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Angela's Ashes: A Memoir of a Childhood
 
 
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Angela's Ashes: A Memoir of a Childhood (Paperback)

by Frank McCourt (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (169 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Flamingo; New Ed edition (6 May 1997)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 000649840X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0006498407
  • Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.9 x 2.7 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (169 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 36,685 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #17 in  Books > Biography > Social & Health Issues > Cultural History > Irish

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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
"Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood," writes Frank McCourt in Angela's Ashes. "Worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood." Welcome, then, to the pinnacle of the miserable Irish Catholic childhood. Born in Brooklyn in 1930 to recent Irish immigrants Malachy and Angela McCourt, Frank grew up in Limerick after his parents returned to Ireland because of poor prospects in America. It turns out that prospects weren't so great back in the old country either--not with Malachy for a father. A chronically unemployed and nearly unemployable alcoholic, he appears to be the model on which many of our more insulting clichés about drunken Irish manhood are based. Mix in abject poverty, and frequent death and illness, and you have all the makings of a truly difficult early life. Fortunately, in McCourt's able hands it also has all the makings of a compelling memoir.

Review
"Frank McCourt's gentle, understated voice throws into relief the admirable humour, spirit and humanity of the people who made the degradation of his childhood bearable." Gramophone 1/11/97 "It was Frank McCourt's year and his reading of Angela's Ashes on audio tape is the best reason I can think of for taking a long car journey." Irish Times 25/12/97 "Frank McCourt's reading is captivating from the first moment. Felicitous writing and harsh voicing combine to make an apparently dismal story absolutely hilarious." Evening Standard 22/12/97 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Angela's Ashes: A Memoir of a Childhood
82% buy the item featured on this page:
Angela's Ashes: A Memoir of a Childhood 4.7 out of 5 stars (169)
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Customer Reviews

169 Reviews
5 star:
 (139)
4 star:
 (18)
3 star:
 (4)
2 star:
 (5)
1 star:
 (3)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (169 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Childhood ashes, 9 Jan 2006
By Bogdana Voicu (Dubai, United Arab Emirates) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Angela's Ashes (Paperback)
It was amazing to fin a book in a brand new book shop in a brand new shopping mall in the Middle East... to find a book with nice covers, sad covers, brown covers, with a small boy leaning against a wall... somehow, I felt the need to grab it and read it, it looked so European that I could not refuse this pleasure to myself. But AFTER readng it, I was simply amazed... it is so sad that you just hope it was just a story... except that you read on the front page that the book is dedicated to Frank McCourt's brothers, who carry the names from the book, and THEN you get the whole poit... it is completely and emptying true. It is all about a child's view on his own childhood... pertinent and intellingent and full of refined humour... you really do not know whether the garndmother is heartless or just the funniest character ever... you could not say whether the father is to be hated or accepted and even liked (he is a drunk, inded, but he is a nice one, somehow)... and who could tell if Angela herself is a good mother (she cries in despair for her children) or she just neglects them and lets them be dirty and smelly... the characters are strongly individualised, you just love each and every one of them.
In a nhutshell... i offered this book as a Crhristmas present to one of my best friends... she loves it and now it is her favourite... I still have a few more pages to read, and I have a feeling that I will always, but always remember details of this book. Recommendation? Read this book alone, isolated by the world... you will get into it like never before with a book.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Cathartic - Cathartic -Cathartic. Amen., 25 Jun 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Angela's Ashes (Paperback)
Dear Frank, your book Angela's Ashes is the book I intended to write, but never had the "guts" to tackle. Like you, I lived my early years in desperate and unrelenting poverty in Englands equivalent of Limerick - Catholic Widnes. Every word, sentence, and paragragh described my childhood so unerringly that as I read I felt as though I was locked in discussion with you. Which in truth I was, inasmuch as I found myself crying and angrily exclaiming in agreement as page after page told "my story". Cathartic - Cathartic. Thank you for proving that human spirit can rise above and triumph over poverty and degradation imposed through the sacraments of manic religious indoctrinators. Just how long are the starving children of this world expected to accept near death in this life for a reward from God if, and when they reach heaven? My intended version would not match yours for humour, because I just couldn't recall much that was humourous about those times. Your version was a revelation to me and caused me for the first time ever, to consider forgiving my sworn enemies the Catholic Church and it's teachers, and to get on with and enjoy whatever time is left to me. I close by telling you that, through reading your books my family have at last gained some insight into what "ails me".

Thank you.

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13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A never to be forgotten story., 28 April 2008
This review is from: Angela's Ashes (Paperback)
Much praise for this book, and the movie is even better. Well done to frank mccourt for finding the words..
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Better listened to than read
The voice of an old Irishman, Frank McCourt, tells the story of a young American boy of Irish descent, his journey to Ireland with his beleaguered family, and his eventual return... Read more
Published 25 days ago by Mr. SD Halliday

4.0 out of 5 stars Poignant and funny but relentlessly unhappy
Angela's Ashes is a poignant, funny and cynical memoir of Frank McCourt's poverty-stricken childhood, drawing together the sadness of loss and the craziness of the society within... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Talc Demon

5.0 out of 5 stars How an Irish child dreams
Angela's Ashes is a delicious novel of a child. The world's going to be understood by a young Yankie and I always find that gorgeous. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Roberto Oddo

5.0 out of 5 stars worth a read
I had this book for a while before reading it and even lived in Limerick for a while before reading it, but when I did get around to it, it was well worth it. Read more
Published 10 months ago by OK

5.0 out of 5 stars The film will have to be good to do this book justice
Somewhere on this page Amazon is telling you that people who bought this book also bought 'Tis' and 'Teacher Man'. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Eclectic Reader

5.0 out of 5 stars What a story!
I had seen parts of Angela's Ashes on TV and thought what a bleak, miserable story it looked. I was a bit hesitant about reading the book at first but came across a box set of... Read more
Published 16 months ago by L. Roberts

5.0 out of 5 stars Totally fascinating throughout
This amazingly detailed story of Frank's shockingly poor childhood in Ireland is brutally honest and very well written. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Chelli

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt is one of my favorite books. It has an important place in my heart because after reading it I came to love books. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Camilla T.

5.0 out of 5 stars Unputdownable
A quite breathtaking read, I couldn't put it down. Its hard to believe the harsh reality of life and poverty that gripped Ireland not that long ago. Read more
Published 20 months ago by KEN SCOTT author

4.0 out of 5 stars told how it was................
a marvelous book, well worth reading....the true story of a poor irish family, a work shy drunken father, a struggling mother, not forgeting mean aunt aggie, or daft uncle pat,... Read more
Published 21 months ago by magic

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