Anne Frank's Tales From The Secret Annex (2003) - Plot & Excerpts
This is the complete review as it appears at my blog dedicated to reading, writing (no 'rithmatic!), movies, & TV.This review is one of a brace of forays into World War fiction which I undertook this month. The other is A Very Long Engagement which I have to say right now sucked. Anne Frank can write. Kathe Mazur did a decent job of reading this, but Anne Frank wasn't an American. I think it would have been more respectful to have had someone who actually sounded a bit like Anne Frank to actually read her words.I never read Anne Frank's diary, because I know the ending. I felt a bit differently about this volume. The original title of it is, in Dutch, Verhaaltjes, en gebeurtenissen uit het Achterhuis beschreven door Anne Frank which translates, literally, to Bedtime stories, and events from the Rear Case described by Anne Frank.. Why it was changed, I do not know, but that's the USA for you. No one knows better than we do, obviously....Annelies Marie Frank was a young German girl of Jewish ancestry who was born on 12 June, 1929 in Frankfurt. When the Nazi's came to power, her father Otto moved the family to Amsterdam. It wasn't far enough. Otto Frank had started a business, and in preparation for the Nazis invading the Netherlands, he arranged for his business to be held under a non-Jewish friend's name.When the Nazis did arrive, he and his family, with a few other people: the Van Pels family and a dentist named Pfeffer, went into hiding in a hidden part of the factory, the entrance to which was concealed behind a bookcase. I have no idea if this is from whence the 'Rear Case' of her title is derived, nor do I know why people chose to change her own title. That, to me, is disrespectful.For her thirteenth birthday in 1942, Anne was given a distinctive checkered autograph book she had expressed a liking for in a store. She chose to use this as a diary in which she recorded some of her innermost thoughts and observations. In addition to relating tales of school life, she recorded her observations on her family and family life as well as the others with whom she was so effectively incarcerated. Only a month after she began to write, she and her family were forced into hiding after her sister Margot was ordered to report to a labor camp.This was where she kept her diary and where she also started writing essays about things which had caught her lively imagination. She continued writing until August 1st 1944. Just three days later, some low-life scumbag betrayed her family, and all of them were imprisoned by the German police.The family was quickly split up, with Otto being separated from the females. After some considerable time enduring the privations of Nazi imprisonment, her mother, Edith, was informed that she and her daughter Margot were to be sent to a labor camp. Anne was not in a fit medical condition to go, having a severe skin condition by then, but Edith refused to leave her, so all three stayed behind. Edith eventually starved to death having passed on all her food to her daughters. In March 1944, just a month or so before the camp was to be liberated by advancing allied forces, first Margot and then very quickly after, Anne, died from starvation and illness, probably typhus - another of some 17,000 innocent people who fell victim to it in the camp at that time.Anne's diary and short stories, and the first five chapters of a novel she had begun, were all that is left to us of a young, smart, talented, strong, and inventive woman who was opinionated, feisty, and a really talented writer. Her stories were full of observations, insights, humor, and candor and would have shamed many a modern female young-adult writer. Nazism robbed the world of this talent as it robbed us of six million other people, all of whom had a contribution to make.Annelies Frank's story isn't the only one, but it is one of the very few we have come down to us in such a very personal and heart-rending manner. There were literally millions of people whom the Nazis slaughtered wholesale, men, women, and children. Indeed, Anne herself only escaped the gas chamber because she had turned fifteen just two months before her capture. The gut-wrenchingly sad thing is that the gas chamber might have been merciful compared with what she had to endure afterwards: being ripped from her father, then from her starving mother, then from her only sister, before finally, she found a release from her pain and misery in death, just a three months or so shy of her sixteenth birthday.List of Contents of Bedtime stories, and events from the Rear Case described by Anne Frank Was There a Break-In? The Dentist Sausage Day The Flea Do You Remember? The Best little Table Anne in Theory The Battle of the Potatoes Evenings and Nights in the Annex Lunch Break The Annex Eight at the Dinner Table Wenn die Uhr Halb Neune schlägt dreißig (If the Clock Strikes Nine Thirty) Villains! A Daily Chore in Our Little Community: Peeling Potatoes Freedom in the Annex Kaatje The Janitor's Family My First Day at the Lyceum A Biology Class A Math Class Eva's Dream Roomers or Renters Paula's Flight Delusions of Stardom Katrien Sundays The Flower Girl My First Interview The Den of Iniquity The Guardian Angel Happiness Fear Give! The Wise Old Gnome Blurry the Explorer The Fairy Riek Jo Why? Who is Interesting? Cady's LifeEach of these is an essay on life in the rear case, or it's a short story, and these are found in increasing numbers in the latter half of the book. They're smart, inventive, engaging, and very well written. Anne began writing a novel during her time in the rear case, titled Cady's Life which was never to be finished.At some point I will buy the complete works of Anne Frank, and I will back-fill the above list with some brief details for each entry. Until then, I urge you to read this and remember Anne Frank and six million others like her.
