Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl

The Definitive Edition

By: Anne Frank

Narrated by: Selma Blair

Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

The definitive edition.

Discovered in the attic in which she spent the last years of her life, Anne Frank’s remarkable diary has since become a world classic - a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit.

In 1942, with Nazis occupying Holland, a 13-year-old Jewish girl and her family fled their home in Amsterdam and went into hiding. For the next two years, until their whereabouts were betrayed to the Gestapo, they and another family lived cloistered in the “Secret Annex” of an old office building. Cut off from the outside world, they faced hunger, boredom, the constant cruelties of living in confined quarters, and the ever-present threat of discovery and death. In her diary Anne Frank recorded vivid impressions of her experiences during this period. By turns thoughtful, moving, and amusing, her account offers a fascinating commentary on human courage and frailty and a compelling self-portrait of a sensitive and spirited young woman whose promise was tragically cut short.

©2010 Random House

Critic reviews

"The new edition reveals a new depth to Anne's dreams, irritations, hardship, and passions....There may be no better way to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II than to reread

The Diary of a Young Girl, a testament to an indestructive nobility of spirit in the face of pure evil." (Chicago Tribune)

“The single most compelling personal account of the Holocaust...remains astonishing and excruciating.” (The New York Times Book Review)

Read it!

I never read this in school, so decided to now. The narrator did a great job. Very interesting, and sad, to hear what they went through.

Grateful for Anne’s persistence and talent

I was so moved by this diary and glad that her voice and insight has lived on. She was wise beyond her years and what a gift that her father made it possible for us the learn of her and her experiences. It’s hard to believe all that happened some 80 years ago. Thank you, Otto…Thank you, Anne.

Very interesting

I never realized that Anne was such a typical teen, being upset at her situation was quite evident, I’m glad her greatest wish to be a famous author was completed.

A Must Read

I originally read this book as a teenager. Now some 50 years later and in light of the recent rise of antisemitism it is an even more important piece of nonfiction. It is so moving to see what this child went through.

Worth the wait

My son's theater group is putting on this play. I chose to listen to it beforehand. Ann's writing was gripping. She was an amazing young lady. I just finished the book and feel overwhelming sadness not only for the eight people in the Annex but for what is happening around the world now. This book should be a must-read for every High School Student. Ann, Rest in Peace knowing you touched a former soldier's life with your words. "All we need is to give peace a chance." John Lennon.

Profound

What a strong, intelligent, young girl. I’m touched by her diary, and believe Anne Frank would have made a phenomenal journalist. What a captivating and honest glimpse into her life. Through this book, she lives on.

It was so good I loved it

I live how natural the voice sounds and the fluentness of it u just really loved this book would recommend to anyone interested in ww2

Beautiful

I loved the narrator’s performance. Such a sad story and still so relevant. May we always remember Anne and what the occupants went through.

The bravery of this young girl and her dreams

A sad story but beautiful mind of this brave young girl. Parents in the midst of all that is happening may lose sight of how their children process their reactions. And children don’t fully comprehend the weight of responsibility on the parents shoulders.

Eloquently Written

It feels wrong, somehow, rating Anne's diary, but she was truly a very complex, interesting, and insightful young girl. Every time she spoke about her future, I was crushed knowing she never got one.
I would recommend this to everyone, young and old.

Selma Blair did a fantastic job narrating, giving the right amount of emphasis for how a teenage girl might actually talk.

Some have said they don't understand what was so horrific about the book, or how they hated Anne being a teenager and saying, many times, that no one truly knows her or "understands" her. Here's the truth: I don't think anyone in the annex really did know her, and only after the war ended did her father get to see insight into his daughter's emotions and internal turmoil. What's so horrific about this story is how it abruptly ends. The fact the 8 Jews in the annex had to hide from the world just to stay alive. That, in the end, it was all for naught. What's so horrific is the terrible way they died, and for no reason whatsoever.

Those who gave negative reviews seem to not have grasped the point of Anne's story. They focus too much on it being a diary of a young girl and less on the reality of her situation. Juxtapose her life with what was going on in the world. How her being Jewish didn't make her any different than any other teenage girl. Her religion, race, wasn't who she was. THAT'S the point. She was brave, naive, an autodidactic, and had hopes and dreams. Maybe some of the naysayers out there should take a page from Anne's diary and try to live it. Tell me how it was terrifying and horrific. Because, guess what, it was.

I wish she had survived to continue her stories. I imagine her to be a writer with rich and challenging writing that would make you think. Her loss is unimaginable.