Angela's Ashes: A Memoir
 

Angela's Ashes: A Memoir

by Frank McCourt

"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... (read more)

Top tags: memoirirelandnonfictionautobiographynon-fiction (all tags)

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Most Helpful Reviews

Liked It

kevin g
  • Rated 4 stars

An intriguing and anguishing look at poverty that many Irish immigrants expeienced in the USA. Very well written, but how many times do you got to mention that you had to empty the chamber pot?

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Didn’t Like It

Lisa E
  • Rated 2 stars

I found this book to be depressing. Angela was weak, I felt, to put up with her husband and his ill tretment all of those years, especially since it led to the death of her children. Everyone seemed uncaring and cold. I supose the reader was supposed to be sympathetic to their horrid life and uplifted by the knowledge that Frank succeeded, but there were so many ways they could have lightened their burden along the way that they disregarded due to pride, tradition, or alcohol.

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Community:
  • Rated 4.15239 stars
Amazon:
  • Rated 0 stars
 

Newest Comments

  • Selina C

    selina c said:

    The story is interesting and hilarious at times but he has a serious madonna/whore complex and that's the sad thing about it (apart from the poverty). It is pretty obvious to me.

    posted 3 weeks ago
  • Selina C

    selina c said:

    (spoiler)I didn't like the ending. I mean I like that he finally got to america but then he hooks up with some whores (or maybe just free sluts) and I thought..I don't want to read any more. I felt sorry for Angela...but when he grows up with the idea that a women's only function in this society is to have children to work the land and feed the family I guess it doesn't occur to him to have any respect for a woman's mind.

    posted 3 weeks ago ( | view 2 replies )
  • Meghan  G

    meghan g said:

    Weatherly R, you are absolutely right. It's depressing and funny at the same time, which is why it works when the movie doesn't--the movie completely overlooks the humor and makes it just a sad life. Stick with it, Maria B!

    I actually have family members in Ireland who grew up this way...

    posted 3 weeks ago
  • Maria B

    maria b said:

    I'm still on page 84... after a long crying jag, I didn't pick it back up yet.

    posted 3 weeks ago
  • dineenbecky

    dineenbecky said:

    Very well written and an enjoyable read. It's about a terribly hard way of life but I didn't think the author dwelled on so I didn't find it so depressing. It made me sit back and wonder at how people in such circumstances survive. I'm looking forward to reading his other books!

    posted Friday, May 16 2008
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