Anne Frank: The Book, the Life, the Afterlife - Francine Prose What is it about Anne Frank? Why is her diary still read, nay, almost worshipped today?Francine Prose answers this question to the best of her ability, which is a large pretty large ability.Prose is not a hero worshipper, and she is not a, at least wholly, a myth despeller. Her book chronicles Anne's brief life as well as the much longer life of Anne Frank, the Diary of a Young Girl. Prose not only makes the case that Frank wrote Literature (yes, with the L), but that she has been disvalued because of her age. Yet, Prose never once lets hero worship get in the way. In fact, I know that she likes Frank as a writer, but I don't think she hero worships Miss Frank.Prose does dispell some myths, most importantly the editing that Otto Frank did to the diary. In fact, she makes a very good case that Mr. Frank has got a bum rap over the years. In addition, Prose makes very good comments about Edith Frank and Mrs Van Dann.Prose examines the teaching, censorship, publication, and play and film versions of the diary. In the case of the film and play, she looks at them though two different eyes, that of the child and that of the adult. Prose lacks the rage that seemed to fill Cynthia Ozick's article.Inicidentally, the film of Anne Frank that Prose provides the website to is also shown in the film Anne Frank Remembered, which is rather good. This book and that movie should be read and viewed in conjunction with Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl.