How Long to Read Diary of the Dark Years, 1940-1944

How Long Does it Take to Read Diary of the Dark Years, 1940-1944?

It takes the average reader 6 hours and 19 minutes to read Diary of the Dark Years, 1940-1944 by Jean Guéhenno

Assuming a reading speed of 250 words per minute. Learn more

Description

Winner of the French-American Foundation Translation Prize for Nonfiction Jean Guéhenno's Diary of the Dark Years, 1940-1945 is the most oft-quoted piece of testimony on life in occupied France. A sharply observed record of day-to-day life under Nazi rule in Paris and a bitter commentary on literary life in those years, it has also been called "a remarkable essay on courage and cowardice" (Caroline Moorehead, Wall Street Journal). Here, David Ball provides not only the first English-translation of this important historical document, but also the first ever annotated, corrected edition. Guéhenno was a well-known political and cultural critic, left-wing but not communist, and uncompromisingly anti-fascist. Unlike most French writers during the Occupation, he refused to pen a word for a publishing industry under Nazi control. He expressed his intellectual, moral, and emotional resistance in this diary: his shame at the Vichy government's collaboration with Nazi Germany, his contempt for its falsely patriotic reactionary ideology, his outrage at its anti-Semitism and its vilification of the Republic it had abolished, his horror at its increasingly savage repression and his disgust with his fellow intellectuals who kept on blithely writing about art and culture as if the Occupation did not exist - not to mention those who praised their new masters in prose and poetry. Also a teacher of French literature, he constantly observed the young people he taught, sometimes saddened by their conformism but always passionately trying to inspire them with the values of the French cultural tradition he loved. Guéhenno's diary often includes his own reflections on the great texts he is teaching, instilling them with special meaning in the context of the Occupation. Complete with meticulous notes and a biographical index, Ball's edition of Guéhenno's epic diary offers readers a deeper understanding not only of the diarist's cultural allusions, but also of the dramatic, historic events through which he lived.

How long is Diary of the Dark Years, 1940-1944?

Diary of the Dark Years, 1940-1944 by Jean Guéhenno is 368 pages long, and a total of 94,944 words.

This makes it 124% the length of the average book. It also has 116% more words than the average book.

How Long Does it Take to Read Diary of the Dark Years, 1940-1944 Aloud?

The average oral reading speed is 183 words per minute. This means it takes 8 hours and 38 minutes to read Diary of the Dark Years, 1940-1944 aloud.

What Reading Level is Diary of the Dark Years, 1940-1944?

Diary of the Dark Years, 1940-1944 is suitable for students ages 12 and up.

Note that there may be other factors that effect this rating besides length that are not factored in on this page. This may include things like complex language or sensitive topics not suitable for students of certain ages.

When deciding what to show young students always use your best judgement and consult a professional.

Where Can I Buy Diary of the Dark Years, 1940-1944?

Diary of the Dark Years, 1940-1944 by Jean Guéhenno is sold by several retailers and bookshops. However, Read Time works with Amazon to provide an easier way to purchase books.

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