The Diary of a Young GirlThe Diary of a Young Girl
Score Classic
What it's about
On her thirteenth birthday, in June 1942, Anne Frank received a diary. Weeks later her family went into hiding from the Nazis in a secret annex behind her father's office in Amsterdam, with four other Jews. For two years she wrote about life in those cramped rooms: the fear, the quarrels, her mother, her first love and her hopes of becoming a writer. In August 1944 they were betrayed and arrested.
Why it's worth reading
It's on Le Monde's list of the books of the century and is one of the most widely read books in the world. Anne is funny, sharp and honest, and through her the Holocaust has a face.
You'll love it if you liked
The Book Thief
The Escape Artist
Persepolis: The Story of a ChildhoodGood to know
Anne died in the Bergen-Belsen camp in early 1945; her father, the only survivor, published her diary. The Definitive Edition restores passages he left out, including about her body and her mother.
By the numbers
- Readers79 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller71 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #81 of the 198 history books we rank
- #85 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #138 of the 762 classics we rank
- #438 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Moving
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Quick answers
Is The Diary of a Young Girl worth reading?
Yes. It's on Le Monde's list of the books of the century and is one of the most widely read books in the world. It ranks #438 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 79.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Diary of a Young Girl about?
On her thirteenth birthday, in June 1942, Anne Frank received a diary. Weeks later her family went into hiding from the Nazis in a secret annex behind her father's office in Amsterdam, with four other Jews. For two years she wrote about life in those cramped rooms: the fear, the quarrels, her mother, her first love and her hopes of becoming a writer. In August 1944 they were betrayed and arrested.
How long does it take to read The Diary of a Young Girl?
About 8 hours (333 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Diary of a Young Girl?
If you liked it, try The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, The Escape Artist by Jonathan Freedland or Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi.