HABRIA MUCHAS FORMAS DE DESCRIBIR LA HISTORIA, MAS TAL VEZ SERIA SUFICIENTE DESCRIBIRLA COMO LA HISTORIA DEL SER HUMANO QUE POSEE CALIDAD Y BRILLANTEZ. VALORES QUE EN ESTE SIGLO SON OLVIDADOS POR LOS INSUFRIBLES VALORES MATERIALES.

DE LECTURA FLUIDA, SIN GRANDES PRETENSIONES ESTRUCTURALES MAS CON UNA SENSIBILIDAD DIGNA DE SER VIVIDA, ESTE ES UN LIBRO QUE NOS RECUERDA QUE EL SER HUMANO, ADEMAS Y ENTRE OTRAS COSAS NUNCA DEBERA OLVIDAR SU PROPIA CONDICION HUMANA. ES A FIN DE CUENTA LA LITERATURA QUE NOS NUTRE HORA TRAS HORA. Y ESTA ES A FIN DE CUENTAS LA CULTURA QUE NOS PERMITE CRECER.

LO RECOMIENDO SIN NINGUNA EXCEPCION.

Es una historia real. Es increible como su hijo mayor saco su familia adelante y como su padre no le importaba su familia dedicado al alcohol. Fue muy duro en que los ninos se acostaran sin comer cuando su padre se bebia el dinero, y como la gente era tan ignorante para todo. Aveces leia y me daba coraje. Queria meterme en ese libro y caerle a patadas al padre y toda esa gente ignorantes. Hoy termine de leer mi libro y quisiera leer la continuacion. Es un libro maravilloso y triste. Quisiera saber cuando van hacer el proximo libro en Espanol. Estoy impaciente por leerlo.

La forma en que McCourt nos relata lo que fue su infancia en un país como Irlanda, nos hace pensar lo que pueden estar pasando muchos niños en el mundo. Por eso, al leerlo tenemos que sensibilizarnos y llorar por todos ellos que están pasando por lo mismo. Una novela cruda,triste y hasta alegre; pero 100% real

I can easily tell you that Angela's Ashes is my favorite book. I read over parts sometimes, because Frank McCourt's style of writing and his story intrigue me. Frank deserves praise for his survival through little to no means and for of course and excellent book. FIVE STARS!

One of my favourite books. Mr. McCourt brings tenderness and humor out of the dark and challenge of life. Tis' is essentially the story of an immigrant and his new life in New York City. Beginning with his voyage to America, the autobiographical story follows his struggle to make it in a country that isn't always accepting of strangers. Don't be mistaken to think of this as an extension of the dark tone of Angela's Ashes (which I also liked). I found this book much lighter in tone and more optimistic. McCourt finds his way to the promised land and has to deal with the realities of American society. It's full of the irony of everyday life and his struggles for education, happiness, love, and acceptance. Yes Mr. McCourt is an Irish immigrant, but it's not soley about his being Irish in America. If anything, it's about his struggle to be an American.

Speaking to the heart of things Irish, the works of Frank McCourt will touch your soul. I have actually read both works twice, and laughed and cried again with each read.. From the eyes of young Frankie McCourt we see every human emotion, from love to fear to loathing , to the light in a child's eyes when he discovers reading and the power of words and an education. One can only wonder how anyone survived such poverty and emotional scars as the McCourts surely must have felt being raised by their parents. The language of these wonderful works is unmistakenly Irish, and is a classic example of what the Irish do best!!!

is the only way I can describe how I felt looking at the images in this beautiful book. God bless the men who made the ultimate sacrifice for others. This book is a breathtaking memoir on their heroism. Hopefully we will never forget

I purchased this book for my Firefighter husband. I know that, as a firefighter, he felt particularly helpless when this tragedy struck New York, and our country. I feel a great sense of pride in my husband's choice of occupation, and even more so that he is a Volunteer Firefighter. This book is a very moving tribute all of those (not just firefighters) that gave their lives on September 11th. The images contained are extraordinary, and all of us in the family that paged through it became very emotional when we read it. There are very few words, aside from the text written by the Mayor and Mr. McCourt, but the images leave very little need for them. And even more moving is the list of lost souls on the bottom of each page, which I felt assigned a lot more of a personal touch to this tragedy than just knowing the mere numbers of those lost while doing their jobs that day.

I do in fact feel that 'Brotherhood' is a perfect title, because as anyone affiliated with rescue services can tell you, it is a large family. We ALL felt a great sense of loss that day, I think this book is the very LEAST we can do.

