Rating: 
Summary: An Exceptional Book
Review: I really enjoyed this memoir by Frank McCourt. The remarkable account describes the ups and downs(mostly)of a "miserable Irish Catholic childhood". McCourt brings us along on a heart-wrenching journey full of laughter and tears. I think his writing style makes the book even more extraordinary. He allows us to experience his childhood through the innocent eyes of young Frankie McCourt. McCourt informs us of his early years: "...but nothing can compare with the Irish version: the poverty; the shiftless loquacious alcoholic father; the pious defeated mother moaning by the fire; pompous priests; bullying schoolmasters..." (11). McCourt revists the tragic deaths of his siblings and the poverty and sickness of their home in Limerick. His detailed descriptions provide a link for us to his past. The St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Leamy School, worn clothing, stories of Cuchulain, and the scarcity of food contribute to the unforgettable images of his life. I also enjoyed the book because of the range of emotions McCourt weaves through his memoir. Disappointment, heartache, pride, love, grief, shame, and sadness play a role in the book. The people in his memoir seem so vivid-the boys at Leamy School, Aunt Aggie, Malachy Sr., and others. As I read the book, I felt as if I knew them personally. I rated this book 9 because McCourt did not provide us with follow-up information. After reading his memoir, I would have liked to known about the current lives of the memorable people in his book.
Rating:
Summary: Magnificent, Heartbreaking, Hilarious
Review: I read for a living as I am in the entertainment industry. I loved this book and consider it a masterpiece. I tell everyone I know to run - don't walk - to get a copy and read it. I both laughed out loud and cried while reading it - often on the same page. What a joy reading this book was for me.
Rating: 
Summary: Child's Eye View
Review: Wow! What a book! All the struggles this poor little boy had to experience in one lifetime, "The boys sneer. . . we wear our shoes with the rubber tires . . ." (106). The family has no money and a very dim future. Frank has to struggle with an acholholic dad, a depressive mother, a hateful grandmother, and a very dreary future. Back to how I enjoyed the book. Well, I gave it a seven because I found myself feeling like I was reading the same old story over and over again. They had no money, the father came home drunk, the children died, Angela would sing when she was happy, the family would move, and Frank just observes. Altough it was interesting to read about life from a child's perspective, I felt like I had the heard the same stiry twenty times. It is humorous to hear Frank comment on different aspects of life, such as when he received First Communion and just learned from his father and the master that one must die for Ireland or Faith, "I'd love to big and important and parade around with the red Confirmation catechism but I don't think I'll live that long the way I'm expected to die for this or that" (113). But then Frank grows up right before the readers eyes. It is such a moving moment when Frank finally saves up his fiftey-five shillings to board the boat headed to America. When the officer comments on how beautiful the country looks and then a whole chapter dedicates itself to Frank's reply, "Tis" (364). For a child who has seen and been through so much, such a rush can be felt through his simple reply. He need not say anymore but just look forward to his future and hold on to his memories, "I want pictures of Limerick in my head in case I never come back" (357). Jo J.
Rating:
Summary: A glimpse into the burnt out fires of the past
Review: _Angela's Ashes_ provides a modern day audience, influenced by more than sixty years of economic prosperity, with an image of a past riven with poverty, racism, and ignorance. Frank McCourt tells of his life from the point of view of a young child forced to grasp maturity at an early age. Only a child could provide such an honest outlook of the world amidst such hardship, for only a child, lacking in worldly experience, would not realize that his life was a trial in the first place. Born of Irish immigrants in New York--his father an alcoholic who nearly drives his mother to mental instability--he first experiences life's struggles in the grand melting pot during the years before the Great Depression. After the hard times of 1929 and losing a child, the McCourt family moves back to Ireland where the children are met with contempt and sometimes persecution. From this moment on, young Frank lives the life of the poorest of poor even among the troubled Irish, but he lives. Frank McCourt has survived well indeed to tell this tale to a generation which often takes its wealth and comfort for granted and to provide hope to those who might feel they are burdened with the world's problems.
