Details
Rent Angela's Ashes: A Memoir
Author:
Narrator: Frank McCourt
Format: Unabridged-CD
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: Nov 2005
Genre: Biography & Autobiography - General
Retail Price: $49.95
Discs: 12
Synopsis
Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood,' writes Frank McCourt in Angela's Ashes. 'Worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood.' Welcome, then, to the pinnacle of the miserable Irish Catholic childhood. Born in Brooklyn in 1930 to recent Irish immigrants Malachy and Angela McCourt, Frank grew up in Limerick after his parents returned to Ireland because of poor prospects in America. It turns out that prospects weren't so great back in the old country either--not with Malachy for a father. A chronically unemployed and nearly unemployable alcoholic, he appears to be the model on which many of our more insulting cliches about drunken Irish manhood are based. Mix in abject poverty and frequent death and illness and you have all the makings of a truly difficult early life. Fortunately, in McCourt's able hands it also has all the makings for a compelling memoir.
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Reviews
When I got this one in the mail I was a little disappointed. I was not ready to read this, or so I thought. I dug in and am so glad I did. This is a super book. Since it is written from a young boys perspective instead of an older man looking back on his life, it is full of hope and dreams of Frank's future. There were some really touching and sweet moments where the family seems to come together but my heart broke every time Frank had to settle for a story from his father instead of having a decent father who was not a drunk. But it is a super book and I definitely recommend it.
I'm only sorry I didn't read this earlier, when it first came out. The best part about Mr. McCourt's writing is the fact that he actually narrates his own books as well, which adds to the stories. Even though his life was filled with poverty, he manages to continue thinking optimistically. He weaves humor into even the worst of experiences. I was so enamored with him that I'm now listening to his second book, Tis, and I plan to listen to his third book, Teacher Man after that.
If I could give this book a -5 star rating, I would. I absolutely HATED it!! and I didn't even get past the 6th disk, with 6 more to go, no less!! After listening to hour after hour of pain, poverty, hunger, filth, and misery, to say I'm enjoying the experience would be lying. In my opinion, some books just should not be written like Stephen King's _Misery_, for example, or Nevada Barr's _Hard Truth_ and this is one of those. Based on this book alone, I'll never read or listen to another Frank McCourt book as long as I live.
i know this is a famous book, and that's why i tried to read it. it was BORING. yes just boring. i couldnt get past the very beginning.