"Open your eyes... give of yourself, give as much as you can! And you can always, always give something, even if it is only kindness! No one has ever become poor from giving! If you do this, then in a few generations no one will need to pity the beggar children anymore, because they will not exist!"Wisdom is evident in the young writings of Anne Frank. A life short-lived, a tragedy is apparent for the loss of such talent. Continuing with this read from a previous addition to the famous diary, I was eager to read the inner thoughts of a young girl who was put into special circumstances of life. With only a count of 30 short stories and essays, I felt a bit disappointed with the outcome. That isn't the books fault whatsoever. I set myself up when I believed I would read outstanding wisdom and insight. The reminiscences of this tragic girl living during the holocaust were extraordinary for her age. The writing takes place at the tender ages between 13 and 15. Such a special talent to see such beauty in the writing of an adolescent teenager. But that's just it. She died so young that she never had the chance to improve on her writing. I shouldn't feel disappointed at the writing style, but it was hard to focus on unspecific stories where it seemed to stray off subject. It was then that I realized that I wasn't reading a professional work of writing. Three or four stories truly stand out. It's unbelievable that such a young girl could write something so profound. The way that Anne looked at the world was so endearing and ironic to the events that were occurring all over the world at the time. She made me remember the beauty of the world even though it's masked with ugliness sometimes. How could it be that a little girl could see the potential of people during a world war, as others would only see the bitterness and sadness?Even though the writing was transparent and strayed at times, it was a grand opportunity to have the chance to read such a book with beautiful underlying tones. For that, the read was worth it. 3.5/5 Good - Recommended"There is plenty of room for everyone in the world, enough money, riches, and beauty for all to share! God has made enough for everyone! Let us all begin then by sharing it fairly." - Annelies Marie Frank
What do You think about Anne Frank's Tales From The Secret Annex (2003)?
Having read Anne Frank's famous Diary, I chose to read this volume as well, almost a companion volume to the first. Her diary mentions her writing efforts and it is fun to read them here in their entirety. The quality of the stories increases immensely as we go from one to the next, proving the old axiom that the only way to improve your writing is to practice. But what is really amazing is the insights this young girl was able to bring to her stories. Several seem to be quite plain on the surface yet have an underlying message or theme. Most of them are understandably coming-of-age stories. In addition, we get a little more insight into her life in the attic and those people that surrounded her during that time.If you enjoyed reading Anne Frank's Diary, then you will also enjoy this volume of stories.
—Benjamin Thomas
It was quite a struggle to get a copy of this book in my city. When I finally did, it was well worth it. It's a collection of short stories Anne wrote while in hiding with her family, fleshed out with a few extracts from the diary and comments on her daily life. Her budding talent as a writer is very evident in the collection, which spans "realistic" stories-for-girls of the type that was popular in the thirties and forties, fairy tales, moral tales, wish fulfillment, and the unfinished novel "The Life of Cady", loosely based on her parents' family history--quite an ambitious project for a preteen, but well-written, all things considered.The thing that most struck me after reading the book was the terrible loss the world suffered. I feel quite sure she would have been an excellent writer/journalist, if she had lived and had time and freedom to study and learn her craft. Take that individual loss times all the millions sacrificed on both sides in those few short years of the war...
—Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)
This book is not for everyone. Readers must remember that these stories were written by a teenage girl, and therefore they should judge them accordingly. The stories are interesting in their own right, but they do drag in places. It's rather obvious that if she had the chance, she would have probably edited and developed the stories to something that would be of better quality, but they are very good for the stage they are in. Definitely a must read for those interested in Anne Frank and/or the Holocaust.
—Megan
