Singing My Him Song

Rating:
Summary: You won't be disappointed
Review: I had the pleasure of attending a book signing by Malachy McCourt recently. He is a true storyteller, and the only thing better than reading his new book Singing My Him Song, was listening to him read it.

For those who enjoyed A Monk Swimming, you will love this latest account of his life. A more reflective and introspective Malachy is revealed, without losing any of the humor or cheekiness of his first book. The best book I've read in a long time.

Rating:
Summary: Don't get me wrong, it's well written and all....
Review: Perhaps it's just me, but I'm really beginning to feel like the McCourt family is just cashing in after Frank McCourt's two very successful novels. Of course, I'm not saying that Malachy McCourt is a bad writer, or that he has nothing positive to offer to the literary world, but this memoir left me with mixed feelings.

No doubt, Malachy has a witty sense of humor and an interesting way of perceiving the negative side to life, but on the other hand, the structure of this book rubbed me the wrong way. You're led to believe that his stepdaughter, Nina, had a great life in an institution, yet 100 pages later, you're reading about molested and neglected children in the home she was placed in. Meanwhile, he's gone on to talk about everything else twenty years later before coming back to discussing Nina.

I also ended the book with a feeling of "What was this book's purpose?" Many people experience tough lives while many people do not, but I felt the book lacked a significant climax, besides his health problems, which are nothing particularly unusual for people nowadays.

However, I'd be VERY interested to see what kind of fictional work that McCourt could turn out with his sense of humor. Maybe we'll see some soon.

Rating:
Summary: insightful and humorous
Review: This second memoir by Malachy McCourt was well written and charming. His way with words and sarcasm often made me chuckle. It was fulfilling to read about the changes he was finally able to make in his life. Althought brash at times, the book is an honest and heartwarming account of an extremely unique life.