Tis Unabridged : A Memoir

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Summary: Don't Waste Your Time
Review: I was very disappointed with this book. While Angela's Ashes was one of the best books I've ever read, reading 'Tis was a letdown. Frank McCourt comes to this country and has some understandable rough times here, but a lot of the rough times he endures are self-created, and any sympathy I felt towards him in Angela's Ashes was lost in 'Tis. I found myself at times thinking to myself as I read, "Well, what do you expect to happen when you act like that?" I wish I never read this book.

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Summary: I wanted to like it....
Review: I really tried to like this book but it was a real let down after Angela's Ashes. He spends most of the time moaning about life instead of trying to help. Sorry, but don't bother.

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Summary: As good as the first...
Review: A rare instance when a sequel is just as well-written and enjoyable as the first book. You don't have to be Irish to relate to the humor and pathos of this memoir. I would recommend it to anyone.

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Summary: NOTHING WRONG WITH SECOND BEST
Review: Just finished reading this out loud to my wife and both of us enjoyed it a lot. It is not the equal of Angela's Ashes but close enough to recommend for sure. One thing noticed is the length of his sentences...they are really long, yet do not hinder the story. My wife & I are ready for book III.

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Summary: This is a wonderful book!
Review: It is easy to see why Frank McCourt's writing has won fame & I hope, fortune, for him! This is a wonderful book. Picks up where "Angela's Ashes" left off. You get insight into how he conquers his messy past and succeeds in doing something with himself...as a teacher. The story is honest and the people, odd jobs, schools and places are described brilliantly. You feel like you are there, following him around NYC. He includes all your senses: smell, taste, hunger pangs, hang-overs, lust, guilt, caring, and many more. You get to know his colorful view on things and the people who cross his path. Learn from his mistakes & triumphs in a way that makes you laugh & cry right along with Frankie. This is real life, folks. Not sugar-coated. I loved this book! Buy it, read it, learn a lot about the good old US of A in the process too. The first thing learned is that we take her for granted too much of the time. Bravo, McCourt! You've done it again! Write MORE!

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Summary: This book should have been named "How I Whined Through Life"
Review: I read Angela's Ashes and though, ok, he had a round childhood, but so did a lot of other people. Then I read this book to see if he could get a bit better, but all Frank does is whine through the entire book! I didn't even finish ready it because it irritated me so much!

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Summary: 'tis: a memoir
Review: This book is great. I loved this book. It is bi- cultural, American and Irish. Frank McCourt has had an amazing life and writes like no one else. It's impossible to put this book down.

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Summary: 'Tis
Review: This book is a disappointment after Angela's Ashes. McCourt's "all about me" excursion fails to capture the reader as the life he reports is neither good enough nor evil enough to be of interest. One keeps waiting for McCourt to either enjoy the bohemian life he is drawn to or else reach a turning point in which he accepts the middle class life he toys with. But instead the reader is forced to wade through page after page of Irish Catholic guilt impotent to bring anything more to the author's life than self pity. Hopefully McCourt has not expended all his creative his energy on giving us more than enough information about his own life and will now use his remarkable writing talent to create something worthy of his capability.

Rating:
Summary: "Tis
Review: Oh Mr. McCourt how could you? I was so enchanted by Angela's Ashes that the moment 'Tis hit the shelves, I had to own it and read it. I am sorry to say that I was terribly disappointed. The rich textures and vibrant images that delighted me in Angela's Ashes are missing in this confusing, angst-ridden sequel. Having savoured 'Ashes I tried hard to be patient, waiting for the old magic to appear. It was nowhere to be found. Not only did I not care about the protagonist - he bored me. If another book is in the offing, I will not rush to buy it until Frank McCourt redeems himself.

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Summary: Why 'Tis
Review: 'Tis: A Memoir has to be one of the best books I've ever read. I thought it would take a lot to follow the brilliance of Angela's Ashes. And I was not disappointed. Frank McCourt is a real person. The reader will feel as if he or she was along with Frank on the ship into New York or practicing typing in Germany or even battling through a terrifying first day on the job. To understand the title, one has to read the last chapter in Angela's Ashes. Then it all makes sense. And understanding the title of most any book is key in understanding the book's contents. Frank McCourt, whom I feel is now a personal friend, takes a journey that is sometimes up, but usually down. Isn't that how life goes? But with each new challenge, Frank overcomes. He shows us that though where you come from has a huge impact on you, it need not determine everything about you. When Frank's eyes were sick, who would have ever known that he would one day become a Pulitzer Prize winning writer. This book will find a place in everyone's heart and mind. If you are a reader of fiction, you will not become lost or lose interest in this work of non-fiction. If you love non-fiction, you will appreciate the realism this memoir displays. And if you just love to read, like I do, you will find yourself thinking about 'Tis and wishing there would be a third work for you to enjoy and grow from. I know that I would benefit from another chapter of Frank McCourt's life