Author: Frank McCourt
Genre: Memoir
Pages (words): 368 (148,309)
Readability: 6.0
Rating (out of 5 stars): ****1/2
Reviewed by: Ben and Jenn
Description: A tale of growing up in desperate times in Ireland, Angela's Ashes paints a brutal but poignant picture of Frank McCourt's early days, when food on the table was scarce and boots were a luxury.
Thoughts: This is easily the best memoir that we have ever read. As he grew up, McCourt's family was desperately, despairingly poor, and what money they did have was mostly spent on the drink by his father. Times were terribly tough for their family, but if anything we laughed (out loud) more than we cried as we read it. McCourt does an incredible job of mixing in the perfect amount of humor to make this sad tale pleasing. It is this ability that got him a Pulitzer Prize. The story itself is depressing but moving at the same time. You can see that the poverty is absolutely crushing, and impossible to overcome, yet the book is filled with the everlasting hope of youth, as it is told from the refreshing perspective of a clever child. Also, if you ever listen to audiobooks, this book is an absolute delight to listen to, as it is read by Frank McCourt himself. We both found ourselves speaking with a bit of an Irish accent between listenings (and saying things like, "Now you've gone beyond the beyonds!"). Overall, four stars are for the writing and story, and an extra 1/2 star for McCourt's performance. If you're going to read it, really you MUST listen to it.
Disclaimer: This book includes quite a bit of profanity, although it doesn't seem as bad when it's spoken with an Irish accent! :) On top of that, towards the end of the book there are several sexual situations, with moderately explicit detail. This left a bad taste in our mouths for the ending of the book, although we loved it overall.
1 comment:
I enjoyed this book, but it was a painful read. I think I made the mistake of taking it on a relaxing vacation and reading it there (does not quite work to read this book when you are relaxing at an all-expense paid work boondoggle in the beautiful mountains of Colorado Springs!). However, it is one that has stayed with me for the moving storyline and great characters. I just read "The Glass Castle" and it is a similar read--perhaps not as well, written, but still good and a moving story set in America of a family devastated by alcoholism and extreme poverty.
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