Frank McCourt's "Angela's Ashes" was a tremendous inside look at a childhood filled with tragedy and its overcoming, in this book he chronicles the greatest single tragedy in the FDNY's history - 343 firemen killed in the line-of-duty during the attacks on New York's World Trade Centers.

The prose is poetic and the pictures are poignant. It is a well crafted tribute to all those who made sacrifices on that day and during the grim days directly after 9/11/01.

I've been a NYC firefighter for over sixteen years (I work in the South Bronx) and the Fire Department is indeed and hopefully always will be a BROTHERHOOD. Firemen routinely refer to each other as "Brothers," as in "brother firemen." If that offends some people that offense is misplaced. There are currently less than thirty active female firefighters in the 10,000 member FDNY. There were no women who responded to the World Trade Centers on the eleventh. That's why there were no female firefighters among the 343 killed...and thank God.

The Fire Service is not a job conducive to the vast majority of women. The job is not just filthy, brutal and dangerous, but given the wide gap in upper body strength between men and women, only a handful of women are up to the rigors of the job. Those women who do get into the FDNY must be prepared to join the "Brotherhood."

Still, the point is that the title here is entirely appropriate, especially in light of those who made the supreme sacrifice that day. This is an excellent book and one well worth reading, especially for those who didn't get a first-hand look at Ground Zero.

This completely revised "Writer's Handbook" boasts of updated information, which would benefit anyone who intends to write or edit any type of book. It is quite a remarkable improvement over the previous edition; and everything about it seem to advertise its authority.
Although that being a successful writer depends on a lot of factors, this book has a way of providing solid guidance for both aspiring writers and the more established ones. Its pool of resources is superb.

If you were to use only two of the best writer's resources I would say that "The Writer's Market" and this book along with it as your main tools of marketing and refining your work. Why this book? This book contains about 60 articles of advice by the most successful writers in the business. Even for a beginner this may be the only book they'll use.

It's packed with useful information. It's gives the writer techniques, inspiration and advice. Some of these techniques are discussed how to find more time to write, creating memorable characters and revising your writing. It evens tells you specific wways to market your work, designing your website and writing for niche markets. As an added plus there are over 3000 listings of markets and resources including 2000 magazines in 45 categories ranging from performing arts and religion to adult literary to juvenile. Each one with descriptions and contact information. There's 600 book publishers, plus organizations and a glossary. This is one source that will be referred to many times over. I know I have. This is one of the best writer's resource book you can get. I'm sure this is to be updated in 2003.

Larry D. Bohall, author of Martyr's Cry (ISBN 1591295327): I purchase and use both The Writer's Handbook and The Writer's Market, and find both helpful. However, I find myself coming back to The Writer's Handbook again and again because of the outstanding articles it contains. Right now, by my bedside, I have the 50th Anniversary Edition of The Writer's Handbook...I find the articles encouraging and refreshing. I recommend this book highly!

angela's ashes was a depressing book which was well written and spellbinding- a true gem. You constantly are flipping back to the dedication page to see if the children survived. The movie doesn't do it justice. Tis was a disappointment to me because i couldn't get an emotional attachment to frank's story until the final chapter.

Purchased Angela's Ashes in the late spring after hearing so much about the book and movie in the past 2 years and was completely blown away with Frank McCourt's life/work. Left hanging by the lack of ending in Angela's Ashes, it was quickly on to 'Tis and immediately thereafter, A Monk Swimming by Frank's brother Malachy McCourt.

Angela's Ashes is riveting for the sheer horror of escalating human tragedy. Just rented the movie and listened to my 11-year-old son repeat over and over, "just when you think it can't get any worse...it does". The book is far more graphic and not at all for the faint of heart. Malachy Sr., who loves his children desperately, is incredible in his alcoholism but even more incredible in his confused indifference to the suffering of his family. Angela is simultaneously pathetic and heroic possessing all the destructive sarcasm of her pretentiously proud mother and sister with an ability to do what is necessary to ensure her survival, along with 4 of her 7 children. Denial kills 3 children and a marriage, while the want of the most basic human contact turns a mother to incest. Miraculously, Frank survives and even thrives, driven by the things that his father did not possess...common sense, the gratification of a hard days work, sobriety, and I would argue literary genius.

'Tis is the ending that Angela's Ashes required and the reader learns that some of Frank's parent's demons have come home to roost. Despite his ability to succeed in America, Frank finds himself trapped in dysfunctional relationships and making several alcohol-induced blunders. Frank's observations/experiences about America/Education in the 50's, 60's, and into the 70's seem very fresh through his Irish eyes (2 holes in the snow they may be). With this, 'Tis takes on a more historical/documentary feel rather than a personal memoir. My wife felt that Frank whined a bit in 'Tis and I'd agree that some of the later chapters about his teaching experiences contain some unnecessary tangents. You are left with Frank McCourt's bittersweet feelings on the death of Angela in New York and finally Malachy Sr. in Belfast.