Rating:
Summary: The realism in Angela's Ashes
Review: Dear readers, After reading this memoir by Frank McCourt, I honestly believe that he has earned his Pulitzer Prize and I give this exemplory work a nine rating. With the turn of each page one gets reeled in to the life of a poor, Irish, Catholic child as McCourt seems to confide in us with his frank, yet honest, memories. He indulged me with scenes which were so elaborate that I could have easily been a fly on the wall. "We slept the rest of that night, and in the morning we saw where the fleas had feasted, our flesh pink with flea welts and bright with the blood of our scratches" (61). Such troublesome aspects scarred not only the events but the characters as well. McCourt never had a respectable man in his life as his father, Malachy, was branded with the "Irish curse" of drunkenness and song. This motif of 'reality' continued as his mother often lacked social favor. This Catholic mother had a child out of wedlock, married a slothful husband, and never seemed to get quit off of her feet, distraught from losing several children within a reasonably short amount of time. Though, from my selected excerpts and points, this book seems too miserable to endure, it was not. I encourage anyone, be they Irish or Hindu, to give Frank McCourt a chance for they, as I, won't regret it. Sincerely,
SRC_P598
Rating:
Summary: Favorable Review
Review: Angela's Ashes, by Frank McCourt, is a superbly crafted story that recounts his "miserable Irish childhood." His vivid depictions of poverty and very realistic view of groing up Catholic make this an excellent book for anyone and a must-read for anyone that has ever been to parochial school. I give it an eight on a scale of one to ten.
Rating:
Summary: An incredibly emotional journey written in intimate detail.
Review: I read Angela's Ashes for a class I am taking, and also because I have been to Ireland, Limerick in particular. I was amazed at the memory Mccourt has of his childhood, and he describes it so well with such intimate detail. I have never read a book that took me on such an emotional roller coaster. Mccourt definitely opened my eyes and made me realize how fortunate I am to have the luxuries of food, clothing, a home, and a college education. I think many of us fail to realize that we are lucky, and when you read a true story about the life of someone who grew up without all the necessities of life, it almost makes you feel guilty for having so much. I definitely recommend this novel to anybody. An excellent example of what writing should be!
Rating:
Summary: It is the Language that is in it!
Review: The most wonder ful book ever!. Funny and sad at the same time. It can make you cry and laugh at the same time. But the language of the Irish people is wonderful. McCourt had an ear for it since he was achild, for example when he asked his playmate about the phrase "Beef to the Heels". The poverty though is touching, even to an African! The fleas, the pig-head, thejam jars for cups, the fleas, the stinking lavatory, the ... God Help Us, The list is endless. this is the story of life. It demonstrates to us that: whatever the situation, take it easy. We cant wait for the sequel, please Mr. McCourt. Jesus, Mary & Holy St. Joseph himself!
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and Entertaining
Review: Based on sheer enjoyment, this is a wonderful book to read. After almost every paragraph, I had a comment I wanted to share or a question I wanted to ask. This book opened the worlds of poverty, Irish culture, and Catholicism as I had never experienced them before. As a complete package, the book was not perfect, though. I found the opening pages confusing, since the events described are not in chronological order. However, the background information included in them is vital to the story. The reader must remember the events and connect them as the plot unfolds. I have often wondered what the world looks like through other people's eyes, and Frank McCourt gave me a complete tour of his world. Since Mr. McCourt won the Pulitzer Prize for Angela's Ashes, I know he became a successful adult. I look forward to a continuation of his story.
Rating:
Summary: Some miss the point
Review: The intention of the book is not to inspire although to many it seems to have done it. Simply, it is about survival in the most desperate of circumstances. Mr. McCourt does a wonderful job of telling reality with true Irish wit but American soberness (then again sober may not be a good word to use when describing this work) It is a deeply personal account of a boy who survived and the man looking for self-forgiveness in how he accomplished it. Just stirring work, Frankie.
|
