Angela's Ashes

By: Frank McCourt, Jeannette Walls - introduction

Narrated by: Frank McCourt, Jeannette Walls - introduction

Length: 15 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

Pulitzer Prize, Biography/Autobiography, 1997

National Book Critics Circle, Biography/Autobiography, 1997

Frank McCourt's Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir, movingly read in his own voice, bears all the marks of a classic. Born in Depression-era Brooklyn to Irish immigrant parents, Frank was later raised in the slums of Limerick, Ireland. His mother, Angela, had no money to feed her children since Frank's father, Malachy, rarely worked, and when he did, he drank his wages. Angela's Ashes is the story of how Frank endured - wearing shoes repaired with tires, begging for a pig's head for Christmas dinner, and searching the pubs for his father - a tale he relates with eloquence, exuberance, and remarkable forgiveness.

Listen to Frank McCourt talk about this book on C-SPAN's Booknotes (7/11/97).

©1997 Frank McCourt, All Rights Reserved (P)1997 Simon & Schuster Inc., All Rights Reserved, Audioworks is an Imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division Simon & Schuster Inc.

Critic reviews

"Frank McCourt is a marvelous writer whose words are made all the better when he reads them aloud..." (Bookpage)

"...one of the best I've heard in years." (The Boston Globe)

"...so good it deserves a sequel" (The New York Times)

"Here we have the stereotypical Irish characters - the drunken poet father; the all-suffering mother; the miserable, hungry kids being turned away by a haughty Church - all made three-dimensional and brought fully to life by both McCourt's language and his loving, intimate narration.... Grim it is - but the tale and its teller transcend the poverty - and so does the listener, who glories in the story and voice from beginning to end." (AudioFile)

The best memoir I have ever read

Frank McCourt is enchanting with his narration of his masterful memoir. His courage and resilience are truly inspirational.

Best Way to Experience Angela's Ashes

If you could sum up Angela's Ashes in three words, what would they be?

Humorous, tragic, educational

Who was your favorite character and why?

Frank McCourt

Which character – as performed by Frank McCourt – was your favorite?

Frank McCourt

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

This is a very long book - over 15 hours so there is no way I would listen to it in one sitting.

Any additional comments?

This is a book that I had never wanted to read because I expected it to be very sad. Listening to it read by the author made it much more palatable for me. The life of the McCourt's did not seem hopeless since the family accepted it and plodded on day to day.
There is quite a bit of humor throughout the book and this helps to lighten the mood considerably.

The narrator's singing of the Irish songs in the book was delightful. I know I would never have really experienced the music if I had read the book. Music was very important to this family.

I'm writing this review while only half done with the book. I only listen to it while walking - this is my main incentive to get outside and walk. It is a major motivation!

My favorite book

A wonderful memoir - I highly recommend listening to 'Tis as well as this book.

Best Autobiography Read by the Author Himself

Where does Angela's Ashes rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top of the list.

What other book might you compare Angela's Ashes to and why?

I would compare this to Memoirs of a Geisha not for content but for the power it has to draw you into the story. The historical content is amazing along with the story being told by the author himself in a lovely Irish accent that only makes this book that much better.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

You can't go wrong with this book. It's got everything, honesty, sadness, love, hate, and eventually happiness as you liten to this young boy grow from such impoverished conditions to a succesful human being who -- by the way -- won the Pulitzer for this book. It's inspiring and real.

Beautiful, Funny, & Moving Coming of Age Story

You must read this magnificent book of Frank McCourt's journey from America to Ireland and years later, back to America. You will be captivated by the disperate circumstances he endures trying to adjust to the harsh life of Ireland. Frank McCourt tells the story with such grace and humor that I found myself laughing throughout the book even though his yoing life was full of misfortunes. Frank's beautiful Irish accent transports the reader to tge little village in Ireland where he spent his formative years. You will want to read this book more than once.

Excellent

A wonderful story and truly amazing reading. No one but the actual frank could have done it justice. Ach ach

A Great Read

McCourt weaves a great story of desperate poverty in Ireland. The reading style is full of some of the little Irish nuanced comments that one would hear from English speaking Irish who emigrated to America. The McCourt tale is a classic one and I think it is a great listen for anyone with a Irish ancestry.

Loved this book, one of the best ever!

To have the author narriate makes the book even more special! I didn't want it to end.

Wonderfully narrated by the Irish author.

I can't concur with the few reviews claiming this book was boring or pointless. I found it to be poignant and more than anything it brings out solidarity between the charecters and the reader. If you've ever been hungry or cold in your life, if you've ever lost someone you loved you will immediately strike a chord with the young boy through which this story was told. Catholics especially will find humor in the parts of the book in which the story collides with the Church. It is told through his young 7-11 year old self, and some of the observations he makes are simply hilarious. It is a sad tale, but it is humorous throughout. Maybe you have to have a certain love of the Irish, know the "Catholic guilt", or have an understanding of what it's like to be poor and unlucky through no fault of your own. I loved it and I don't think a long time will pass before I'll take a trip back to Ireland and visit Frank McCourt again.

Och, aye.

I didn't think I could love this book anymore than I already did, then I listened to it. This is the only book that I recommend listening to instead of reading. Of course I'll get my own physical copy, but nothing comes close to hearing Mr. McCourt telling you the story himself. I listened to this everywhere--on my commute, walking around campus, before bed. For the past week or so, I felt like he was a friend that I could call anytime, who would always be ready with heartbreaking yet humorous tales from his childhood in Limerick.

And the songs! Oh, the glorious songs! You cannot possibly imagine how the lyrics sound when they're just words on paper. You need to let him sing to you, to fully appreciate and enjoy the different songs sprinkled throughout the book.

I don't think it's possible to truly appreciate this book until you've heard it told from Mr. McCourt himself.