need to be more gracious and appreciative of the lives we have.
'I am young and I possess many buried qualities; I am young and strong and am living a great adventure; I am still in the midst of it and can't grumble the whole day long. I have been giving a lot, a happy nature, a great deal of cheerfulness and strength. Every day, I feel that I am developing inwardly, that the liberation is drawing nearer and how beautiful nature is, how good the people are about me, how interesting this adventure is! Why, then, should I be in despair?'
Even when she was being transported to her iminent death, she was still witnessed gazing out the windows of the train, taking it all in, staring out into the world in awe by her father Otto (the only survivor of them all) 🥲
The immerging into womanhood and her blossoming affections towards 17 year old Peter... her first kiss 😭 really stirred up all those feelings a young girl has when she is growing up. Her feelings towards her parents and observations of the other adults she had to stay confined with just don't read like that of a 14-year-old. What a wasted life...and for what?
A very special, special book. This will stay with me for sure.
(I have read the Longman Imprint Books version, which evidently doesn't seem to be on here).
This diary is just unbelievable. I still can't comprehend that this really happened. What a remarkable, young lady - so intelligent and eloquent in her retelling of the day's, week's, year's events. I feel massively inspired by her words and how she conducted herself: so witty, clever and level-headed. Everyone could learn a thing or two from reading this. I am so glad I have read this with a fresh pair of eyes. We definitely need to be more gracious and appreciative of the lives we have.
'I am young and I possess many buried qualities; I am young and strong and am living a great adventure; I am still in the midst of it and can't grumble the whole day long. I have been giving a lot, a happy nature, a great deal of cheerfulness and strength. Every day, I feel that I am developing inwardly, that the liberation is drawing nearer and how beautiful nature is, how good the people are about me, how interesting this adventure is! Why, then, should I be in despair?'
Even when she was being transported to her iminent death, she was still witnessed gazing out the windows of the train, taking it all in, staring out into the world in awe by her father Otto (the only survivor of them all) 🥲
The immerging into womanhood and her blossoming affections towards 17 year old Peter... her first kiss 😭 really stirred up all those feelings a young girl has when she is growing up. Her feelings towards her parents and observations of the other adults she had to stay confined with just don't read like that of a 14-year-old. What a wasted life...and for what?
A very special, special book. This will stay with me for sure.
(I have read the Longman Imprint Books version, which evidently doesn't seem to be on here).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2019
The diary of anne frank is a real diary written by a little Jewish girl who lived in hiding for two years with her family during world war 2.
Moving from a happy childhood to the fearful escape in an attic where her father used to work, because Hitler used to send the jews to concentration camps to die.
The diary was written from anne's heart and she described their lives in the attic, and it showed the emotional development that Anne went through reaching the age 14.
I enjoyed reading the bitter story, and i felt so sorry for anne and for all the 8 members whom their fate ended up by death either by gas, hunger or sickness.
Also, i have learned a lot about the Holocaust.
The story made me grateful for the life i have now, for the simplest joys of life such as having a toilet, being able to see the sun whenever i want and being able to get the proper education.
R.I.P Anne 💕
Moving from a happy childhood to the fearful escape in an attic where her father used to work, because Hitler used to send the jews to concentration camps to die.
The diary was written from anne's heart and she described their lives in the attic, and it showed the emotional development that Anne went through reaching the age 14.
I enjoyed reading the bitter story, and i felt so sorry for anne and for all the 8 members whom their fate ended up by death either by gas, hunger or sickness.
Also, i have learned a lot about the Holocaust.
The story made me grateful for the life i have now, for the simplest joys of life such as having a toilet, being able to see the sun whenever i want and being able to get the proper education.
R.I.P Anne 💕
Read
April 30, 2024Sobbing
Read
May 13, 2025To quote my student, "Man, that is messed up! We could be talking to her right now."
Definitely hit harder this year.
Definitely hit harder this year.
