Not Quite James Joyce's The Dead...
but dead nonetheless.
In the long line of "Who's Who - Mortuary specials" I just heard about the death of the author, Frank McCourt.
He was 78 when he passed away yesterday. I've only read one of his books "Angela's Ashes" and I honestly do not know whether he was a "good" writer in any grand scheme of things, but I appreciated his presentation of an Ireland not clogged with American-bred nostalgia and visions of dancing leprechauns. I've heard from several sources that some events in Angela's Ashes were exaggerated while others were made from whole cloth, but I doubt anyone could read the book and then deny that Frank McCourt had a shitty childhood, which --oddly-- made for a fun read. Thanks, Frank -- for all the angst and despair. I really enjoyed it.
Favorite part of the book: having his stomach cramp up during his first communion and his mother sends him right back to confession to ask the priest the proper manner of washing vomited "god" (communal wafer) off of the back step.
"Look at what he did. Thrun up his First Communion breakfast. Thrun up the body and blood of Jesus. I have God in me backyard. What am I goin' to do?" (McCourt's mother)
Source(s):http://www.simonsays.com/content/book.cf…
In the long line of "Who's Who - Mortuary specials" I just heard about the death of the author, Frank McCourt.
He was 78 when he passed away yesterday. I've only read one of his books "Angela's Ashes" and I honestly do not know whether he was a "good" writer in any grand scheme of things, but I appreciated his presentation of an Ireland not clogged with American-bred nostalgia and visions of dancing leprechauns. I've heard from several sources that some events in Angela's Ashes were exaggerated while others were made from whole cloth, but I doubt anyone could read the book and then deny that Frank McCourt had a shitty childhood, which --oddly-- made for a fun read. Thanks, Frank -- for all the angst and despair. I really enjoyed it.
Favorite part of the book: having his stomach cramp up during his first communion and his mother sends him right back to confession to ask the priest the proper manner of washing vomited "god" (communal wafer) off of the back step.
"Look at what he did. Thrun up his First Communion breakfast. Thrun up the body and blood of Jesus. I have God in me backyard. What am I goin' to do?" (McCourt's mother)
Source(s):http://www.simonsays.com/content/book.cf…