Reviews

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

sheryljaynescullion's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

2.75

The story is interesting but so boring to read. Very slow, with no "', or anything, many times I'm confused, because I don't understand what's happening. I skipped a lot because it was boring or it has no sense in the story. I only finished it bc my grandparents gave me this book.

kimreadz's review against another edition

2.0

This book was a real disappointment. I read it because I kept hearing how good it was; an award winner; a must read. It wasn't an absolutely horrible book, but it wasn't a great book, or even a good book. It is the story of the author's childhood spent in total poverty. I knew he eventually returned to America (he was born in American but the family returned to Ireland when he was still very young), so I kept reading to get to that point. The book had some interesting stories, but it was way too long with too many stories... and they were all basically the same. For the first half of the book, dad got a job that didn't pay much, day got his meager pay, dad went to a pub and drank it away, dad lost job, family starved.....repeat. It would have been a much better book it if had been only about 200 pages instead of over 350.

pretentiousbreadcrumbs's review against another edition

5.0

I was completely charmed by this book. The memories of McCourt's childhood are so bleak and harrowing, yet written through the perspective of a child somehow makes the sound anything but.

The first two paragraphs of Angela's Ashes are widely quoted, but I wanted to share a short passages which contextualize this stark innocence:

"When we're back home it takes a while to dig Alphie out from under the load of coal and turf and he won't stop crying until I give him bread marmalade. I'm afraid Mam will leap from her bed but she only mumbles on about Dad and drink and babies dead".

This is a book I'd like if recommend to anyone who hopes to learn more about Irish history and to appreciate what each of us can overcome. I hope to read this again one day.

thoroughly_bookish's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-paced

3.75

I read this book when I was in high school and loved it. This time, I listened to it and I did enjoy that the author was the narrator. I do think I enjoyed the book less now though. It was pretty slow…and I got a little bored but the story was enjoyable. Parts of it were hard to hear..and it definitely makes me more interested in Ireland/England history. I think the best part of this story is that it is narrated in the voice of a child which really made the story feel authentic and more interesting on how a child sees things. However, and this is an issue I have with most memoirs…is just that there is no way that a child can remember all these details and that makes it less authentic. 

books_coffee_and_rain's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

coffeefilter's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

4.0

sohnson98's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny inspiring medium-paced

4.75

Criiiii this book was so touching and funny. Francis McCourt an icon legend and superstar indeed. Will make you laugh and cry in the span of a minute. 

jngarz's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

1.0

lesiene's review against another edition

funny informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy

cjfon0's review against another edition

dark emotional funny informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0