Continuación de las cenizas de Ángela, me gustó más su primera parte.

Destijds was ik erg onder de indruk van het boek Angela's Ashes van Frank McCourt. Toen ik zijn boek 'De nieuwe wereld' (helaas wel een Nederlandse vertaling, maar die is wel goed gedaan) in handen kreeg was ik dan ook erg nieuwsgierig en enthousiast. En in het begin was het ook goed, en ik heb zelfs stukken over zijn eerste indrukken als leerkracht voorgelezen aan mijn man, zo grappig vond ik die. Maar op een gegeven moment weet je het wel met zijn sneuheid omdat hij Ier is en in de groep Ieren wordt getrokken. En het feit dat hij doet alsof hij het ook allemaal niet kan helpen dat hij zoveel drinkt en zijn huwelijk om zeep helpt. En op een gegeven moment lijkt het of hij eigenlijk niet veel meer te melden heeft, dus hobbelt hij van het ene gebeuren naar het andere gebeuren en wacht je steeds maar op het geweldige bijzondere einde dat toch wel zal komen... en dus niet komt. Het boek dooft als een nachtkaars uit. En toen ik daarna de reviews ging lezen op internet dacht ik... mmm als ik die eerst had gelezen weet ik niet of ik überhaupt aan het boek was begonnen. Twee sterren voor de moeite en het aardige begin.

Entertaining, he has had one messed up life and has a lot to write about! His Mom becomes more hilarious as she ages, but this is a sad story in general.

Triste, mas interessante e viciante.

I read this book two years after I picked it up at a Book Exhibition I walked into in Pondicherry, India. I bought it because, it was the only book that seemed interesting enough and well, who leaves a book exhibition without buying at least ONE book?

Considering the fair warning in the blurb about the memoir being about a young Irish lad sailing into America with rotten teeth and infected eyes, I had prepped myself enough for the self pity, that also came in truckloads. However, there were instances through the book where the author's grip with humour was so splendid that I had to actually put the book down, finish my uncontrollable laughter and then get back to it.

You find yourself living the author's life with him as you read, questioning his decision to marry whom he married (what were you thinking Bro?) and smiling in satisfaction when it ends up a disaster (I told you so!). You laugh with him, cry with him and in my case, he brings back a whole load of memories of Ireland, a country I absolutely loved!

A great read, surely recommended if you enjoy memoirs (I am a little weary of them but this was GOOD.)

Now to try and get my hands on Angela's Ashes.

This is the follow up to his book Angela's Ashes. I think the previous book leaves the reader with him getting on a boat to America. And he's still on that boat when the second book starts. It is more about how he made his way in America. What are some of the things that turned him around - like a bartender telling him he ought to find his way to the library instead of spending so much time in his bar. And he took him up on it. I think he worked on the docks. Went into the Army (not by choice). And he went to school. And he got married. And he helped at least one brother to come over, maybe more. and through it all he was drinking fairly heavily. But he got educated and became a teacher.

The first book was about his boyhood and his mother doing whatever she had to do to get by. This one is about his real coming of age and learning that there are other things that can be done.

Much more uplifting than Angela's Ashes (which I also really enjoyed)), and it was fun to read about Frank McCourt's experiences living in New York throughout the 1950's, 60's, and 70's. The book had some really funny moments, and I loved the stories about when he started teaching high school. It helped to have familiarity with the background family dynamics from Angela's Ashes, but I also think it would be totally fine to read 'Tis if you haven't read Angela's Ashes first.

No, musím bohužel říct, že Andělin popel je bez debat daleko větší zážitek. Dospělý Frank už není zdaleka tak zajímavá osobnost jako ten dorůstající, a možná by byly zajímavější memoáry jeho bratra Malachiho. (Mimochodem, vůbec jsem netušil, že to byla taková známá osobnost.)
Ale tím nechci říct, že je to špatné.
Čte se to pořád dobře, Frankovy první měsíce a roky v Americe jsou hodně zajímavá četba, klobouk dolů před tím, co nakonec dokázal, přestože mu při tom pořád překážela ta jeho irská náklonnost k flašce. V Americe nakonec dokončí svůj příběh i Anděla, a asi nic nepokazím, když řeknu, že neskončíme happyendem, ale tak nějak po irsku smutně a nostalgicky.

În 'Tis aflăm despre anii petrecuți în SUA, despre diferitele locuri de muncă (responsabil cu aducerea telegramelor, a scris scrisori pentru cei care nu știau ori nu mai puteau scrie, portar la hotel, soldat și agent de asigurări) pe care le-a avut la început pentru a se putea întreține și pentru a putea studia la Universitatea din New York, despre cum a evoluat familia lui acolo, dar și despre pierderea mamei.

Am scris aici mai multe despre cele trei cărți ale lui:

https://bibliotraveller.blogspot.com/...

I very much enjoyed reading “’Tis”, maybe even more so than the German translation of “Angela’s Ashes” which I read years ago. I could almost hear that Irish brogue and the author, his family and all the other characters came alive for me due to their dialogues. I loved the many laugh-out-loud moments, for example the time in the army when he had to leave a German woman’s house in a hurry because her boyfriend came back or the episodes about his eccentric roommate Bill, but also the quieter, thoughtful instants when he describes teaching women of lesser stand to write or when his mom was so lonely in New York City that she offered a homeless woman a meal and a place to sleep in her apartment.

An unique voice, exposing details large and small on both sides of the Atlantic. Where Angela’s Ashes was a deep dive into Ireland, this follow up gives us some of the Mother Country but lots more of New York, from Staten Island through Manhattan to Brooklyn. His insights into the teaching profession are fascinating, leavened by his deep-seated self doubt and flat-out ignorance. It’s easy to root for him when he encounters obstacles, which is what you want in a protagonist, but his alarming lack of self-confidence makes for rough sledding, for him and for the reader. On the other hand, when he gets the job or wins the girl, we can enthusiastically say, I knew you could do it! even if he didn’t think so. Overall a wonderful read.

Giving this 3.75 stars and rounding to 4.0. This is book 2 of Frank McCourt's memoir.
-Book 1 Angela's Ashes
-Book 2 'Tis

I liked book 1 a little better (Angela's Ashes). I felt in some places book 2 was rushed. I really liked book 1, focusing on when Frank was a child. Book 2 ('Tis) focuses on his adulthood. It was entertaining. I learned a little how poverty and immigrating affects daily lives and living conditions. I do recommend the set (Book 1 and 2).