Angela's Ashes: A Memoir
 

Angela's Ashes: A Memoir

by Frank McCourt

"When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I managed to survive at all. It was, of course, a miserable childhood: the happy childhood is hardly worth your while. Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood, and worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood."
So begins the luminous memoir of Frank McCourt, born in Depression-era Brooklyn to recent... (read more)

Top tags: memoirirelandnonfictionnon-fictionautobiography (all tags)

Readers

Groups

  • FrugalReader.com Members Discussion Group
  • NYT Bestsellers List Discussion Group
  • PBT Team 12: The Novelettes Discussion Group
  • Turn the Page Discussion Group
  • Audible Books to recommend Discussion Group
  • Book VS. Movie Discussion Group

Other Reviews

Amazon Reviews
 

Most Helpful Reviews

Liked It

4 of 4 members found this review helpful.
Lord Manleigh
  • Rated 5 stars

Threatens to become the most popular memoir of all time. If you wish to experience the essence of Irish -- the gallows humor, the gut-wrenching pathos, the soaring love of language and story-telling – I can think of no other writer who has captured it so marvelously. Don’t let the bizarre criticisms below keep you from reading this book. It’s a wondrous memoir.

Lord Manleigh’s full review »
more reviews »
Community:
  • Rated 4.132358 stars
Amazon:
  • Rated 4.605263 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 Monday, June 30 2008
  • 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 Sunday, June 29 2008 ( | view 4 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 Sunday, June 29 2008
  • 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 Sunday, June 29 2008
  • 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
© 2008 Shelfari, Inc. | Portions of Shelfari.com are Copyright © 1996-2008 Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy