I’ve tried keeping diaries over the years. I’ll go through a
week or a month or a year where I do—then I’ll completely give it up. Now I
have a notebook that holds everything from writing ideas to shopping lists to a
Sudoku I’ve copied out or to a page or two of my current WIP. About once every
five years, it might even include a poem. Even in the years when I am more or
less journaling, I don’t think it’s anything my estate will want to publish
after I’m gone.
And that got me thinking about diaries I’ve read,
autobiographical and fictional. The two most famous at the moment are the
genuine Diary of a Young Girl by Anne
Frank and the fictional Bridget Jones’s
Diary by Helen Fielding. Both are critically acclaimed, but I must admit
some difficulty with reading them.
With Anne Frank, it was my sympathy for the character, and
my utter devastation at the end that haunted me. Reading it at an age not far
from Anne’s, I found myself utterly immersed in her world. With Bridget Jones,
my issue was total lack of sympathy, as I found her rather whiny and
self-involved. Still, though, it had its high points and I was glad of the
happy ending—just not enough to read the sequel.
Another book I remember from childhood was called A Year of Janie’s Diary by Margaret Balcome.
It’s out of print now, but it was a good, solid YA read. Written in 1965, it’s
not as old as me, but since the character was a teen and I read it in the late
70s, there were some insights into the changes just a few years can make in
society. I think it was this book that encouraged me to keep a diary in the
first place.
As a sometimes writer of historical fiction, I find that
diaries are utterly invaluable sources for period research. While they may exaggerate
or underplay an event, the wording, the daily activities, and the feel of the
time are incontrovertible. The UK government has recently released some excerpts
of the diaries of Queen Victoria, and the insight from them is astounding. https://www.royal.gov.uk/pdf/victoria.pdf
What I really love about reading old diaries is this—while they
teach us more than anything else can about a time period, they also show us
that people are still the same. The human spirit transcends the ages. And that
is a valuable lesson or reminder in itself.
(Image of Queen Victoria and her servant Karim is in the public domain.)
7 comments:
Interesting post, Cindy. I've never read Anne Frank's diary, but I have read Bridget Jones'. What does that say about me! I loved Bridget Jones' and I read the sequel, but didn't like it much.
Fascinating post. I loved to read biographical books as a young teen. It gave me an understanding of how a young girl lived during a different time. I always felt that they did much more than I ever did.
Never did read Bridget Jones' diary nor saw the movie. Do you think I should?
Melissa--no, not unless you're a huge Hugh Grant of Colin Firth fan, or Cara convinces you. :) Cara, I think it just says you and I have different tastes. :)
Very interesting, Cindy. Thanks for the Queen Victoria link.
Interesting post, Cindy. Thanks for sharing.
Interesting post..and I've read both diaries and enjoyed them for different reasons. Thanks for the link. I will enjoy that.
Great post, Cindy! I love diaries for exactly the same reason. People will transcend whatever is going on around them and those are the most interesting stories.
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