Has anyone read the unedited Anne Frank?

[Milknhoney]

I read it back when I was in school. Since then, I know that portions of the book that her father had wanted omitted have been added back in. Is it still an appropriate book for an eighth grade boy to read?

[...................]

You should get the 1993 version.  

 

Other versions have extremely private thoughts that she never would have shared with the entire world, and I believe it is not only inappropriate for especially a teen boy to read, but dishonoring to her name and her father's wishes.

 

The 1993 version edits all of that out, however on page 130 there is still a part that should be torn out.  It's the one with the maroon cover and black and white picture of her, from 1993 

[wintermom]

Yes, I've read it. I wouldn't recommend it to a teen - certainly not as a first introduction to the book.

[OneStepAtATime]

You should get the 1993 version.  

 

Other versions have extremely private thoughts that she never would have shared with the entire world, and I believe it is not only inappropriate for especially a teen boy to read, but dishonoring to her name and her father's wishes.

 

The 1993 version edits all of that out, however on page 130 there is still a part that should be torn out.  It's the one with the maroon cover and black and white picture of her, from 1993 

I agree, there are some parts of the completely unedited version that just seem wrong to publish.  I don't think she or her father would have wanted those things made public and I don't think a teenage boy would be a good audience for those passages anyway.  They are very private thoughts of a young teenage girl in a very difficult situation.

Edited February 1, 2017 by OneStepAtATime

[Milknhoney]

Ok, thanks, that helps. I think I still have my copy from the 80's. I bought it used and it is falling apart and stinks, but maybe we should just stick with that one.

 

I thought it was weird that Anne Frank is such a classic, but I haven't seen it on any logic stage literature lists. 

[...................]

Yep that's the reason why.

[Lori D.]

My question would be: What is your GOAL is having your 8th grade son read the work?

 

If it is because it is a work written during WW2 while in hiding -- honestly, there is VERY little of that in her journals. There are other historical fiction and non fiction works that are much more directly about WW2 and the various issues of that time period that would be a much better fit for giving a student a sense of the time. We did Diary of Anne Frank with 9th & 10th grade DSs, and they just found it ... rather boring.

 

If it is because you want to cover memoirs and journals, and want to read some examples of that type of writing, then I could see doing this one.

 

Or if you want a student to have a real-life glimpse into the thoughts and ideas of a teen girl as she is moving into puberty and being to mature towards independence as a person, then this could work. But it is pretty heavily about "girl thoughts" and "girl interests" in a way that I don't think boys typically are going to find terribly interesting or helpful.

 

Check out these past threads for additional thoughts on Anne Frank, or for ideas of alternate works:

The Hiding Place vs. Number the Stars vs. ?

Which historical fiction to supplement WWII study?

Books like Number the Stars -- most suggests for elementary/young middle school ages

 

Number the Stars or Diary of Anne Frank?

Story of Anne Franke for 13yo boys?

Story of Anne Franke for 13yo boys? (x-post)

Is there anything inappropriate in Anne Frank Diary of a Young Girl?

 

For an idea of what was cut from earlier editions of Anne Frank's diary, check out this article:

"The Things That Anne Was Really Frank About"

Edited February 2, 2017 by Lori D.

[Farrar]

Depending on the sort of person Anne would have grown up to become, she might not have been ashamed of what was in there. Her frankness about her own thoughts and her open view of sexuality might well have carried on into adulthood. I think it's hard to say. I also think shielding boys from reading books about girls, even books where girls think about their bodies, isn't particularly in their best interests.

 

That said... if the goal here is to learn about life during the Nazi regime or the Holocaust, then I agree it's not the right book. And while I don't think kids should necessarily be shielded from it per se, I also don't think it's so terribly important as a piece of literature that you need to read it for its own sake. To be culturally literate, one should know who Anne Frank was. To learn about the Holocaust, there may be better books.

[Guest]

She basically describes what private parts look and feel like. I would think it's weird if her dad didn't want that omitted, but tbh if my diaries were published, the descriptions of then genitals half the world has would be the least of my concern ykwim?

[...................]

Ok bud haha you made me LOL

[Julie of KY]

We read part of it aloud, but my kids were completely uninterested in the book and it's one of the few read-alouds we've ever just stopped midway through.