Novel #12
Title: The Diary of a Young Girl
Author: Anne Frank
Grade: A+
Brief Summary: This book is the diary of Anne Frank, a Jewish girl who hid with her family in a secret annex during the German Occupation of Amsterdam. It details the lives of the eight individuals in hiding, the on-goings of WWII, and the burgeoning adolescent life of the author herself.
Review: I have tried to read this books for years, but had never made it past the first 10 pages. I was determined this time around to make it through. And I'm glad I did. This book was amazing. Not only is this a first-hand account of the Nazi prejudices against the Jewish people, it is also gives amazing insight of human nature, considering it is written by a 13-15 year old. Even though this was written during WWII, I felt as though this was more a coming of age book than a Holocaust novel. Throughout this book, you read first hand about the struggles and self doubts that a teenage girl faces, and how she is able, by the end of the novel, to become more self assured. It is sad to think that just a few months after her last entry, Anne died in a death camp. This girl had the beginnings of a bright future that was stifled by a war. She had a better grasp on life than most of the adults surrounding her, and she wrote about hope and happiness, which is surprising due to her circumstances. At one point in the book, she tells of how her mother suggests that when Anne feels sad, she should think about "all the misery in the world and be thankful that you are not sharing in it!" (171). Anne writes her opinion about that idea, and is one of my favorite parts of her account:
I don't see how Mummy's idea can be right, because then how are you supposed to behave if you go through the misery yourself? Then you are lost. On the contrary,
I've found that there is always some beauty left--in nature, sunshine, freedom, in
yourself, these can all help you. Look at these things, then you find yourself again, and
God, and then you regain your balance. And whoever is happy will make others happy
too. He who as courage and faith will never perish in misery! (171).
This is something I have slowly learned throughout my life, and Anne figured this out in a matter of years in hiding.
Even though I read a lot, there are only a few books that have changed my life, and I will say without a doubt, that this book is one of them.
Title: The Diary of a Young Girl
Author: Anne Frank
Grade: A+
Brief Summary: This book is the diary of Anne Frank, a Jewish girl who hid with her family in a secret annex during the German Occupation of Amsterdam. It details the lives of the eight individuals in hiding, the on-goings of WWII, and the burgeoning adolescent life of the author herself.
Review: I have tried to read this books for years, but had never made it past the first 10 pages. I was determined this time around to make it through. And I'm glad I did. This book was amazing. Not only is this a first-hand account of the Nazi prejudices against the Jewish people, it is also gives amazing insight of human nature, considering it is written by a 13-15 year old. Even though this was written during WWII, I felt as though this was more a coming of age book than a Holocaust novel. Throughout this book, you read first hand about the struggles and self doubts that a teenage girl faces, and how she is able, by the end of the novel, to become more self assured. It is sad to think that just a few months after her last entry, Anne died in a death camp. This girl had the beginnings of a bright future that was stifled by a war. She had a better grasp on life than most of the adults surrounding her, and she wrote about hope and happiness, which is surprising due to her circumstances. At one point in the book, she tells of how her mother suggests that when Anne feels sad, she should think about "all the misery in the world and be thankful that you are not sharing in it!" (171). Anne writes her opinion about that idea, and is one of my favorite parts of her account:
I don't see how Mummy's idea can be right, because then how are you supposed to behave if you go through the misery yourself? Then you are lost. On the contrary,
I've found that there is always some beauty left--in nature, sunshine, freedom, in
yourself, these can all help you. Look at these things, then you find yourself again, and
God, and then you regain your balance. And whoever is happy will make others happy
too. He who as courage and faith will never perish in misery! (171).
This is something I have slowly learned throughout my life, and Anne figured this out in a matter of years in hiding.
Even though I read a lot, there are only a few books that have changed my life, and I will say without a doubt, that this book is one of them.
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