Both works are absolute page-turners with the shame, and alcohol, and Irishness fanning the flames of your humanity with horror, sadness, and delight. Hoping for a third book to bring us through Frank's eventual divorce and life in the 90's.

McCourt's 'Angela's Ashes' leads the reader through the author's impoverished childhood in Ireland. It introduces his parents, brothers and baby sister and the dire circumstances they managed to survive. The story captivated me with the first paragraph. ''Tis' continues McCourt's adventures as he arrives in the United States as a young man. His stint in the Army, his quest for an education and his long search for love are all braided into a moving and unforgetable story. I recommend that you experience both books via audio tape. The author's charming Irish brogue only adds richness to an already overwhelming story.

As a person of Irish descent, I was very happy to see "The Irish in America". This book is full of colorful illustrations showing what the Irish have accomplished in this country. I am referencing the book in my MA, History Thesis, this Autumn.

On page 57, however, the editors have made an understandable error. They attribute the founding of Manhattan College (1853), De La Salle University (1863) and St. Mary's (Moraga, California, (1863) to the Irish Christian Brothers. As a 1965 graduate of Manhattan College, I can tell you that these three colleges were founded by the French Christian Brothers, also know as the De La Salle Brothers. This teaching order was founded in Paris by St. John Baptist de la Salle, and predates the Irish Christian Brothers by almost two hundred years. To my knowledge, the only college founded by the Irish Christian Brothers in the U.S. is Iona College (1940) in New York. Personally, I enjoyed the book, found new facts about the Irish in America, and would recommend it to any Irish or Irish-American person.

Coffey and Golway give a wonderful overview of the experiences of Irish men and women in the United States. Coming to the U.S. as a result of political an religious oppression, as well as a result of the potato blight in the mid-19th century, the Irish worked hard to gain respectablity and political voices as American citizens. In many cases, especially in the early 20th Century, to be Irish was to be a second class citizen in the U.S. Today's attitudes prove that the Irish have come a long way in American society from being judged as such to becoming a very proud and celebrated nationality in our country.

Coffey and Golway use numerous anecdotes, excerpts, and other quotations from famous and not so famous Irish Americans. Included in this book are Denis Leary, Frank McCourt, and a forward by Patrick Kennedy. Reflections of these Irish-American personalities on their grandparents' or parents' lives and hard work, as well as memories of Catholic school, and other aspects of Irish-American life. Glossy photographs accent each passage beautifully and add to the overall attraction of the book. Contributions by all the authors provides a celebration of Irish ethnicity and heritage in the United States that is portrayed as humorous, melancholy, but overall proud. This book accents the PBS Documentary by the same name very nicely. After reading this book, I wished in a sense, that I had some Irish heritage.

Angela's Ashes, Frank's McCourt's New York Times Best Selling Memoir, centers on the cold, hard life of a poor Irish Catholic family. Frank McCourt, the oldest child, tells the story of his family in Ireland and their unfortunate poverty and depression. The father is a mean, cold-hearted man who constantly spends his and his children's money on liquor for himself. The mother, Angela, is without a doubt the backbone of the family; she makes sure they eat and worries about the rent and the well-being of her children. Throughout the story Angela teaches her children the importance of pride and dignity. The ill-starred family is continually struck with the death of very young family members. Even though several children die from starvation and cold before the age of five, McCourt manages to portray these tragedies and shows the family's ability to move on with life. Although the memoir, in general, is an incredibly sad one, the humor of McCourt's style makes the book bearable. Because McCourt's writing style is so descriptive, the reader is able to feel the families sorrow and unhappiness, and we see the world in which they live. Unfortunately, Angela's Ashes did not shine through in the recent holiday film released by Paramount. The film showed the importance of McCourt's humor by not incorporating it into the adaptation. Without this humor, the film was dark, sad, ugly and unbearable. The book on the other hand, may be sad, but is at the same time uplifting.

Angela's Ashes, Frank's McCourt's New York Times Best Selling Memoir, centers on the cold, hard life of a poor Irish Catholic family. Frank McCourt, the oldest child, tells the story of his family in Ireland and their unfortunate poverty and depression. The father is a mean, cold-hearted man who constantly spends his and his children's money on liquor for himself. The mother, Angela, is without a doubt the backbone of the family; she makes sure they eat and worries about the rent and the well-being of her children. Throughout the story Angela teaches her children the importance of pride and dignity. The ill-starred family is continually struck with the death of very young family members. Even though several children die from starvation and cold before the age of five, McCourt manages to portray these tragedies and shows the family's ability to move on with life. Although the memoir, in general, is an incredibly sad one, the humor of McCourt's style makes the book bearable. Because McCourt's writing style is so descriptive, the reader is able to feel the families sorrow and unhappiness, and we see the world in which they live. Unfortunately, Angela's Ashes did not shine through in the recent holiday film released by Paramount. The film showed the importance of McCourt's humor by not incorporating it into the adaptation. Without this humor, the film was dark, sad, ugly and unbearable. The book on the other hand, may be sad, but is at the same time uplifting.

A Burning Portrait: Angela's Ashes
Rebecca Ginsberg
Angela's Ashes is the profound, heart-warming autobiography of Frank McCourt, who describes the harsh conditions of his impoverished childhood in both America and Ireland. His story begins in Brooklyn during the time of the Depression. His recent immigrant parents, Angela and Malachy, force Frank to take care of his younger siblings, and watch them die. He must be his mother's strength as she waits for her drunken husband to come home every night without food. Little Frank continues to have hope as he his family moves to his parent's homeland of Ireland. As his dreams of a rich life in his new home diminish due to his father's continual drunkenness, he is able to find optimism in his father's tales of Cuchulian, an ancient heroic Irishman who saved his country. Every week Angela is forced to beg to a council for food and clothing. Because of the overwhelming poverty in their small town Frank learns to live with shoes repaired with tires, a pig's head for Christmas dinner, and having to take two jobs to provide for his family.
This book is recommended because of the genius of Frank McCourt's writing. He is able to capture the essence of a poor Irishman's life with humor, satire, and strife, while at the same time telling a touching story. As he writes of his everyday life the accents and culture of the Irish can be felt. McCourt also brings out diverse emotions, from laughing at his father who would make him wake up at all hours of the night to sing about his "Pride for Ireland" to crying as Malachy holds his dead daughter in his arms due to lack of medical attention. This book also opens one's eyes to the life of poverty, and the obstacles that must be overcome in order to survive. Before reading this account, I was never aware of the struggles that people must go through if they do not have money. The fact that Angela is forced to get down on her hands and knees and had to beg for money to go to the doctor is preposterous. I was educated and my eyes were opened to a whole new world as I read the horrific details of having to live in solely the upstairs of a house because of flooding on the first floor of the poorest lane in Limerick, Ireland.
While this book is entertaining and heartfelt, it is also incredibly depressing. Learning about the grim realities of Frank McCourt's childhood is extremely difficult. I often would have to put the book down because of the intense sadness that came through the details of his life. Particularly memorable was Frank's description of the extra jobs he is forced to take in order to provide for him and his family. The fact that the McCourts are forced to plead for boots three sizes too big, and scrounge for the next meal is sickening and extremely sad. Reading about the hunger they were forced to go through because of a father's addiction really stings the heart.
Angela's Ashes makes me realize how petty the obstacles are in my life, and how inspiring Frank McCourt is to have survived such a life, and then to go on and win a Pulitzer Prize. When anyone is feeling sorry for himself he should pick up this book, and realize how fortunate most of us really are. This memoir is a superb portrayal of the difficult life uneducated poor people lead in order to survive, while at the same time providing insight into the Irish culture, and creating a moving, earnest story.

Considering the calibre of the writers from whom Marilyn Sewell requested memories, the low quality of both the writing and "storytelling" in this book is abysmal. Most of the memories had little substance, and the tone of many essays was so poor that I had the impression the authors had scribbled them on cocktail napkins in a rush.

With few exceptions (Thomas Merton's section, for example), the recollections were boring and lacked any sort of bite. Neither humorous, nostalgic, nor thought-provoking, the tales would leave one constantly turning the pages, hoping some substance would follow. The quest for the Holy Grail would be less futile than that for any wit or charm in this book.

The promise of the title undoubtedly would prompt people to order this book as a gift for a Catholic friend or a hope of memories for oneself. I strongly suggest that potential readers at least take a glimpse at a copy on a library shelf first.

Anyone who has ever sinned or wondered about the nature of religious feeling should read this book. It is funny and heartbreaking by turns, and amid all these memories we see how children interpret ideas of spirituality passed down to them. They may not always understand, but their experiences are illuminating.

