Genealogy Books - Angela's Ashes

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Summary: Enthralling Hardship
Comment: Frank McCourts ANGELA'S ASHES relays the adolescent hardships of a poverty-stricken life. This novel
serves to portray the aggravation of an alcoholic father who spends the little money the family has
on alcohol, and ultimately leaves the family completely penniless. An underlying idea of the novel
shows the satiric view of the Roman Catholic Church in which McCourt was raised. Throughout
McCourt's lifelong struggle to save enough money to return to America, he faces many and is
confronted with many problems in his everyday life. The novel brings to life the inhumanity of the
life lived in poverty, with the natrual regularity of death and disease, and the despair of having
to steal for food to live. McCourt adequately relates his views of the difference between classes,
his view of pompous Irish schoolmasters, and his idealistic view of America. This is a heartening
yet sometimes depressing read that allows the reader to relate to the overall strife of human
existence, and shows the extraordinary will to succeed of a young boy trying to overcome his
circumstances with dignity and character. McCourt's novel is inspiring, though-provoking, and
heart-felt. This novel is a must-read. It is a literary jewel.

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Summary: Angela's Ashes
Comment: It's a miracle Frank McCourt survived all the tragedies of his upbringings to compose the story,
Angela's Ashes. The memoir of his oppressed childhood demonstrated that life should not be taken for
granted, the negligible things deserve appreciation. The story was vividly written making the reader
able to emotionally feel the experiences of his misfortunate childhood. Born in Brooklyn he was the
eldest of seven children, though only four reached the age of three. As the family moves from New
York to Ireland in hopes of a more prosperous future the situations continually deteriorate. Living
off the dole with random employment the family has just enough to barely stay alive. Poverty drives
Angela to accept charity from the Saint Vincent De Paul Society while Malachy's addictive drinking
habit nearly destroys the McCourt's. Frank related illnesses that occurred on his first communion
and confirmation as bad omens and he hated carrying the sins of life upon his shoulders. This
brought him to the assumption that the worse scenario of life was being brought up as an Irish
Catholic boy. In Conclusion, Angela's Ashes was a realistic recollection of what life in Ireland was
like for the poverty stricken population in the 1940's. It was a well written book yet very
depressing to read how anyone could have survived under these conditions.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Angela's Ashes
Comment: Angela's Ashes, by Frank McCourt, is the story of an Irish Cathloic boy born in the United States
who learns to adapt to the poverty stricken town of Limerick. Frank vividly recaps the disturbing
events of his childhood, while keeping the reader hopeful right up to the last page. Although Frank
has to take on the man of the house role, while his father drinks himself stupid, his determined
will to survive pervails. This memoir is narrated in the first person by a young Frank who uses
blunt language and childish syntax. After reading this book you will feel like you can overcome any
obstacle you experience with a smile on your face.

Customer Rating:

Summary: A Five Star Book
Comment: I am a teen, and when It come to reading I want to run and hide. My English teacher wanted us to do
a book report. I looked for days,for just the right book,Then I saw it. The cover caught my
attention, It looked so good, that I had to give it a try. From then on I couldn't put it down, I
thought my childhood was rough. I love how Frank has both sad and humorous.You will cry and laugh
out loud. I recommended it to all my friends and they are telling theres. I can't wait to read Tis.
5 stars, I love it!!!

Customer Rating:

Summary: Tragically Profound
Comment: Frank McCourt's bibliography sends you on a trip through the stuggles and hardships of living in
Ireland during the 1940's. Although McCourt's life is difficult, he persevers through it all and
returns to America, where he was born. His life begins in New York in a small apartment with younger
siblings, Frank being the oldest. From the moment he is born, life is a struggle. Food and money are
always short in the McCourt household due to an alcoholic father. Yelling and drunken scenes further
pollute the desolate life. Starvation kills Frank's family one by one because his father cannot get
a job and when he does get jobs he is immediately fired due to drinking. The family decides to move
back to Ireland, beleiving that jobs are more available, but things actually become worse. Although
they move continents, his father still has a drinking problem and his mother and father both develop
a smoking problem.Jobs are not readily available and Mr.McCourt cannot seem to keep one. Money that
should go to food from charitiesis used for liquor and cigarettes, which leads to more death.
Mrs.McCourt's family outcasts the Americanized family and doesn't help much, putting the blame on
Angela for marrying a north Irish man and moving to America at age 18 in search of a better life
than he has ultimately lived. In conclusion, i enjoyed the book but was greatly saddened by the
explicit detail of depression that grows from poverty and neglect.

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