May 5, 2021
why is peter a pedo 😚😚
November 5, 2021
2.5
Read for school- Wasn’t actually that bad I just hate being forced to read.
Read for school- Wasn’t actually that bad I just hate being forced to read.
February 18, 2020
One of those non fiction readings that compel you to empathize with the victims of the olden times and is sure to teach you how being grateful even during the worst of adversities helps re-establish hope and optimism, which is a mandate during every time in life, and especially during harsh and hopeless times.
Heartbreaking, yet beautifully written in a candid and innocent manner, by teenage Anne Frank, who later succumbed to an epidemic at the tender age of 16, desribes the events encountered by her and other Jews who had to go into hiding in order to survive from the Nazi Rule. She describes the suffering of common people who were targeted during world war II in a holistic manner by merely writing her diary.
Unknowingly, she represents a major part of history of those who fought for their rights and to regain freedom. She covers abundant subjects during the course of her writings that reflect the complex struggles of a teenager who has faced and lived through the unimaginable and exemplifies strength of character and grit. Her writing also wounds to be an eye opener about the inequalities and threats to life created by man himself.
Heartbreaking, yet beautifully written in a candid and innocent manner, by teenage Anne Frank, who later succumbed to an epidemic at the tender age of 16, desribes the events encountered by her and other Jews who had to go into hiding in order to survive from the Nazi Rule. She describes the suffering of common people who were targeted during world war II in a holistic manner by merely writing her diary.
Unknowingly, she represents a major part of history of those who fought for their rights and to regain freedom. She covers abundant subjects during the course of her writings that reflect the complex struggles of a teenager who has faced and lived through the unimaginable and exemplifies strength of character and grit. Her writing also wounds to be an eye opener about the inequalities and threats to life created by man himself.
February 23, 2009
I went through a phase in middle school (like many kids that age) where I read a lot of books about the Holocaust. "Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl" was one of those, and I remember liking it, but it somehow didn't resonate as much of some of the others. I don't completely remember why, but I know at least part of it was feeling like there were too many tangents, and I just wanted to find out what happened to Anne and her family--in other words, the basic fact that it was a diary got in the way for me. At the school I'm at now, the 8th-grade textbook includes a copy of this play adaptation from the 1950s. After just finishing it, I can not only see why it won a Pulitzer prize, but I wish I would have discovered this version when I was younger. Because it's an interpretation made for the stage, it cuts out many of the slower sections, creates more of a dialogue between the characters, and frames the whole story as a flashback from the perspective of Mr. Frank as he's reading Anne's diary for the first time after returning to the secret annex. In other words, the structure highlighted the amazing story, rather than (in my opinion) encumbering it. We were able to read much of it aloud as a class, which got the kids more engaged, and the ending is even more heartbreaking because we're sharing the awful dramatic irony of the situation with Mr. Frank as he reads the entries. I definitely recommend this play and plan to teach this version in the future whenever I have the option.
September 29, 2010
This is a two act play first presented in Cort Theatre, New York, New York on October 5, 1955. The husband-and-wife authors of this book dramatized Anne Frank's story based on the book Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl.
Simply a tender dramatic composition. I was picturing myself in the audience of this play. I kept myself alert and focused. I wanted all my senses functioning. This book delivered. I saw and felt much... fear, anxiety, hope, laughter, innocence, loyalty, desires, friendship, tolerance, madness, humanity, and so forth. A bitter sweet taste of what would be found in the book it's based on --a young girl's memoir of her days of hiding from the Nazis in World War II. Moreover, this play was successful in bearing one of Anne's last observations in her diary: "In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.". For the most part, Anne's smiling spirit was showcased.
Anne's story doesn't get old and continues to be heartwarming. But don't worry, this was tenderly written so you'll only need one tissue ... maybe a Brawn kind of paper towel for some.
One day I'll read Anne's book. I'm just not ready right now ... no paper towels in the house.
