Book Review: Angela’s Ashes

Saturday, Apr 18, 2009

Book Review: Angela’s Ashes

Author: Frank McCourt

Publisher: Scribner

ISBN: 0-684-87435-0

Website: HERE

Type: Non-Fiction:Memoir

Pages: 364 Hardback

Purchase: $5.99 @ Amazon.com (HERE)

The Story

This story is the one of Frank McCourt’s, an Irish-American who was raised in Limerick, Ireland. It is his life story from his earliest memories in New York through his life in Ireland until he returns to America at age 19. His life was a remarkable one and I can’t imagine living through the hardships that he’s endured. He lived a childhood in extreme poverty and nearly died of typhoid fever. Frank suffers the loss of his twin brothers and little sister. Frank’s father is an alcoholic that causes his family to live in squalor as he spends any money he earns in the pub until it is gone.

Frank’s story in Angela’s Ashes is one that contains so many unbelievable hardships, yet at the same time the reader is amazed by his resilience and continued fight to make something of his life and return to America.

The Review

Lisa lent me this book and told me that it was one of her favorites. I can see why. I have since learned that Frank McCourt received the Pulitzer Prize (1997) and National Book Critics Circle Award (1996) for Angela’s Ashes. He is also the author of ‘Tis, which continues the story of his life, picking up from the end of the Angela’s Ashes and focusing on life in America, and Teacher Man about his challenges as a teacher with his students.

Reading this book was so overwhelming to me! Its tale was remarkable and I felt such a sense of gratefulness for the life that I’ve lived in comparison to Frank’s. I don’t know how it is that I had never heard of this book nor movie. To avoid spoilers for those who have not read this excellent book, I will instead share with you one of my favorite parts of the book. Frank has written a composition on the Lord entitled “Jesus and the Weather” for an assignment in school. He is instructed to read it aloud to the class.

“This is my composition. I don’t think Jesus Who is Our Lord would have liked the weather in Limerick because it’s always raining and the Shannon keeps the whole city damp. My father says the Shannon is a killer river because it killed my two brothers. When you look at pictures of Jesus, He’s always wandering around ancient Israel in a sheet. It never rains there and you never hear of anyone coughing or getting consumption or anything like that and no one has a job there because all they do is stand around and eat manna and shake their fists and go to crucifixions.

Anytime Jesus got hungry all He had to do was walk up the road to a fig tree or an orange tree and have His fill. If He wanted a pint He could wave His hand over a big glass and there was the pint. Or He could visit Mary Magdalene and her sister, Martha, and they’d give him a His dinner no questions asked and He’d get his feet washed and dried with Mary Magdalene’s hair while Martha washed the dishes, which I don’t think is fair. Why should she have to wash the dishes while her sister sits out there chatting away with our Lord? It’s a good thing Jesus decided to be born Jewish in that warm place because if he was born in Limerick he’d catch the consumption and be dead in a month and there wouldn’t be any Catholic Church and there wouldn’t be any Communion or Confirmation and we wouldn’t have to learn the catechism and write compositions about Him. The End.”

This book is written without quotation marks and is written in his true voice. There are many songs, poems and other such recitals within the book. There are so many endearing and wonderful things that Frank shares in the book that will stick within the confines of my mind for a lifetime. I only wish that I could meet him! What an amazing thing that would be.

On Sher’s “Out of Ten Scale:”

If you have not read this book, it needs to be added to your MUST READ list. This is a book that will enrich your spirit and make you feel so grateful for not only ever meal you eat, but for your health as well. It is simply an amazing book!

For the genre Non-Fiction:Memoir, I am going to rate this book a 10 OUT OF 10.

18 Comments

| Posted in Books Books Books

18 Responses

Molly

April 18th, 2009 at 4:38 am

I have read Teacher Man and truly enjoyed it.

I have had this book on the TBR list for literally years – and have yet to pick it up. Obviously I need to remedy that if it is worthy of 10 out of 10 Sheri stars
Literate Housewife

April 18th, 2009 at 4:41 am

I have never read this book. My sister suggested it to me and even let me borrow her copy, but I’ve never gotten to the point of reading it. Clearly, I need to. Thanks for the great review!
Ashley

April 18th, 2009 at 4:44 am

My grandma gave me Angela’s Ashes when I was 12 or 13 and I couldn’t put it down. I have probably read my copy once each year since then. It is truly an amazing and heartbreaking book.

