The Hidden Life of Otto Frank

Rating:
Summary: Engrossing and well-researched, but slightly dry at times
Review: From the horror of the Holocaust there has arisen an incredible cannon of informative, evocative and always powerful literature. From THE TIN DRUM to SOPHIE'S CHOICE to NIGHT, the list is as long as it is impressive. But one author's name is mentioned most often and most indelibly in connection with Holocaust literature, a girl who didn't even survive through her concentration camp experience.

That girl, of course, is Anne Frank. Somehow her father did survive and, upon returning to Amsterdam, discovered the diary his youngest daughter kept during the Frank family's two years in hiding from the Nazis. Thusly, Anne's words were published and soon became the world's most widely read account of the Holocaust. The experience of a young person's climb to maturity, told in the extreme context of quietly battling for her life, universalized the situation in a way nothing else has before or since.

There have been several Anne Frank biographies published, as well as books about the Frank family's Dutch "helpers," who hid them in the secret annex. But little has been written, at least in book form, about Anne's beloved father, Otto, the man who published the diary. Carol Ann Lee's THE HIDDEN LIFE OF OTTO FRANK tackles this topic, four years after her literary debut ROSES FROM THE EARTH: The Biography of Anne Frank.

Don't let the somewhat salacious title fool you. There's no Mr. Frank mistress hidden amongst the Jews in the attic, or any particularly outrageous diary passages that have never been seen before. In her extremely knowledgeable and competent, if never particularly florid, writing style, Lee presents a straightforward portrait of a man who tried to harness his pain for the greater good. Otto is a sympathetic character. He's not saint material, but he appears to have been the good and just man that Anne portrays him to be in her adoring writings. Lee traces his life, from his German roots to his family's immigration to Holland to his second, more loving marriage. Her many sources include excerpts from Otto's pre-, post- and wartime letters; the ones dating from just after his Auschwitz internment become particularly interesting and heartbreaking. Readers already know that his daughters will not return. But it takes Otto a painfully long time to discover this.

The book's only truly new revelation is the accusation of a new Frank family betrayer. Past theories have abounded, including the new warehouseman, burglars looking for extra money, or suspicious neighbors. According to Lee's theory (and this is not giving anything away, as she voices it in the introduction), ne'er do well Tonny Ahlers did it. Ahlers, an early Nazi informant, actually saved the Franks from the Germans once. He turned over an incriminating letter that accused Otto of anti-German sentiments in 1941. Otto paid off Ahlers twice for giving Otto the letter instead of sending it along to his superiors. Lee believes there was a larger blackmail scheme ongoing and that Ahlers eventually turned in the Franks (and the four others living with them) because he needed the money.

This theory certainly tracks as well as any others that have been introduced with regard to the Frank betrayer. But it is also the only part of this book that seems forced. Lee tries very hard to link Otto and Ahlers together, when there is minimal evidence that they crossed paths beyond once or twice. Though two of Ahlers' immediate relations confirm that their brother/father turned the Franks in, this is not conclusive. Lee struggles to make Ahlers a focal point when he seems more like an interesting sidelight. Since this is the only truly new revelation, it seems understandable. But the sections still read a bit stilted.

Our international interest in Anne Frank shows no signs of ebbing. When this book was published in the Netherlands last year, it drew national attention. And it is an engrossing, well-researched, if at times slightly dry, read. As always, it seems an impossible shame that Anne is not here to see the many legacies she left.

--- Reviewed by Toni Fitzgerald

Rating:
Summary: I enjoyed it...
Review: I echo the previous reviews in that I did find the writing to be very dry at times, to the point that it was difficult to get through all but the most interesting parts of this book. But, in saying that, I have to admit that the parts I did find interesting were worth the 4 stars in and of themselves.

In reading the Diary of Anne Frank one of the things that you don't realize (or at least I didn't) is how thoroughly it's been edited. Otto Franks took great liberties in deciding what would and would not be shared with the public and after reading this book those edits, and the truth they hid, really shine through.

More than that, I found that Otto Franks to be as fascinating a person as his daughter (even if he is not as likable) and that fact made this book very enjoyable for me.