**Find this review and more at Jinky is reading
Simply a tender dramatic composition. I was picturing myself in the audience of this play. I kept myself alert and focused. I wanted all my senses functioning. This book delivered. I saw and felt much... fear, anxiety, hope, laughter, innocence, loyalty, desires, friendship, tolerance, madness, humanity, and so forth. A bitter sweet taste of what would be found in the book it's based on --a young girl's memoir of her days of hiding from the Nazis in World War II. Moreover, this play was successful in bearing one of Anne's last observations in her diary: "In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.". For the most part, Anne's smiling spirit was showcased.
Anne's story doesn't get old and continues to be heartwarming. But don't worry, this was tenderly written so you'll only need one tissue ... maybe a Brawn kind of paper towel for some.
One day I'll read Anne's book. I'm just not ready right now ... no paper towels in the house.
**Find this review and more at Jinky is reading
February 7, 2020
Always one of my favorites. Every year that I teach this play I get something more from it. I understand something more about the characters, about their portrayals, about Anne's maturity over the course of the play, about their constant and nagging worry... Every year after finishing the play I go home and keep silence for the rest of the day because it is absolutely devastating to commit myself so fully to being a memory keeper of Anne's story and of the tragic events of the Holocaust. 8th grade students always have a staggering amount of questions and outrage after finishing this play. But as important as it is to explore the valleys of our past, I can't leave my students there. I have to find a way to pull them back up to more level emotional ground. That gets harder for me to do each year as we have more neo-Nazi visibility, more religious-based hate crimes, and internment on our own boarders.
Anne's story and her words are just as relevant for us Americans today as they were for the world when she wrote them so many decades ago.
Anne's story and her words are just as relevant for us Americans today as they were for the world when she wrote them so many decades ago.
January 13, 2020
Me parece un libro profundo , triste , pero bonito . Tiene unas grandes reflexiones que te hacen ver lo privilegiado que eres , como era la dura vida de los judíos en aquella época . Cuando lo leí me hizo sentir muchas cosas , o o una niña de 13 años en plena adolescencia vivía esa situación y como la sobrellevaba Etc Además es un libro muy especial para mi ya que la lectura nunca me llamo especialmente la atención , si que leía pero no lo suficiente y era a causa de que siempre leía el mismo genero , pero para aquellos que no les gusta o no leen mucho , la lectura le gusta a todo el mundo solo que todavía no habéis encontrado vuestro genero favorito . A mi especialmente me gusta mucho la tragedia ya que te hacen reflexionar y te hacen sentir cosas muy especiales , ademas este libro fue el primer libro en el que he llorado .
August 30, 2011
The Diary of Anne Frank,one of the most tragic books I have ever read. Starting from a good childhood life to a fearful escape, Anne Frank experiences the holocaust that was led by World War 2. Her tragic moments were the most devastating times of her life causing her to create this Diary Documentary about her feelings, her experiences, and etc. This diary documentary truly inspires many, as it represents how society rolls today. Each page was like a life-lesson or a theme that had to be read. In future references, I do hope that the world understands that genocide is caused by the hatred of one ethnicity.
October 6, 2011
Overall, this play just makes me sad. I think it's a good representation of what took place in the Secret Annex based on Anne's diary, but the reality of the situation saddens me. I wonder what a girl like Anne, who as a 13 year old wrote a diary that has been published around the world, could have accomplished as an adult. I don't like seeing the reality of the characters of the Van Daans and Dussel, but I very much like seeing the heroism of the characters, Mr. Frank, Mr. Kraler, and Miep. So having both together makes it very realistic. This play does what it's intended to do - cause one to ponder the events of the past in order to better the future.
July 19, 2023
~ read in english class at school ~
reading this was pretty cool because my teacher assigned us the different parts and let us act it out. it definitely made it feel more real. this also makes me want to read her actual diary now!
reading this was pretty cool because my teacher assigned us the different parts and let us act it out. it definitely made it feel more real. this also makes me want to read her actual diary now!
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