Wednesday, October 21, 2009

ANNE FRANK-THE BOOK, THE LIFE, THE AFTERLIFE: A PREVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED
ANNE FRANK

THE BOOK, THE LIFE, THE AFTERLIFE
BY FRANCINE PROSE

In Anne Frank: The Book, the Life, the Afterlife, Francine Prose, author of Reading Like a Writer, deftly parses the artistry, ambition, and enduring influence of Anne Frank’s beloved classic, The Diary of a Young Girl. Approved by both the Anne Frank House Foundation in Amsterdam and the Anne Frank-Fonds in Basel, run by the Frank family, this work of literary criticism unravels the complex, fascinating story of the diary and effectively makes the case for it being a work of art from a precociously gifted writer.

ABOUT THE BOOK:


In June 1942, Anne Frank received a red-and-white- checked diary for her thirteenth birthday, just weeks before she and her family went into hiding in an Amsterdam attic to escape the Nazis. For two years, with ever-increasing maturity, Anne crafted a memoir that has become one of the most compelling documents of modern history. She described life in vivid, unforgettable detail, explored apparently irreconcilable views of human nature—people are good at heart but capable of unimaginable evil—and grappled with the unfolding events of World War II, until the hidden attic was raided in August 1944.

But Anne Frank's diary, argues Francine Prose, is as much a work of art as a historical record. Through close reading, she marvels at the teenage Frank's skillfully natural narrative voice, at her finely tuned dialogue and ability to turn living people into characters. And Prose addresses what few of the diary's millions of readers may know: this book is a deliberate work of art. During her last months in hiding, Anne Frank furiously revised and edited her work, crafting a piece of literature that she had hoped would be read by the public after the war.

Read it has been. Few books have been as influential for as long, and Prose thoroughly investigates the diary's unique afterlife: the obstacles and criticism Otto Frank faced in publishing his daughter's words; the controversy surrounding the diary's Broadway and film adaptations; and the claims of conspiracy theorists who have cried fraud, along with the scientific analysis that proved them wrong. Finally, Prose, a teacher herself, considers the rewards and challenges of sharing one of the world's most read, and most banned, books with students.

How has the life and death of one girl become emblematic of the lives and deaths of so many, and why do her words continue to inspire? Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife tells the extraordinary story of the book that became a force in the world. Along the way, Francine Prose definitively establishes that Anne Frank was not an accidental author or a casual teenaged chronicler, but a writer of prodigious talent and ambition.

How has the life and death of one girl become emblematic of the lives and deaths of so many, and why do her words continue to inspire? Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife tells the extraordinary story of the book that became a force in the world. Along the way, Francine Prose definitively establishes that Anne Frank was not an accidental author or a casual teenage chronicler, but a writer of prodigious talent and ambition.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Francine Prose is the author of many bestselling books of fiction, including A Changed Man and Blue Angel, which was a finalist for the National Book Award, and the nonfiction New York Times bestseller Reading Like a Writer. Her novel, Household Saints, was adapted for a movie by Nancy Savoca. Another novel, The Glorious Ones, has been adapted into a musical of the same name by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, which ran at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre at Lincoln Center in New York City in the Fall of 2007. Her latest novel, Goldengrove, was published in September 2008. She is the president of PEN American Center. She lives in New York City.

GIVEAWAY
WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK?

THANKS TO KYLE AND NICE PEOPLE
AT HARPER COLLINS PUBLISHING,
I HAVE
3 COPIES OF THIS AMAZING BOOK
TO GIVE AWAY. HERE IS WHAT YOU
NEED TO DO TO WIN A COPY!


RULES:
--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT IF YOU HAVE READ ANY OTHER BOOKS ABOUT ANNE FRANK. IF YOU CAN REMEMBER, TELL THE TITLE...AND EVEN THE AUTHOR.

+1 MORE ENTRY: IF YOU BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY, LEAVE A LINK I CAN FOLLOW

+
1 MORE ENTRY: WATCH FOR MY REVIEW THIS MONTH AND COME BACK AND ANSWER THE QUESTION I WILL ASK THERE, BUT PUT YOUR ANSWER HERE

ALL ENTRIES ARE DUE BY
6 PM, EST, NOVEMBER 5

51 comments:

Molly said...

I haven't been fortunate to read much about Anne Frank except a bit during high school but that wasn't really a book! I would love to win this book!!!

Mollydawn1981 AT aol DOT com

A Bookshelf Monstrosity said...

Well, of course I've read the diary. Other excellent Anne Frank biographies and commentaries include:
Anne Frank Remembered by Miep Gies and
Anne Frank Beyond the Diary: A Photographic Remembrance by Ruud Van der Rol.

