Angela's Ashes (Frank McCourt)

It's a decent read, and McCourt is a good writer (at least in this book, although his other work is much weaker) but this leaves me more than a little cold. I suspect his story about growing up an Irish Catholic is more meaningful than those who haven't done that, than to those of us who have. My own childhood in an Irish Catholic household (albeit a very different one than McCourt's) gave me the perspective of alternate feelings of "oh yeah, that stuff" or "my parents weren't that whacked," and while that provided some entertainment as a reader, it wasn't really enough to move this book above average. Don't mistake me. This is well worth reading, but it isn't the revelation of fundamental human truth (or of fundamental Irishness) that some ascribe to it.

A brilliant autobiography-- funny, sad, poignant, but never bitter, although McCourt certainly has more than ample justification for bitterness. I never bothered to see the movie because, no matter how good it might have been, it couldn't have touched the book. "Tis" was also good, but nowhere near the quality of "Angela's Ashes".

I guess what makes this book so good is because it's autobiographical. No one can tell the story better than the person who actually lived through it. In my opinion, Frank McCourt, did an exelent job depicting his childhood, his alcoholic dad, submissive, and somewhat dis-atached mom, and his his own struggles. Good Job!

The McCourts leave New York and go back to Limerick. They are destitute. The book is grime and gritty with some humor.

Can relate to this, reminds me of when I was a kid, only had it a lot tougher.....

Great book, as is the sequel, 'Tis very funny and pathetic at once. It made me appreciate the promise of America for immigrants, even though Frank was actually born in America, and the possibilities this land held which Ireland (and many other mother countries) didn't. As Americans, we all share this story, one way or another.

this book is breath taking. i couldn't put it down. so many ups and downs, i laughed and cried. it's a roller coaster of a book, but it's worth a read. go out and read it now, if you haven't already, i promis you won't be disappointed!

Changed my life!

Good book. It is filled with tragedy and some humor.Frank McCourt's autobiography of his childhood in Ireland. McCourt talks of his childhood of poverty, it has a lot of sadness since some of his siblings died very young. He was always hungry and his dad was an alcoholic.this is an honest telling of his life as a child, even though he had a lot of tragedy in his life, he also found some humor too. I would really give this about a 4.5, a good book.

Very sad story but well written.

This book is absolutely incredible - this book really did upset me when reading about his siblings dying and how his father was always drunk. Its hard to believe that stuff like this actually happened and that he actually survived. It makes you wonder how traumatised he is. The descriptive narrative is fantastic and you can't put the book down. Frank is very honest with what has happened with his life which really keeps you hooked.

Once you start it you can't put it down. This is a heartbreaking story and you keep reading on in hopes that their lives will get better but they really never do. McCourt doesn't write it in a sad way, you just feel it from the pages. How he rose above it is nothing less than a miracle.

What an amazing book! Although somewhat depressing it is also very funny at times. I couldn't help but wish Frankie would have a bit of luck. This book truly makes me appreciate what I have (and makes me feel guilty for all I take for granted). This man went through hardships I couldn't even imagine. This book works so well because the story is told through his eyes as it happened. It is a child's view of a harsh world. It was wonderfully written and greatly entertaining. Read this book.

This is a book that will make you cry, laugh, get angry, depressed, happy and all at the same time. It is sometimes slightly graphic, but not so much by today's "standards". Mostly it is honest. You feel as though you have visited a time in history that was very hard for everyone the world over and you arrived at the lowest common denominator. You can't imagine that it could get much worse than this, yet there is hope and there is survival. Frank McCourt has a conversational style that immediately engages you giving you the feeling that you are sitting around the fireside with him. I couldn't put it down.

This is an amazing book. I felt honored to be taken on this journey of Frank McCourt's life. He has a gift..his talent can make you laugh one moment and bring you to tears the next. His First Communion Day was simply hilarious and heart breaking at the same time. His memory of Eugene watching for Oliver out the window tore my heart out. His loyalty and devotion to his family in the face of devastation are incredible and heroic. I waited quite a while to read this book since I heard from so many people that it is depressing. However, it is inspiring and heroic at the same time. One of those experiences that seriously makes you look at your own life, truly appreciate what you have, and possibly feel a bit ashamed for the things you take for granted. This is a book for everyone, and I am now looking forward to reading 'Tis..I just HAVE to know what became of the McCourts!

Frank McCourt made me fell like I lived his childhood. His story was so powerful that I could not put it down and yearned for more when I finished. Not a difficult book! It was easy to read and well worth the time.

This book had me hooked from the opening sentence. It's about his miserable Irish Catholic childhood. I didn't want to stop reading to find out what would happen next. The hardships Frank McCourt went through and his way of getting through them was inspiring. His narrative from a child's perspective was awesome.

A strong, powerful book. Weepy. Not a happy story. McCourt is brilliant with her description and repetition of certain slang and images. Absolute page turner in spite of the horror and poverty seen on each page. A book that is a must- and don't forget 'Tis, the last word in the book which is an indication of more to come. Well worth it.

What an inspiration Frank McCourt is, he accepted what life dealt him and truly made the best of it...The book was very depressing, but he knew no better as a child and just thought that was how things were. His mother was his hero and he is one of mine...Next on my "to read list" is Tis.

Excellent book and very well written but at the same time both very depressing and very inspiring. Every chapter something terrible is happening and you think " oh my god, well at least it's got to get better" and then it would get worse. They have a pigs head, yeah that's right, a head for Christmas dinner and you'd think "wow, that's got to be the low" and then the next chapter one of the children would die and the dad would go off and get pissed and come home singing ditties. But, then there's the other side where he gets out of it all and you think "how the heck did he go from that to be a professor at the Stuveysant (sp?)" So in that regard it's inspiring.

A stunning masterpiece !

this is a unique and impressive novel

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE EVER READ. I was hesitant to read it at first because I had pegged it as some typical rags-to-riches memoir but that certainly does it little justice nor is it entirely true. Frank McCourt is remarkable. His writing style is entertaining and refreshing. Although he writes about the most dire of situations, he is still able to maintain an uplifting and humorous tone throughtout the book. This is in part to his ability to regress into the mindset of a little boy who knows little of the ways of the world, except for what people have told him. All in all, this book is hilarious, endearing, and a must-read!

This book was very good, well worth the hype. It was written in a way that it read "Irish" somehow, as if you could hear the narrator's voice. It portrayed a life unlike my own, but I could still identify. I can't wait to see the film.

A fabulous book. Straight forward and honest. I couldn't put it down.

If you ever wondered what life was like in Ireland's recent past, here's the book to tell you all about it. You get so engulfed, you start to think you are living Frank McCourt's tragic life. But through all tragedy, things always seem to work out. Human nature at its best.