The world's most beloved diarist, Anne Frank, pours her soul out into her imaginary friend, Kitty, who is her sole confidante and best friend. She lived as an ordinary girl of the high class whose favourite subjects to talk of to Kitty were people and her activities such as school, flirtations, and her ideas of fun. Just days after her birthday when she received Kitty, she was sent to live in hiding in a flat above her father's office. Through Kitty she relieves her deepest fears, thoughts, and innermost feelings as any diarist might. She hones her writing skills and becomes an aspiring writer. Anne matures indescribably during her stay in the annex. Her appreciatation of the world grows; her understanding of life itself is profound and knowledgable; and, after the first publication of her diary in 1947, her diary became the most sold book -- apart from the Bible, which has been selling for ages -- in history. No doubt her touching honesty, rebellious clashes with her mother, intimate and irresistible curiosity that can be recognised in teenage girls even today, and perceptions of her first tastes of (admittedly desparate and pitied) love had some influences on its wild sell; but being a victim of Hitler had to be the most contributive detail of all.

A book like this should be read by anyone, particularly teenage girls who would begin to recognise bits of our dear Anne in themselves. Anyone who has the vaguest idea of life, love, compassion, and appreciation, and (most especially) those who do not, would find this diary heartwarmingly intimate and influential in every way to their life. No one can read Anne's diary and see the world through the same eyes.

Being able to relate to Anne and her ways was my favourite part of the entire book. I think, in some ways, I have a piece of Anne living in me... like I was born with it. The two of us have urges to write, mature, seek individualism, try and understand our incomprehensible families, speak our minds at the times when it is most necessary, share similar tastes in literature, and write with noticeable similarity. 'I know I can write, some of my stories are good, ... but whether I have real talent remains to be seen.'

If one reads this book with an open mind, then one will remind oneself how good one's life is and how much one's family, however aggravating, truly means. At least we can ride our bikes, take streetcars, etc.

Teariness and the warming of the heart are two symptoms of reading Anne's diary properly. Anne Frank, you are truly incredible! The emotions stirred up in her down-to-earthiness gained while pent up are resistless and comforting, if not disturbing from the cruelty impressed upon these realistic, oppressed people.

Anne is my number one heroine of all times. I feel that I do not stand alone in this... But Anne and I share a connexion in an inexplicable way that has been mentioned to me before.--Enjoy her and be introduced to me.--That is how I feel.

It gives you an excellent--the closest to perfection--portrait of the life of the oppressed by Hitler.

[Edits & Miscellaneous] Annelies Marie Frank died of typhus at a concentration camp two days after her sister, who she assumed to be her last living family member (she mistook her father to be dead). No doubt she also died of depression and starvation... Shortly after the death the heroine, the camps were liberated by the Allies.

On a further note, Anne spoke German in her primitive years but soon after learning Dutch and moving to Holland, she promptly forgot her first language being so young.

Interested in buying this? Support Writing.Com by making your purchase of The diary of a young girl (Puffin modern classics)   from Amazon.Com!

Created Aug 12, 2005 at 6:09pm • Submit your own review...