Krishna
** Originally posted in Jan 2012 **
The memoirs of growing up in Ireland, extremely poor with a long
suffering mother and an irresponsible father told in an alternately
funny and heart-wrenching style.
The book oscillates between poignant and farcical and sometimes
descends into a maudlin, emotional, oversimplification.
But these instances are few and mostly it manages to impress. The
family shrinking with the death of three children and then growing to
4 is told is a casual style.
The father’s weakness for drink even in the face of family starvation
comes through with heart wrenching simplicity. The hope of the family
repeatedly in the face of disappointments in the past is moving.
Why is it titled Angela’s Ashes? A mystery that is (to me at least)
unexplained.
An excellent read.
I would give an overall 9/10 for this one.