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Summary: Poignant, touching, ghastly, funny, sad....and more!
Review: Well, a fairy story this ain't, but it's a fantastic book nonetheless. It makes us all realise that most of our day-to-day problems are nothing compared to what Frank McCourt went though as a child. That he survived his childhood and succeeded in life is nothing short of a miracle. Having been brought up Catholic, I loved that aspect of the book. I also love the lyrical and imaginative ways of the Irish, ie: to get rid of the fleas in his bed, young Frank is told to turn the mattress "upsoide down" and that will confuse the little beggars!!! Frank McCourt writes his story in the voice of his young self, a curious, sweet and oft times unintentionally funny little boy and this is a most endearing feature of the book. Angela's Ashes not always an easy book to read, but persist - you will come away enriched.
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Summary: Very Good Read
Review: McCourt potrays a sad yet sometimes humorous account of growing up poor in Ireland. This book paints an accurate picture of what Ireland was like and it's social problems; alcoholism, poverty, and an arrogant and repressive Church.
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Summary: Couldn't put it down!
Review: Angela's Ashes is one of the most riveting books I have read in a very long time. It is amazing that Frank McCort survived his childhood, much less to have become such a brilliant writer. As a kindergarten teacher, I found the narrative from the young child's point of view to be incredibly accurate. I hope there will be a sequel soon!
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Summary: Best read in years!
Review: If you have a heart you will love this book! You simply cannot read past the first few chapters without feeling some sort of intense reaction to the characters; and expect that feeling to change several times throughout the novel! I couldn't put it down!
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Summary: Take me home to Ireland, but bury me in Butte . . .
Review: Being born and raised Irish Catholic and a graduate of Notre Dame, I've been sufficiently and happily showered in the proud lore of the Irish people. Anglea's Ashes offers a necessary dose of the reality of Ireland and an explanation for why our Irish predecessors left what we think is "heaven on earth" to came to America. As the old-timers say in Butte, Montana, one of the most Irish cities in America, "Take me home to the green hills of Ireland, but when I die, bury me in Butte." All Irish people must read this book if simply to witness the strength of an Irish family. It is truly a great memoir written with the unsinkable wit of the Irish.
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Summary: Boring and uneventful
Review: I was really disappointed by this novel. Although the descriptive writing was very explicit , the story itself revealed very little. How often does the reader have to hear about the dirty jars and the coal? I felt "ripped off" by this book. After reading in such great detail about this man's poor, rotten childhood, I would have liked to know how it affected him later in life...what happened to this boy when he got to America?
Rating: 
Summary: I Don't Think So
Review: I thoroughly disliked this book. The subject matter was dealt with flippantly rather that sardonically and I do not see how anyone could mistake one for the other. There is no valid message or gain to be had by treating poverty or religious oppression, crime, and abuse in an offhandedly light approach. These are serious issues, and although we can be stoic and brave if we are personally involved and overcome our problems, rising above these conditions, we need to pay heed to the physical and psychological damage that this brand of environment brings into adult life and not dismiss them with frivolity. This is not to say that one has to be a victim, but the scars remain with the best of us. In opting to make this a laughing matter, the author sends nothing less than a tortious message. With regard to the writing style, I find that the author held my attention for the first chapter or two then it became one repeat chronicle of suffering, woes and perdicment, over and over, again and again, ad nauseam, without depth, freshness or resolve. Adding further salt to the author's gaping wounds of poor prose, the book's ending seems to convey a justification for thievery and disrespect for humanity that I found pointless at best and at worst a sad moral statement of the Irish people and society in general. Had this book been marketed as "Monty Python Meets the Little People", I could understand the humor. However, this is not the case. Save your money gentle folks.
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Summary: Excellent auto-biography! Very entertaining.
Review: Although I have never been much for biographies at all, this was an excellent book. I had a difficult time putting it down. It's not action packed or full of excitement, yet there's something about the way it's written that makes it hard to stop reading. It follows the life of an Irish family and thier bouts with daily problems. It is an interesting view of the life of Frank McCourt from childhood into adulthood. I especialy enjoyed the informal way in whch it was written, using a child-like manner of speach without quotation marks. This seemed to illustrate the innocence of the characters themselves. Overall, I give this book two thumbs up and five stars, for uniqueness and entertainment value.
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Summary: My imagination ran rampant with images of the McCourt family
Review: This is the best book that I have read in years. There is no end to the images that Mr. McCourt paints throughout Angela's Ashes. I developed a really good Irish accent while reading--so effective is his dialogue. My greatest fear about this book, however, is that someone will try to make it into a movie. That would be the greatest sin of all--far worse than many little Frankie had to confess.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent! A great read.
Review: A great read...funny, sad, heart-warming, and heart-wrenching. Hard to put down. Fantastic.
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