Angelas Ashes Cd

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Summary: A tale of misery overcome by innocent hope.
Review: The woe of a childhood so incredibly dysfunctional yet expertly brought to life by McCourt makes Angela's Ashes a compelling read. I can't wait for "'Tis".

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Summary: It stunk.
Review: If this was my life I would be embarassed and certainly not put it all in a memoir. I would not recomend it to anyone. I don't care what the New York Times said, I think the book stunk.

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Summary: An impressive memoir
Review: Mcourt's memoir is deeply touching. The reader experiences a poverty stricken life through the young eyes of Frank and his siblings. It is a great artist who can create a portrait with words left unsaid. What is between the lines in this work is more important than the lines themselves. The memoir follows the author's family from Ireland to New York City (where Frank is born) and back to Ireland in search of a quality of life that seems to be just beyond their reach. Beset with death, disease, near-starvation, and addiction, the Mcourt family struggles are the things of which nightmares are made. However, this was no dream, but a reality so harsh that Frank Mcourt was able to relate it with humor and hilarity. If you haven't already read this, do so before the sequel becomes available. You'll laugh,cry, and wonder why, but you won't regret it.

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Summary: thoughtful and unique
Review: I thought that this book was a beautiful reflection of human nature and triump over poverty.

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Summary: An amazing life, led by an amazing man.
Review: If you didn't think someone could live as poorly as the McCourts did and survive past childhood, this book would be a real revelation. A fatalist would read this remarkable story as a great, depressing tragedy. An optimist, on the other hand, would recognise the wonderful humor and love of life that kept these little boys going. They are true survivors, in spite of and as a result of their incredible beginning.

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Summary: The book pulls you in so deeply that you feel wet.
Review: Frank McCourt strikes just the right timbre for a memoir of such misery. There is a matter-of-fact tone to the book that resonates and stays with you and in your consciousness when you're not turning the pages eagerly for the next Limerick adventure. There are plenty of tragedies in McCourt's young life, but the distance and stoicism with which he tells the story allows a deeper involvement by the reader than one would allow oneself if the tone were outright maudlin or weepy. There's a humor here and an acceptance that is admirable and that also contribute to hope. It's a compelling story and a compelling life and I strongly recommend it.

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Summary: Fantastic memoir written by a great Irish story teller.
Review: I am a bookseller and I have no problems in recommending this book. Many of my customers have complained that it is morbid and depressing,yet I would have to say that Frank McCourts writing style provokes the emotions of laughter through tears. If you have an ounce of Irish blood in you then you must read this book.

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Summary: David Blake([e-mail])
Review: Soon after starting this book I realised that I had begun to read something I would never forget, and would always recommend at every opportunity. This book gave me the over overwhelming feeling of inspiration. Thank you Mr McCourt.

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Summary: A child of an alcholic learning all too soon how to survive
Review: Had no idea the rehlm of poverty that existed, in Ireland, into the middle of the century. Frank's sense of humor, in the plight of all his misery, is what kept him going. (But you don't miss what you don't know exists). Irish devotion to the church is admirable even though today it seems a lot of that devotion may have been exploited through ignorance. this is a book I will read again and again. Cannot wait for sequal. A child's resiliance in spite of a poor excuse for a father is astounding.

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Summary: Break out the violins
Review: There's a lot of morbid fascination going on here. Maudlin, depressing. Abject bleakness and no hope gets hard to take with little humour or light shinning in. A sob story. The reason why people read it is so they can say "at least that's not me." That's what I thought.