Angela's Ashes: Miserable Irish Childhood

Title of the Book: Angela's Ashes 
Author: Frank McCourt 
Number of Pages: 390
Rating: ☆☆☆☆



Review: Angela’s Ashes is about being miserable. From the very beginning, the author notes how terrible his own childhood is and from the very beginning you as the audience know that the story is building toward Frank’s mother’s death. You know that this story contains too many tragic events and too much dysfunction to have anything other than a bittersweet ending.

In just the first section of the book, Frank is exposed to the death of his siblings, the alcoholism of his father, and the dysfunction of his parent's marriage. He lives in poverty and witnesses the prejudices of the adults and other children around him constantly. Things get a little better after his family moves from America to Ireland, even as more of Frank’s siblings die. His family receives help with their financial troubles and unemployment, but the fundamental problems of his father’s depression and drinking, continually prevent any gestures and momentary good luck from gaining momentum.

For example, in one portion of the book, when Frank’s father finally secures a job and it looks like things may turn around. But slowly, you realize that he has spent most of the money on alcohol and that the terrible cycle we've seen so far has begun again. Frank expertly weaves the story so that even though you can sense the emotional punch coming, it still hurts, and then to add insult to injury, his father is so drunk that he sleeps too late and loses his job the next day.

All in all, if you couldn't tell yet, this is a very sad book, which is very enlightening toward the bitterness and the culture of suffering which the Irish people have had and continues to have to an extent. Despite that sadness, you still feel the all the little good things that Frank and his family enjoy. When the author describes tarts or tea or a good song, you feel it and you almost wish you were there. The sorrow in many cases feels uncalled for until you realize that in many cases it is rooted in this fundamental sadness which seems impossible to get rid of. But when it counts, the characters are complex enough, the descriptions are rich, and you’re willing to go along for the ride because of it. If you enjoy thoughtful books that aren’t afraid to expose how hard life can be for some people, you’ll enjoy this one.