Rating: 
Summary: This one will be around for a while
Review: This book is so universal in its portrayal of pain, suffering, hope, love, life, and the human condition, that it would be impossible not to relate to it on some level. There are so many memoirs, or memoir-hybrids, floating around out there (Sedaris's "Me Talk Pretty" which is funny, McCrae's "Bark of the Dogwood," which is funny and disturbing," "Memoirs of a Geisha," which is wonderfully colorful and paced) that one hopes this one, "Angela's Ashes" won't get lost in the shuffle. McCourt is a genius when it comes to translating his feelings onto paper and we can only hope for more books like this in the future from other writers. This is a great book, full of warmth, fun, and ultimately, love. A beautiful read with a beautiful story. Pass it on. Also recommended: Bark of the Dogwood
Rating:
Summary: I will never read another book again.
Review: I first read Angela's Ashes several years ago when i was in 7th grade, and instantly realized that i could never read another book again, because none would ever come close to the beauty and grace displayed in this memoir. Although it sounds cliché, i laughed, and at parts, cried, and found myself thanking god that this amazing man was born.
Rating:
Summary: No book has ever hit me harder than this one
Review: Maybe a key factor to this book hitting me square between the eyes like it did, was the fact that this is a real person's memoirs. It's just another, "No matter had bad you think you have it..." book (which even the author realizes, as he notes a couple of his schoolmates who had it worse than him). However, it was more powerfully conveyed than by any other means I've ever read. Truly brilliant.
Rating:
Summary: Optimism, The unvaluable virtue
Review: If one keeps an optimistic attitude, then one can certainly overcome some of the highest hurdles found in life. This theme is powerfully shown in Frank McCourt's touching memoir, Angela's Ashes. Frank McCourt writes about his life as a boy up until his early years of adulthood. McCourt tells the story from the 1st person point of view and his style of writing dramatically changes as the character progressively gets older. Frank's father, Malachy McCourt is a self destructive alcoholic who pisses any money he makes at local pubs and leaves his family to desperately search for meals. Frank's mother Angela McCourt is a humorous but loving woman who never pities herself or her family. The story opens in the late 1920's in New York City. Malchy and Angela have already had four boys when they decide to move to Limerick, Ireland. Limerick is a town ridden by disease, poverty and as Frank so vividly describes it, rain. Frank's little brother Malachy, named after his father enjoys Frank's company and the two often take pleasure in adventures together. Frank tells of his times in Limerick from the perspective of a young boy and gives little opinion, this adds humor.
"It was, of course, a miserable childhood: the happy childhood is hardly worth your while. Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood, and worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood". Frank's childhood is one of deprivation and poverty. He and his siblings often have little to eat and sickness spreads through the family. Frank's father, Malachy continues to drink away his wages. As Frank gets older he struggles to deal with a severe case of typhoid and he is placed in the hospital for months. Frank is forced to befriend literature when no one else available. As Frank becomes a teenager he begins to work at several different jobs to help support his family. Despite all the problems Frank and his family face, optimism still prevails. McCourt does a marvelous job at laughing off the tragic circumstances that existed in his childhood. Frank's mother is forced to make sexual sacrifices to help support the family. Despite this, Frank still dreams of making enough money so his family will never have to suffer again. McCourt also makes many references to his Catholic upbringing. He accepts the rivalry between Catholics and Protestants in Ireland and does his best to be a good Catholic. When Frank grows older however, he is haunted by his sins and ultimately does his best to distract himself from his guilt.
Angela's Ashes is a great book which helps one appreciate their life and not take for granted the luxuries in our lives. McCourt does a brilliant job of making the reader cry and laugh while displaying his tough upbringing in Limerick. I personally would recommend this book to anyone especially those who love a good read with great characters and a satisfying ending. The reader will close the book with a smile, a tear and a rewarding feeling that reminds them of how powerful optimism can be.
Rating:
Summary: A strong argument for Audio Books...
Review: Frank McCourt narrates his own autobiography for the audio edition. Rarely ever do I find this preferable to reading the book yourself...but listening to him recount the trials and inequities of life in Limerick, Ireland adds a dimension not found in the text. Having grown up aware of the social and economic disparity in the world and in life, McCourt has developed a cynical, yet optimistic tone and it resonates in his voice. Rather than pity himself, follow the footsteps of his father and many like him and chase his sorrows away with the pint, he has turned troubles into an entertaining memoir. With his voice you are convinced that he only wants to amuse you, rather than seek your sympathy (the only sympathy he seems to desire is for unsung heroes, such as his mother). You can't help but picture him slightly grinning throughout the performance. Even if you read the book, I recommend finding the Audio Cassette or CDs...he truly brings his work to life. A sidenote: it also may be easier, since in the book he does not use quotation marks. You will spend some time differentiating between dialogue and narration.
