Angela's Ashes

Synopsis
Frank McCourt recounts his tragic childhood with heartbreaking humor.

My thoughts
McCourt writes long lyrical sentences where all the words run together and you can hear the story instead of merely seeing the words. The prose sings from the very first page despite the bleakness of the setting. His childhood was marred by every imaginable tragedy—death, poverty, alcoholism—yet his vivid personal memories soar. It's rare that a book makes me cry and laugh out loud, but this one did—over and over again.

I generally prefer to read books rather than listen to audiobooks, but I'll make an exception in this case. I'm keeping the book so I can read it again, but I'm also planning to get the audiobook so my husband and I can listen to it on our next road trip.

Bottom line
One of the best books I read in 2010. It fully deserved the Pulitzer and all the other prizes it won.

Fine print
Angela's Ashes, by Frank McCourt
Genre: Memoir
Photo by Goodreads
I bought this book.
Read September 2010; review from my book log