Friday, August 26, 2022

The diary of Anne Frank: a review

This is a classic book which everyone should read. As a child I read the abridged version but this complete was very different. In the years, my perspective also changed for this book. The abridged version seemed more about the way Anne and how her family managed their life and food rations within an enclosed space and also an emerging friendship between Anne and Peter which the family found amusing. I loved it. I also loved this version but for very different reasons.  This version is more about a teenage girl coming to age and how she deals with internal and external changes. I see similarities between the families hiding in enclosure and  initial covid days. Of course minus the discrimination. One relates to the way Anne craves for fresh air, going out, for company and then also for solitude. It goes on to show Anne growing over a period of time. It shows her as a typical teenager struggling with her parents, the generation gap, initial attraction, exploring the unknown and discovering her sensuality. Would not recommend this complete version for kids below 12.
It may seem darker to them. But would highly recommend it for mid teenagers and above and their parents.  It goes on to show her maturing and changing her perspective over the years.  Loved it for its complete complexities and slight darker edge though. This is a book worth absorbing.

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