Reviews tagging 'Genocide'

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

52 reviews

jjb21's review against another edition

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5.0

A beautiful, hopeful, heartbreaking account. 

It’s much more than the traumatising history I expected. In some ways it’s a charming coming-of-age story. Hearing the very real trials and tribulations of a ‘normal’ 13-year-old - stuck in a room with a bunch of ’stupid’ adults - can, at times, be very funny and charming.

But it has a menacing countdown throughout, and the final pages were always going to have me in tears.

But it’s as inspiring as it is depressing. Faced by the worst events imaginable, Anne is so wise and forgiving. She writes beautifully about life and love and humanity and hunger and purpose and society and family and friendships. And the Dutch people who support those in the Annexe are a source of great hope for the future.

I hope we’ve learned from this period of history.

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asimpson7's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

Such a sad read, knowing her fate while reading her words about being optimistic about the future. Although it makes me very appreciative of my life even though it may be hard it’s nothing compared to having to be in hiding and fear for my life just because of my beliefs.

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lrl06's review against another edition

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3.5

“People who have a religion should be glad, for not everyone has the gift of believing in heavenly things“ is one of the beautiful things she wrote with this one being just a month before she was captured, on July 6th 1944. Such intelligence and emotional maturity strikes from this young girl to write with such knowledge on both herself and the world around her. Her essence of normalcy in such hard times really advocate for her personality.

The reasons this weren’t a five star review from me is because I didn’t exactly find myself completely compelled to go onto the next page nor do I think I would have typically picked up a book about a 13 to 15-year-old’s life besides the political and historical context. For the context however, I think this is a vital read to understand just one person’s perspective of eight people in this mass genocide.

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venetiana's review against another edition

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I've read the original so many times, and the book is so, so dear to my heart. I physically couldn't bear to listen to it with this narration.

It sounds so much like badly acted contemporary German theatre, it almost felt disrespectful to Anne's thoughtful, vulnerable, honest, sensitive writing.

I sincerely hope you read it before you venture into the German audio book.

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broccoli_aesthetics's review against another edition

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5.0


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sissiemilia's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced

4.0


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rushh's review against another edition

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challenging tense medium-paced

3.0


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denijaaa_s's review against another edition

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dark informative slow-paced

3.0


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mx_sunshine's review against another edition

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5.0

I’m heartbroken.

And what about us? We aren't allowed to have an opinion! My, my, aren't they progressive! Not have an opinion! People can tell you to shut up, but they can't keep you from having an opinion. You can't forbid someone to have an opinion, no matter how young they are!"
- 2 March 1944

This is where Mother and I differ greatly. Her advice in the face of melancholy is: ‘Think about all the suffering in the world and be thankful you’re not part of it.’ My advice is: ‘Go outside, to the country, enjoy the sun and all nature has to offer. Go outside and try to recapture the happiness within yourself; think of all the beauty in yourself and in everything around you and be happy.’
I don’t think Mother’s advice can be right, because what are you supposed to do if you become part of the suffering? You’d be completely lost. On the contrary, beauty remains, even in misfortune
- 7 March 1944

Oh, it's sad, very sad that the old adage has been confirmed for the umpteenth time: what one Christian does is his own responsibility, what one Jew does reflects on all Jews.
- 22 May 1944

The world's been turned upside down. The most decent people are being sent to concentration camps, prisons and lonely cells, while the scum of the earth rules over young and old, rich and poor. One gets caught for black marketeering, another for hiding Jews or other unfortunate souls. Unless you're a Nazi, you don't know what's going to happen to you from one day to the next.
- 25 May 1944

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corin_134340's review against another edition

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