Anne Frank: The Book, the Life, the Afterlife - Hardcover

"A fascinating book...riveting to read..." -- Anne Roiphe, Moment Magazine "Provocative.... A penetrating analysis." -- Los Angeles Times "Provocative.penetrating.With ANNE FRANK, then, Prose means to remove Frank from the wistful amber of her posthumous celebrity and reveal her to us in a more realistic light." -- Los Angeles Times "Illuminating.A compelling story.Francine Prose explains some of the many sides of this remarkable story." -- Washington Post "This is an amazing book.thorough, thoughtfully, beautifully written.[It] focuses on Anne Frank as an accomplished writer.I was thrilled to find it." -- Miami Herald "Substantially researched and wide-ranging.This probing and informed book introduces readers to a far more complex and accomplished young woman than the Anne we met in our adolescence." -- Jewish Book World "Prose's book is a stunning achievement.Now Anne Frank stands before us.a figure who will live not only in history but also in the literature she aspired to create." -- Minneapolis Star Tribune "Compelling.With compassion and grace, Prose looks at Anne Frank as Anne wished to be seen: above all, as a writer." -- Christian Science Monitor Prose is commanding and illuminating...definitive, deeply moving inquiry into the life of the young, imperiled artist.... Extraordinary testimony to the power of literature and compassion. --Booklist (starred review) Talented author Francine Prose approaches Anne Frank with the awe and respect of one writer for another Prose s research uncovers what many will be surprised to discover. --Jerusalem Post Prose admirably recreates the events in the attic over the years no small feat [with] all the drama of a classic whodunit Transcendent criticism [A] case so brilliantly proven. --Chicago Tribune Impassioned compelling No one has made the case as convincingly and forcefully as Francine Prose does that Anne Frank aspired to be taken seriously as a writer and should be. --San Diego Union-Tribune Francine Prose...takes Anne s story and adds to it a new perspective....Prose tells this story with tremendous beauty, pathos and a profound awareness of tragic coincidence. --San Francisco Chronicle A valuable resource useful and well-written and researched --Philadelphia Inquirer This is an amazing book thorough, thoughtfully, beautifully written [It] focuses on Anne Frank as an accomplished writer I was thrilled to find it. --Miami Herald Substantially researched and wide-ranging This probing and informed book introduces readers to a far more complex and accomplished young woman than the Anne we met in our adolescence. --Jewish Book World Illuminating A compelling story Francine Prose explains some of the many sides of this remarkable story. --Washington Post Prose s book is a stunning achievement Now Anne Frank stands before us a figure who will live not only in history but also in the literature she aspired to create. --Minneapolis Star Tribune Prose is clear-headed, tough, and fair, and her book, though in places immensely sad, is superb. It should be cherished alongside the masterpiece that inspired it. --Boston Sunday Globe Compelling With compassion and grace, Prose looks at Anne Frank as Anne wished to be seen: above all, as a writer. --Christian Science Monitor Provocative.... A penetrating analysis. --Los Angeles Times Provocative penetrating With ANNE FRANK, then, Prose means to remove Frank from the wistful amber of her posthumous celebrity and reveal her to us in a more realistic light. --Los Angeles Times A fascinating book...riveting to read... --Anne Roiphe, Moment Magazine Passionate A sensitive, beautifully written and fascinating account of the myriad aspects of Anne Frank s life, death and diary --Haaretz (Israel) An impressively far-reaching critical work, an elegant study both edifying and entertaining...full of keen observations and fascinating disputes. --New York Times A deeply felt reappraisal of the work and its global impact.... [Prose] makes a persuasive argument for Anne Frank s literary genius. --New York Times Book Review "Passionate...A sensitive, beautifully written and fascinating account of the myriad aspects of Anne Frank's life, death and diary"--Haaretz (Israel) "Illuminating...A compelling story...Francine Prose explains some of the many sides of this remarkable story."--Washington Post "Prose's book is a stunning achievement...Now Anne Frank stands before us...a figure who will live not only in history but also in the literature she aspired to create."--Minneapolis Star Tribune "A fascinating book...riveting to read..."--Anne Roiphe, Moment Magazine "Provocative...penetrating...With ANNE FRANK, then, Prose means to remove Frank from the wistful amber of her posthumous celebrity and reveal her to us in a more realistic light."--Los Angeles Times "Provocative.... A penetrating analysis."--Los Angeles Times "This is an amazing book...thorough, thoughtfully, beautifully written...[It] focuses on Anne Frank as an accomplished writer...I was thrilled to find it."--Miami Herald "Prose is clear-headed, tough, and fair, and her book, though in places immensely sad, is superb. It should be cherished alongside the masterpiece that inspired it."--Boston Sunday Globe "Prose admirably recreates the events in the attic over the years--no small feat--[with] all the drama of a classic whodunit...Transcendent criticism...[A] case so brilliantly proven."--Chicago Tribune "A deeply felt reappraisal of the work and its global impact.... [Prose] makes a persuasive argument for Anne Frank's literary genius."--New York Times Book Review "Substantially researched and wide-ranging...This probing and informed book introduces readers to a far more complex and accomplished young woman than the Anne we met in our adolescence."--Jewish Book World "Compelling...With compassion and grace, Prose looks at Anne Frank as Anne wished to be seen: above all, as a writer."--Christian Science Monitor "A valuable resource...useful and well-written and -researched"--Philadelphia Inquirer "Francine Prose...takes Anne's story and adds to it a new perspective....Prose tells this story with tremendous beauty, pathos and a profound awareness of tragic coincidence."--San Francisco Chronicle "Impassioned...compelling...No one has made the case as convincingly and forcefully as Francine Prose does that Anne Frank aspired to be taken seriously as a writer--and should be."--San Diego Union-Tribune "Talented author Francine Prose approaches Anne Frank with the awe and respect of one writer for another...Prose's research uncovers what many will be surprised to discover."--Jerusalem Post "An impressively far-reaching critical work, an elegant study both edifying and entertaining...full of keen observations and fascinating disputes."--New York Times "Prose is commanding and illuminating...definitive, deeply moving inquiry into the life of the young, imperiled artist.... Extraordinary testimony to the power of literature and compassion."--Booklist (starred review)

Anne Frank received a red-and-white-checked diary for her thirteenth birthday in June 1942, just weeks before she and her family went into hiding in an Amsterdam attic to escape the Nazis. For two years, Anne crafted a memoir that has become one of the most compelling and widely read documents of modern history. Few books have been as influential for as long, and in her thoughtful and revealing book Francine Prose investigates the diary's creation, its precociously gifted writer, and its unique afterlife. Prose demonstrates what few of the diary's millions of readers will know - that Anne Frank furiously revised and edited her work, crafting a piece of literary power, which she hoped would be read by the public after the war. She also explores the obstacles and criticism Otto Frank faced in publishing his daughter's words; the controversy surrounding the diary's theatrical and film adaptations; and the claims of conspiracy theorists who have cried fraud, along with the scientific analysis that has proved them wrong. Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife is a profound and illuminating literary investigation that reveals that Anne Frank's diary is more than a historical record: it is a deliberate work of art.