Rating:
Summary: A new look at a familiar character
Review: I just finished reading this book last night. I have purchased almost every book published on the life of Anne Frank and I learned a lot of new information on her father. I am not sure if I believe the author's theory on the betrayer, but it was interesting to read the new information. I would highly recommend this book if you are interested in the Anne Frank story.

Rating:
Summary: A new look at a familiar character
Review: I just finished reading this book last night. I have purchased almost every book published on the life of Anne Frank and I learned a lot of new information on her father. I am not sure if I believe the author's theory on the betrayer, but it was interesting to read the new information. I would highly recommend this book if you are interested in the Anne Frank story.

Rating:
Summary: Not what I expected
Review: I loved the diary of Ann Frank, but this book pales in comparison. I found my mind wondering while reading it. I found it painful to even finish. In my opinion, the author should work on her writing style, keep the reader interested.

Rating:
Summary: Why didn't I like this better?
Review: I think I know why. The author was so adoring of Otto Frank, despite presenting information about his cold-heartedly arranged marriage to his wife, Edith, and his company's dealings with the Germans (for which he was blackmailed later). It became annoying to read. Sure, Otto deserves our deepest sympathy for all he suffered and lost. And he wasn't the scum that his blackmailer was. But he was not a saint & this author is not just in her presentation. She completely blurs over the fact that he married his first wife for her money & made her fairly miserable by never being able to love her (or even offer her a reasonable facsimile of love). This to me is a real failing in his character. And what about Otto's agreeing with the schmaltzing up and dumbing down of the Franks' experience in that rotten '50's play & film. Yes, I know he wanted to reach as many people as possible but for God's sake set some limits. I don't think the author has enough distance from her subject to do him justice-- she was too emotional about him, with too much sympathy for him, thus cannot give us a warts & all view of his life. It IS possible that there were people who suffered in concentration camps --while not deserving that experience-- who were not super-fine people!! I would have preferred more acceptance of Otto's faults from the author, instead of trying to brush them aside in her haste to make us understand what a "fine, sensitive, loving (words used over & over) man" he was.

Rating:
Summary: An interesting thesis
Review: I'm sure that there are many other readers who have a great deal more expetise on the subject of Anne Frank than I do. As a result, I'm sure that there are persons who will question aspects of Carol Ann Lee's thesis about Otto Frank, his relations with the Germans her theory on who turned the Franks in.

Many years ago in high school I read the diary and have read the recent biography of Anne. So I certainly don't claim to be an expert. But the story has always intigued me and when I heard The Hidden Life of Otto Frank on public radio I ordered the book.

Lee makes an interesting argument and gives a facinating view of Otto. She makes him come to life and you see him outside of the attic and feel the pain that he suffered. Those interested in Anne's story, Otto's life and the way Otto marketed the diary will enjoy the book. It's also interesting to see the conflicts that arose as to what the emphasis of Anne's story should be.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has read the diary. It's a quick read and very interesting.

Rating:
Summary: An interesting thesis
Review: I'm sure that there are many other readers who have a great deal more expetise on the subject of Anne Frank than I do. As a result, I'm sure that there are persons who will question aspects of Carol Ann Lee's thesis about Otto Frank, his relations with the Germans her theory on who turned the Franks in.

Many years ago in high school I read the diary and have read the recent biography of Anne. So I certainly don't claim to be an expert. But the story has always intigued me and when I heard The Hidden Life of Otto Frank on public radio I ordered the book.

Lee makes an interesting argument and gives a facinating view of Otto. She makes him come to life and you see him outside of the attic and feel the pain that he suffered. Those interested in Anne's story, Otto's life and the way Otto marketed the diary will enjoy the book. It's also interesting to see the conflicts that arose as to what the emphasis of Anne's story should be.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has read the diary. It's a quick read and very interesting.

Rating:
Summary: New documented information about Anne's father Otto
Review: The Hidden Life Of Otto Frank is a lively new biography provides important new clues to the question of who betrayed Anne Frank and her family to the Nazis. New documented information about Anne's father Otto and the individual who would claim responsibility makes for an involving study which is packed with excerpts from Frank's own secret journal and exhaustive research results. The Hidden Life Of Otto Frank is a 'must' for any library offering a definitive collection on the Frank experience in particular and Nazi survivors in general.