Please enter me for this one.

Michelle Stockard Miller said...

I read Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl when I was about 9 or 10years old. I was very moved by her story and I think this was the first time I actually realized what the Holocaust was and how truly terrible it was for the Jewish people. It is a story that will always stay with me. Anne was a truly inspiring young girl.

miller4plusmore(at)bellsouth(dot)net

Thanks for another great contest!

Reading said...

The only thing I have read about Anne Frank was when I was a child. We had to read Diary of Anne Frank in school. I remember it being very interesting. I can't say I enjoyed it, it was such a heart wrenching story. Enjoy is the wrong word for such a terrible thing and a awful time in history.

lizzi0915 at aol dot com

Michelle Stockard Miller said...

+1 posted on my blog in giveaway section (right sidebar)

http://thetruebookaddict.blogspot.com/

miller4plusmore(at)bellsouth(dot)net

Michelle Stockard Miller said...

Tweeted giveaway

http://twitter.com/truebookaddict/status/5045712461

miller4plusmore(at)bellsouth(dot)net

Lisa said...

This sounds fascinating. I've read the diary a couple of times but never read another book about Anne Frank.

litandlifeATgmailDOTcom

A Bookshelf Monstrosity said...

Posted this one on my blog: http://bookshelfmonstrosity.blogspot.com/2009/10/weekly-monstrosity-giveaway-list-1015.html

fitz12383(at)hotmail(dot)com

rhapsodyinbooks said...

I have just read The Diary of Anne Frank.

nbmars AT yahoo DOT com

Julie P. said...

I read Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl and Anne Frank, Life in Hiding by Johanna Hurwitz. Love to win this book!

bookingmama(at)gmail(dot)com

Alyce said...

I've read The Diary of Anne Frank and I've also read Anne Frank Remembered by Miep Gies

akreese (at) hotmail (dot) com

Unknown said...

I have read the The Diary of Anne Frank but it was years ago. I would love to read this fascinating book Thanks
tanyainjville@yahoo.com

Debbie said...

I haven't read any other books about her so this would be a treat.
fourkidsrgreat(at)gmail.com

rubynreba said...

The only thing I have read is The Diary of Anne Frank. This looks so interesting!
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

Unknown said...

I've read Anne Frank Remembered
by Miep Gies and the Diary of Anne Frank

Unknown said...

Tweeted here
https://twitter.com/kdet62/status/5052045027

Renee said...

I've read Anne Frank's Diary.. and while living in Europe, we were fortunate to be able to visit Anne Frank's house. My son (about 8 or 9yrs old) was not excited about going to some house but when he heard it had secret rooms, he got more excited.

ReneeSuz82(at)msn(d0t)com

Jo-Jo said...

The only book that I have read about Anne Frank is the diary. I remember the day I finished reading it because we were camping and it was August 4th, which happened to be the day that they were taken away. I would love to win this book!
joannelong74 AT gmail DOT com

FlyFreeMyBooks said...

I have read The Diary of Anne Frank, by Anne Frank, and would love to read this book to. Please enter me.
ludeluh at yahoo dot com

FlyFreeMyBooks said...

I blogged about the giveaway here:
http://giveawayroundup.blogspot.com/2009/10/giveaways-from-wed-oct-21st.html

ludeluh at yahoo dot com

holdenj said...

Of, course, I read The Diary of Anne Frank in school. But, a few years ago, I read a really fascinating bio/autobio about and co-authored by Miep Gies. She helped hide the Franks and brought them food, etc. It was very interesting to get an outside view of their confinement.
Thanks for the chance to win Prose's work.
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

I've read The Diary of Anne Frank 2x, but I think that it it. I would love to win this book; I'm a subscriber. Thanks Karen

bibliophilebythesea AT gmail DOT com

Linda Kish said...

I read The Diary of Anne Frank when I was young

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Rebecca Orr said...

I only have read The Diary of Anne Frank, but I loved it and read it many times over. For whatever reason The Holocaust is one of my favorite things to read about...and I will read anything and everything that I come across having to do with it and WWI and WWII
Thanks for the chance, bekki1820cb@gmail.com

Rebecca Orr said...

tweet: http://twitter.com/bekki1820cb/status/5061340172
bekki1820cb@gmail.com

Vera said...

I've read the original Anne Frank Diary and was very moved by it. I have a quite large Holocaust literature collection, and this would be a nice addition.

vvperesk@gmail.com

Jem said...

I was very impacted by reading The Diary of Anne Frank as a teenager (and watching the black & White movie). I am pretty sure that I read other books about her at the time, but I don't remember the titles. I would like to win this book.

thereadingjourney[at]gmail[dot]com

DarcyO said...

I haven't read much more than her diary. I'd love to read Prose's book. Thanks for the giveaway.

dlodden at frontiernet dot net

DarcyO said...

Tweeted (darcy1956)

http://twitter.com/darcy1956/status/5079911463

dlodden at frontiernet dot net

Jolynn said...

My husbands grandfather died in a Cocentration Camp just a few days before the War ended. I actually wrote a short story called Prisioner In A Concentration Camp.
The only story that I know of Anne Frank is the Story Diary Of Anne Frank
Jolynn_Reads atyahoo.com

Anonymous said...

I read Anne Frank: The Diary of a young Girl. It was of course fascinating, as I'm sure this book is. I'd love to read it.

bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com

Carol W. said...

I read The Diary of Anne Frank so many years ago. It's one of those books that makes an impression that never leaves you.

wolfcarol451(at)gmail(dot)com

The Girl from the Ghetto said...

I'm a huge Anne Frank fanatic and have read her original Diary of a Young Girl and the unedited version that I purchased at the Anne Frank Huis in Amersterdam in 2005. The difference between the books is amazing!

I haven't read any other books about Anne, but I'm hoping you will pick me to win, as I mention Anne Frank often on my blog ... and having over 2,000,000 hits, I can certainly promise a lot of people would be interested on my take on this book.

Feel free to check out my blog here:

www.thegirlfromtheghetto.wordpress.com

I've enjoyed your blog Bingo, and thanks for the opportunity for a chance to win.

thegirlfromtheghetto@gmail.com

CMash said...

I read The Story of Anne Frank when I was in elementary school, which was many years ago, and can vividly remember it. It impacted me as a child. I would enjoy reading it again.

LoveMyCoffee said...

I've read the Diary of Anne Frank, but that's about it. I would love to read this book! I would read it, then pass it along to my BFF, as she loves to read anything to do with the holocaust.

Dutchlvr1(at)aol(dot)com

~ Noelle said...

I read the Diary of Anne Frank in school, would love to win this! My husband and I were just talking about Anne Frank today...
jumpin.beans09 (at) gmail.com

Margie said...

I have read the Diary...but no other books about her. This one sounds very interesting.

mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

Margie said...

For an extra entry....you asked the question in your reviewlll
How has the life and death of one girl become emblematic of the lives and deaths of so many, and why do her words continue to inspire?
I think everyone has a heartfelt attachment to a girl with so much courage.
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

Jaime said...

I read Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
copperllama at yahoo dot com

Wendy said...

What a fabulous book! I read her diary in middle school and was never the same again. Would love a chance to read more about such an inspiring young woman.

Thanks for the entry!

Wendy
wendysfictionaddiction(at)gmail(dot)com

Wendy said...

Tweeted!
http://twitter.com/fctionaddiction

Wendy
wendysfictionaddiction(at)gmail(dot)com

Wendy said...

Through crisis, Anne Frank remained strong and optimistic and always saw the good in humanity. She remains forever as a symbol of tolerance and hope.

Nancye said...

I have read the original book "The Diary of Anne frank" when I was a child. I have also read tons of books, basically anything I can get my hands on about Anne Frank or about the Holocaust.

nancyedavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Nancye said...

Tweet! Tweet!

http://twitter.com/NancyeDavis/status/5458965957

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Laura said...

Please enter me. Im a huge history buff and this is my kind of book.
Laura
laura.leahj@gmail.com

Nancye said...

Bonus question: What book would I like to write. I think a book written in first person/ diary form would be Hitler. I think it would be interesting to see what was going on in his evil head. (Maybe this has already been done, I'm not sure)

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Zia said...

I've read the Diary of Anne Frank. I would love to read this one.

Zia
ziaria(at)gmail(dot)com

holdenj said...

Prose certainly did a lot of research and I recently read an article that spoke off Anne's revisions to her "diary". It is truly amazing what came to light for her father at the end of the war. This is tough, Bingo. I don't know of a work I would try to research in the same way, maybe another personal story, like an individual on the Titanic or a book of letters from a settler.
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

Gwendolyn B. said...

I read The Diary of a Young Girl years ago. I don't think I've read any other book about Anne Frank. I'd love to read this one -- and I should reread her diary, too!

geebee.reads AT gmail DOT com

Gwendolyn B. said...

Here's my Tweet: http://twitter.com/ASeaOfBooks/status/5461174853

geebee.reads AT gmail DOT com

Jo-Jo said...

I think I would want to research a book that dealt with polygamy, possibly Cult Insanity.

joannelong74 AT gmail DOT com

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