Genealogy Books - Tis Unabridged: A Memoir

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Summary: Darker than the first
Comment: Frank McCourt once again takes us on a tour of his life, this time from the age of nineteen to his
fifties. As with Angela's Ashes, his storytelling is quintessentially Irish, and the reader can
almost hear his brogue as he tells his tale. Again, this book is full of Irish humor and
sensibility, but is much darker than its prequel, Angela's Ashes. I fully expected to love this book
as much as Angela's Ashes, but I had a difficult time coming to terms with the way Frank McCourt
presents himself as well as his mother this time around.

Certainly, Mr. McCourt is not
in this world to live up to my expectations, but I was so disappointed to learn that he had let
alcohol grab hold of him even after describing how his drunken father had made his childhood and his
mother's life such a misery. There's no real explanation of how he became an author - his writing is
treated as an aside to everything else going on in his life, is seldom mentioned and is never
discussed in detail. On the other hand, his teaching career is discussed vividly, but is a sad
treatise on American education and I came away feeling as though it was a job he despised. />
At long last, there is a reference to the title of his childhood memoir, something that I
expected in that book but never materialized. The titles of the two books might have been better off
swapped.

C.A.Wulff - author of Born Without a Tail www.yelodoggie.com

Customer Rating:

Summary: A sometimes whiny yet heart-breaking sequel
Comment: Oh my word. I don't know what most reviewers are talking about. Tis is a true gift to readers who're
interested in the author's life. Angela's Ashes had more poetry while Tis has more modern day
cynicism being caged to a life imposes. In transparent words, this is the book where McCourt grows
up in the USA. It's about his odd and awkward days of longing for women and wondering why he was the
odd one out, about days when he wanted to be disconnected from his family and despite not being
poor, the author finds himself in another predicament of missing Limerick, Ireland.
/>Frank McCourt is my favourite author. I don't know about writing styles because I've never read
many books but Tis truly broke my heart a few times and it made me laugh out loud atleast six times.
In my opinion, it is a bit criminal to say that this book is better than Angela's Ashes but I must
admit I enjoyed reading this even more.

Do me a favour and ignore all the negative
reviews. Arm chair critics wouldn't know better.

Customer Rating:

Summary: WWII era America
Comment: I thought Tis was a better read than Angela's Ashes. Being an American born in 1970, I can not
relate to Ireland circa 1925 (it was apparently an awful place - move on). However, I found
McCourt's historical accounts of WWII America to be fascinating reading. Americans were so openly
racist back then toward every group imaginable. If anyone can claim a reason for America's
greatness, it's her ability to change for the better, although Iraq is a bad example. But then
again, GW Bush actually lost those two elections, so we tried. I suppose there will always be
material for books, like Tis, about ugly Americans who despite themselves turn out to have
functioning hearts. A sincere thank you, Frank.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Very enjoyable follow-up memoir
Comment: Frank McCourt wrote "'Tis" as an obvious follow-up after the success of "Angela's Ashes". This
second memoir is less visceral and dramatic, perhaps because it does not deal with memories of a
childhood in poverty. Nevertheless, it is still engrossing and emotionally moving, full of humor and
sadness, revealing the deep family feelings and the individual self of the author.
/>Starting with his arrival in New York City at the age of 19, McCourt describes his first shocking
experience with the priest at the hotel (I could not stop laughing, although, sadly, this is not
something to be taken lightly), which led to his first janitorial job in a hotel lobby. His struggle
for money to sustain himself and send enough to his mother in Limerick led him to work at the docks,
where he met a plethora of people and started experiencing the true New York diversity. In his
pursuit of education, he discovered the library, but could not even imagine a way to get a college
degree...until he was drafted to serve in the Korea war.

Never actually sent to Korea,
Frank spent his army time in Germany instead, first working with dog training, and then as a clerk.
He became a skilled typist, which allowed him to get a clerical job back in New York City. Another
benefit of serving in the military was his entitlement to go to the university. Despite his lack of
high school diploma and massive inferiority complex, Frank got a degree in English and became a
teacher. In college, he met a beautiful girl, Alberta, who later became his wife (perhaps he viewed
her as a challenge? A woman epitomizing everything American?). I loved his descriptions of problems
with students and the school system, the family perturbations a little less so - but, all in all,
"'Tis" is a great book, which reads very well and is hard to put down. I enjoyed it as much as
"Angela's Ashes": in a little bit different way, but I did not expect it to be the same - the period
of Frank's life here is that of a young man, and he focuses more on his personal development and
experience, not so much on his family (which, anyway, is an eternal presence). Is it a typical route
an immigrant could follow at that time, or highly personal? I think it is both, in a way...
I
like McCourt's language, the flow of his sentences like a story told at the fireplace, his
sensitivity and eye to detail. I enjoyed his view of the New York City, too.

I assume
will read the third part, "Teacher Man", with equal pleasure and I am looking forward to it.

Customer Rating:

Summary: "Tis--by Frank McCourt
Comment: I ordered this book USED/GOOD CONDITION. It came in Very good condition. I was very pleased and will
not hesitate to order a used book again.

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