Rating: 
Summary: Sad but Funny
Review: Although angela's ashes is a really sad book, the author writes everything with a light sense of humor. And as much as he tells us about the hardships of his childhood and how tough life at home was, he doesnt fail to stick in a good anecdote or two about school or him and his brothers. I really enjoyed this book, and i think that the author did a really good job of getting a not so bright story across without making the book a total sob-fest.
Rating:
Summary: Angela's Ashes
Review: Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt, tells the harrowing tale of his poverty stricken childhood in the lanes of Limerick, Ireland. McCourt proclaims the beginning of the book, "Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood, and worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood." Angela's Ashes shows the truth of his statement through the horrors and hardships of Frankie McCourt's miserable Irish Catholic childhood. These feelings are shown through many small memories and some more important experiences of Frank McCourt's childhood and teenage years. Despite the sadness and depression displayed in the memoir, McCourt is able to laugh at his poverty and is constantly using irony and his dark humor about his upbringing in Ireland.
Frank McCourt is born Irish Catholic in New York City, but when his only sister dies soon after her birth Frank's family decides to move back to Limerick, his mother's hometown in Ireland, thinking times would be better there. They could not have been more wrong, the depression is at its worst, and the rest of Ireland is trying to leave while they are returning. Malachy, Frank's father, is a severe alcoholic, and cannot provide the family with any money except what the dole, a payment given to the unemployed, gives him. Even then the family of six has to live off practically no money. The children's diet consists of solely fried bread and tea, hardly enough for growing boys to live off of. Their tiny apartment is constantly flooding and the McCourt's are forced into one room with one bed for most of the year. After a year of extremely meager living conditions the two twin baby boys of the family die of malnourishment. Frank's dad, eventually leaves to work in England in a munitions factory, but only after leaving his wife with two more baby boys to feed. As expected Malachy never sends back any money to his family who continue their poverty-stricken lives.
Frank's home and school life is extremely structured around his Catholic religion. During Angela's Ashes Frankie McCourt goes through many rites of passage in the religious world, as well as in the Limerick community, which mark his growth into a man. His first confession, first communion, and confirmation were all ceremonies in which Frank and the town of Limerick looked upon as great events which marked moments in a boy's growth into a man and a member of the Catholic Church. But also in this memoir McCourt mentioned occasions which meant the most to him while growing up. The time of the most pride for Frank is when he starts earning some money when he is a young teenager and is able to help feed his family. That however was short-lived and he soon has to return to school. When Frank finishes school as a young adult he begins a real job at the Limerick Post Office as a message boy. Also as a tradition in Ireland he had his first pint of beer the night before he turned 16, an acceptance into the man's world in Limerick.
I believe that Angela's Ashes is a great inspirational memoir as well as a very entertaining story. McCourt not only writes in the perspective of a child or teenager, he makes it convincing that the writing is coming from an adolescent, not a forty-year old English teacher as he is. However that does not stop him from using wonderfully descriptive language and intelligent writing which is consistent throughout the book. The incredible story of his childhood kept me captivated, and funny anecdotes made me laugh out loud, and stopped me from being too depressed by Frank's sad tale.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Memoir
Review: Angela's Ashes recalls Frank McCourt's Irish Catholic childhood. He and his family suffer disease, death, alcoholism, and poverty. McCourt's style of writing is so affective. It is a good memoir making each scene come to life. This book may be compared to other coming of age non-fiction writing, but it is unique in its setting and style. McCourt's creative non-fiction style is strong. It has both imagery and reflection. The writing has great chronological structure and organization. Because it is written from memory, there are some gaps, but it can still be read as stream of thought. The gaps also make the writing realistic. No one can account for every moment of their childhood. Reading this book was enjoyable. It made me aware of historical situations that I did not have knowledge of previous to reading this book. The writing is unique and compelling. McCourt's story telling keeps the reader wanting to know more, even though it entails poverty and disease.
Rating:
Summary: Mrs. Bisson's history class review
Review: Angela's Ashes was a real exciting read for me. Going through the growing process of Frankie McCourt proved to be more captivating than i had expected. He revealed personal details about himself that you would not expect and overcame great poverty, getting virtually no help from his drunken father. It's a great read and i recommend it to everyone.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: This was a great book. One of the best books i've read about hardships that people went through during the times of the war. I love reading non fiction books because it lets me put myself in their position and makes me think about how hard life would be in those days. I usually dont hear about many stories about Irish familes and what they went through. I hear about Jewish or American familes. Turns out that Ireland had many poor areas and didnt have much money during the war. Frank McCourt and his family lived in Ireland during this time and they went through many diffuclties living. Especially with a father that is an alchoholic and uses most of his money on drinks. if you love reality books and you like to know how people used to live, like Frank McCourt, than i recommend you read this book.
|