I red ‘Tis a few years ago, bu I didn’t feel it was as good as Angela’s Ashes at all. It is definitely one of the best books I have ever read.
Betty and Boo's Mommy

April 18th, 2009 at 6:56 am

I read this several years ago and LOVED it for many of the same reasons you mentioned. Definitely worthy of 10 of 10 stars. Glad you enjoyed it too!
Kathy

April 18th, 2009 at 6:57 am

I loved that book too! Did you know Frank McCourt was Susan Jane Gilman’s high school English teacher?
Margo M

April 18th, 2009 at 8:05 am

I read this when it first came out and loved it. You’ve reminded me that it’s one of those rare books that I want to read again. Have a great weekend, Sheri!
Brenda

April 18th, 2009 at 5:19 pm

I loved this book, I should reread it.
Alyce

April 18th, 2009 at 6:39 pm

This one really stuck with me too. It’s heartbreaking in many ways, but so well written and enchanting that it is definitely one of my favorites. Great review!
jennygirl

April 18th, 2009 at 7:13 pm

I enjoyed both the book and the movie. I also read the book first. The pictures my imagination conjured up were nothing compared to the movie version, ie the living conditions. The movie brought everything home to me.
Enjoyable and made me count my blessings.
Sherry

April 18th, 2009 at 7:17 pm

i totally agree with you Sher! I picked up this book in a thrift store because the title intrigued me. I love it!
Carrie K.

April 18th, 2009 at 8:15 pm

My mom called me yesterday to tell me that I have to read this book – it was that wonderful. She’s loaning me her copy – now to figure out where to put it in the reading queue.
Valorie

April 19th, 2009 at 5:47 am

This has always been one of my favorite books. I saw the movie when it first came out and HAD to read the book. It IS a 10 star book, definitely.
Lisamm

April 19th, 2009 at 8:11 am

Hi Sheri, I’m so happy you loved the book too. I read it many years ago but still remember some things so vividly.. like how they called the upstairs “Italy” because it was warmer and the downstairs was “Ireland” because it was damp and cold, and then when the downstairs floods they leave the picture of the Pope downstairs because mom doesn’t want him staring at her in bed. All that suffering and still they kept a sense of humor. How they patched the holes in their shoes, or went to school shoeless. How they dragged dad out of the pub before he could drink away every cent they had.

My father in law was 100% Irish and remembered hearing stories from his folks about the great potato famine. I gave him this book and he loved it too (he wasn’t a reader so for him it was a big deal).
Lisamm

April 19th, 2009 at 8:44 am

Hi.. me again.. I remembered reading on a blog a while back about someone meeting the McCourts, so I looked for it.. here it is:
http://bookwitch.wordpress.com/2007/11/08/mrs-mccourt-and-her-husband-frank/
Anna

April 20th, 2009 at 6:14 am

Glad to hear you loved this book. I loved it, too. I’ve enjoyed all of McCourt’s books.
Mishel

April 20th, 2009 at 7:17 pm

I’ll definitely have to pick up this book. I randomly watched it on tv a few weeks ago. I had no idea what I was watching but I knew I couldn’t stop. I really liked the movie and didn’t know he wrote a book as well. Thanks for the review!!

P.S. Thanks so much for visiting my blog. I’m glad you found me otherwise I wouldn’t have found your beautiful site
Glynis Smy

June 14th, 2009 at 1:19 pm

This is a wonderful book to read. From start to finish it grabs your attention. I recommend this book.
.-= Glynis Smy´s last blog ..Growing Daily~Sharing Snippets =-.
Ania

March 7th, 2010 at 1:52 pm

I found about this book from my mom, she was telling me how she loved it and how outstanding it was. Me only bieng in the 7th grade I depend on my parent’s alot, and I dont appriciate the little things I have in life. And reading his memoir realy showed me I have to be gratefull for what I have and appriciate the little things in life. I’m just now finishing this book, and I found it outstanding. I loved the way he was able to incorpriate his feelings and it almost felt as if I was living his life with him. If your looking for a book that will make you cry and laugh, this is the book for you.