"A collection for Catholics, former Catholics, and Catholics by association, "Resurrecting Grace" is redolent with the images, sounds, smells, and deep heart experiences that are so much a part of a Catholic upbringing . . . . It is an encounter with this complex community of faith that sustains and exasperates those who have been touched by it." (from the jacket cover) These personal recollections are from some of our finest contemporary writers: Frank McCourt, Tobias Wolff, Anna Quindlen, Michael Patrick Macdonald, Brian Doyle, Sandra Cisneros, Rosemary Bray, and Patricia Hampl, among others. The collection contains pieces from writers of various races and ethnicities, and the reader is led to see the One True Church in all its colors and forms, all of its follies, and all of its profundities. The volume is rich with humor, but takes no cheap shots. These writers have reflected deeply upon their early religious experience: they have written to learn what they did not know, and they have grown deeper roots in the process.

McCourt finished his first book rather shamelessly, returning as a young man to New York City. 'Tis a great country -- knowing that most of his readers are American. It's an uplifting, patriotic image, the young man returning to the land of dreams.

Except maybe 'tisn't such a great country after all. Maybe it's just merely another ordinary country, with it's attendant racial, ethnic and class conflicts, all explored rather deftly in this second autobiographical volume. While I was skeptical of the authenticity of Angela's Ashes, 'Tis goes along way in filling up the holes and making the first book more, er, real. The consequences of his miserable childhood existence become evident, as Frank deals with his father's family, his own relationship with the bottle, etc.

Nevertheless, with the help of some beneficient advisors, Frank learns to avoid extravagance, and saves a little money each week, after nobly setting aside a generous portion of his earnings for his destitute mother. His pluck and ingenuity help him to succeed in all his ventures, whether contracting as a maintenance engineer for the Biltmore hotel, or shaking down his reluctant high school students. In just a matter of a few decades, he has accumulated enough wealth that he proclaims himself to be Francis McCourt, Esq., a man of property. Well, okay, he inherited the downpayment for his brownstone from an eccentric neighbor, but there is the exciting sequence where he leaps off the Staten Island Ferry to save his drowning future wife. I'm sure that Horatio Alger would have been exceedingly proud of how young Frank conducted himself, especially after the very classy Civic Wedding sequence.

Anyway, this book is a very necessary follow-up to Angela's Ashes. Some readers, their hearts ache for the poor miserable child in Liverpool, probably won't be able to handle the fact that he grows up, and proves to be very, excitedly, human. But for the bigger picture, you must read the second book.

When I finished Angela's Ashes (which was one of the most touching books I've ever read, that was five stars in my review), I was left with many questions of what happened to Frank and family members. His brother Malachy's "A Monk Swimming" answered some questions, but "Tis" satisfied my curiosity and concern about Frank and his family. I am a true fan of McCourt. I just plain like him. Although this sequel isn't as mesmerizing as its predecessor, it is still interesting to learn how a poor immigrant with little education, uses his intellegence to his advantage, and takes on the selfless service of a high school teacher (and draws to one's attention the large flaws in our educational system). And let's face it, an adult's life is never as mesmerizing as a child's. What a brave soul. In his writing McCourt takes the reader on the same emotional roller coaster ride that he's on. I believe that if he gave into his desire to scrap a conventional life, he could have infiltrated the East Village writer's scene (which was a dream of his), and become a writer right off the bat. However, being so impoverished all his life and in love with a suburbanite, he opted for the middle-class American road, which gave him more experiences to write about. I am left with two questions (Mr. McCourt, if you read this please answer nsj1@cornell.edu). At the end of "A.A.", you have an encounter with a prostitute (if I remember correctly), after arriving in America. In "Tis" you enter the New World with a priest. So which was it? Also, did you ever cure your eyes and how? They seem to plague you throughout "Tis". My son (16 year old who hates school) and mother (81 year old who never reads more than magazines), both read your books and loved them, they are truly for everybody!

I've read some rather scathing reviews of "'Tis", and I don't think it deserves to be pounded. The narrative style is the same; and, it picks up precisely where "Angela's Ashes" left off. Anyone else notice that "Angela" hadn't gone to ashes at the end? I don't think this book was a rushed effort. Rather, it seems that the aspect that makes it mildly less satisfying is the fact that it doesn't challenge us to look at our own lives and compare, the way "Angela" did. The main differences: a change of venue (we're in NYC, now; not Ireland), the age of the narrator and the disappointment in his values and morals (or lack thereof). If you're looking for a book about growing up, a memoir in which the writer maintains his dignity and morals, read Paul Watkins' memoir: "Stand Before Your God". But, don't be afraid of "'Tis". Frank McCourt is still a wonderful storyteller, even if he doesn't horrify us and make us reflect on poverty vs. comfort in this second book.