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Summary: A great Irish tall story!
Review: While no doubt based on facts; this is a ficticious Irish yarn! I too know the Ireland of the '30s and it was not THAT bad!Approach this book as fiction and enjoy!
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Summary: What an Audiobook is all about!!
Review: THIS is why I listen to books in some cases rather than read. You need to HEAR this unabridged audiobook to fully appreciate it's power to move the soul and provide pathos, laughter, crying and more. McCourt speaks to the soul in a first-person way that makes it seem you are living the story.
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Summary: What a satisfying read! MAGNIFICENT!
Review: This is without a doubt one of the best books I have ever read. The story of Frankie McCourt and his family is narrated in a simple and lyrical prose so smooth, it practically rolls off your inner voice as you read it! I read much of this book on a cross-country plane trip, and, in spite of the ongoing theme of tragic and unrelenting poverty, I found myself smiling and chuckling at little Frankie's indomitable spirit, and marveling at Ireland seen through the eyes of a child: the wonderful Irish characters, Frankie and his friends and their escapades, and of course, those two centuries-old plagues of Irish heritage: liquor and the Catholic Church (my mother is Irish, so I know!). What a wonderful, wonderful book!
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Summary: A stirring, emotionally draining story.
Review: Frank McCourt captures the plight of the Irish poor in a way no other author ever has. His wayward father's drunkenness is described without animus, as only the child narrator could. There is a Huck Finn quality to the story that makes it especially American, not just Irish. I cannot recommend a book more highly. I have not been more taken with a story in twenty years.
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Summary: This book was one of those you can not put down!!
Review: Frank McCourt is definetly a survivor. His story is one that everone should read. At times we may feel our life is a struggle. He shows the readers that if we try hard enough and keep the faith we can overcome many obstacles. This book is one that should be recommended for highschool literature or history classes. I hope Mr. McCourt writes a sequel to this novel. I would like to know more about his freedom in America. I would also like to know more about his family. This book was well written, and should be read by all.
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Summary: A gripping account of poverty in two lands
Review: From the Depression in America to poverty in Limerick, this book never loses the reader's attention. It is impossible not to laugh at points, despite the intense sadness of the memoir. Although the father is a full-blown alchoholic who abandons his family after wasting the wages on booze a number of occasions, you can't help but appreciate his kindliness. It is so humorous because of the casual recollection he tells. It is a must read for Irish and non-Irish alike!
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Summary: Enjoyable read, but overrated . . .
Review: This book sure has had a lot of hype; I'd had such great anticipation before reading it but found it a bit overrated. I particularly enjoyed the youthful Frank's perspective on faith and the Roman Catholic church in general as well as his naivete about many things in his young life. There were times where his degree of poverty exceeded what can be conceived by most and absorbed by many. Great ending, but a bit repetitive throughout in regards to the father's irresponsibility and the fixation on the unsanitary conditions, etc. A tragic yet envigorating tale, overall a good read.
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Summary: A poor Irish family's struggle. Told by the oldest son.
Review: Mr. McCourt, I admire you. You certainly have my respect for your story telling. I loved your book and read it straight for 3 days. Your story of your childhood is inimaginable to most. I thought growing up poor in America was bad until I read this book. I really understood when the onslaught of WWII was good for Ireland as it but its out-of-work men to work, feeding their families and giving them self-respect and off the dole. This story is a story never told and one we can all learn from. It tells Frank's story of his life in New York until the family moves back to Limerick after a baby sister is found dead one morning. The family struggles to survive from the first page until the last. The father is a drunk. The mother is a baby factory and the children are always hungry. The book gives us a little glimpse of the Irish/Catholic Church and how they treated the poor. It tells the story of the proud people of Ireland and the stories they pass down to their families through song and poems. I would reccommend this book to the avid reader who can't put a book down and wants to be thankful for the life they behold in America.
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Summary: 0 out of 5 stars
Review: Looking at the endless series of 5 out of 5 star reviews makes me think this world is doomed.Everyone deserves a chance to earn a few dollars.... Now the author of this book has had his, let's leave it at that. The man has passed the hat and wants for nothing; in fact, he still has his day job. A hollow echo of Irish life that harkens back more to Darby O Gill and the Little People than to anything real. The dialog is hollow and inane, the story line serves up one cliched scene after another. A thorough waste of time. No stars, not even a barren asteroid. Forget this book.
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Summary: Wonderful poignant memoir of a miserable childhood.
Review: I could not put this book down. Even with the despair and heartbreak of a childhood of abject poverty, McCourt writes in a style that at first appears to be dispassionate, but underneath we feel all the emotions of an intelligent Irish boy who witnesses much more than the average citizen ever will. I loved the ending, yet I wanted to read on and on to find out what happened upon his arrival back in the USA. A wonderful book! 'Tis!
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