What makes this story so great is not what happens in it - it is
the "tone" and how it is told. Everything being seen through the eyes of a little boy makes even the
worst things seem humorous.

His sense of character is great. The people almost jump off the
page.

I laughed and was very moved by this book. I highly recommend it.

PS: The movie has some
good performances but never meets the magic of this book. The "tone" is missing.

In bone-clean prose, McCourt details the events of his early childhood,
first in America and then in Ireland. His story is an interesting one, to be sure, but the most
notable thing about it is the way he tells it. McCourt's straightforward style perfectly portrays
how a child sees the world and his family. Especially early on, there is no moralizing or judgment;
events simply happen, often for no discernible reason (although reasons are clear to the reader). As
McCourt grows, so the prose becomes more complex, and his understanding of what is happening to his
family crystallizes.

McCourt also does a great job capturing the rhythm and cadence of dialogue
and regional accents, especially the Irish way of speaking English. While reading the book's
dialogue sequences, a reader can hear the people speaking in their inner ear, can hear the thick
Irish accents of some, the clear English of others. Simply put, Frank McCourt has one of the finest
ears for dialogue of any writer I've ever read.

The imagery of "Angela's Ashes" is simple but
vibrant, the story moving and very, very real. It is, in many ways, a difficult book to read, but
that is simply because it is so well-written, and portrays a difficult subject with honesty and
clarity. One finishes the book wishing that more writers could write this clearly, but even more
important, the reader understands what Frank McCourt went through as he grew to a young man. If that
reader is anything like me, it will make them very thankful for what they have.