::Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt::
I read this back in 2004. My copy was a gift from my good friend G. First two pages and i knew the book will be my favorite for a long time to come. When I started going out with my ex-boyfriend (now the Husband), I was very eager to share the book with him only to find out that it was his favorite read as well LOL! From then on, we collected all the works of the author including his brother, Malachy's. Angela's Ashes is a memoir by late Irish-American Frank McCourt. In a most amusing yet heart-wrenching manner, McCourt tells the story of his childhood and poverty in Brooklyn and Ireland...."Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood, and worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood."
The book is graphic with human tragedy. An alcoholic, jobless for a father. A heroic and yet pathetic for a mother - Angela. They had 11 kids, three of them died....."The master says it’s a glorious thing to die for the Faith and Dad says it’s a glorious thing to die for Ireland and I wonder if there’s anyone in the world who would like us to live. My brothers are dead and my sister is dead and I wonder if they died for Ireland or the Faith. Dad says they were too young to die for anything. Mam says it was disease and starvation and him never having a job. Dad says, Och, Angela, puts on his cap and goes for a long walk."
Anybody who had a dysfunctional childhood (like I did) will love McCourt . One will greatly admire that he survived and thrived and went on to become a genius despite enormous nutrition (among others) deprivation.
::Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett:::
Like my copy of Agatha Christie's, this book was sold for 1AED from the Charity Book Sale. The only difference was, this is a battered copy. The cover was falling off but I so wanted to read at least one work of Neil Gaiman and this is my only cheapest chance. Besides, the book looked very lonely among the pile with its black cover and weird graphics. After checking that the pages are complete, I paid and clutched it home. I'm glad that the appearance didn't put me off because it's a treasure. I can read it over and over again.
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter..that is the complete title. I know Gaiman (I have no idea who Pratchett is) is a fictional writer but I had to re-read the first page thrice I just didn't know where he was coming from!...."the world will end on Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just after tea..."...beat that.
The book is a huge comedy. It's the funniest book i've ever read. I should have included it in the books that make me laugh post but I felt Good Omens deserves more than that. Okay, I admit, i cried towards the last part. When Adam Young came to realize he was not at all mortal and that he didn't want the world to end yet - even though he only needed to nod to make it happen.
There you have the plot, the world is going to end through the anti-Christ's making. Aziraphale (the Angel) and Crowley (the Devil) do everything in their power not to let this happen (yes, the good and the bad working together, meeting up for coffee). Because they had been in the earth for such a long time ,that people and sushi and Bentley have endeared to them.
When I Googled about the book. I learned that Pratchett completely shadowed Gaiman's writing on the book. I am now in search of all of Pratchett's works.
I leave you then with one of my favorite quote:
"Crowley rather liked people. It was a major failing in a demon. Oh, he did his best to make their short lives miserable, because that was his job, but nothing he could think up was half as bad as the stuff they thought up themselves. They seemed to have a talent for it. It was built into the design, somehow. They were born into a world that was against them in a thousand little ways, and then devoted most of their energies to making it worse."
An entry for
14 sweets for Kero:
never meet these books yet...but thanks to your share i gonna check in here but so hirap maghanap dito ng English novels....
mine's here: http://www.fashionexplorer.net/2010/10/28/i-cant-put-down-in-the-presence-of-the-enemy/
interesting book, i think i'm gonna like it, wow, may Pulitzer award pa pala si Frank Court.. really good :)
by the way, ive got an award for you here >> Lovely Blog Award
"Angela's Ashes" seems like a heavy autobiography. I had a 'dysfunctional childhood' too, but I think I'd like to avoid this book, hee hee :) but thanks for sharing anyway. :D
"Good Omens" is hilarious. I just thought it ended too abruptly, but everything else is good. After reading your entry, I plan to pick up my copy again and re-read it. :D :D :D
http://miratemplen.blogspot.com/2010/10/girls-talk-all-time-favorite-book.html
I've heard about Neil Gaiman, me thinks, I should start buying his work.
I have never heard about the author yet, and I just heard the books you have written here. I will try to see if I can get my hands on that books :D
I first heard about the Angela's Ashes thru my former boss who is also a reader.
Thanks for visiting my GT:Favorite Books entry.
1st books sounds interesting, with typical irish patriotism caught between religion and culture.
i wished i had the time to read:(((
my post is http://clarizze.blogspot.com/2010/10/gt-all-time-favorite-book.html
Wow this must be highly recommended because even your husband got hooked up with it, and like you it was his favorite book too, fate nga naman you can never tell thanks for the comment
i got interested with the "Good Omens"...thanks for sharing this here ;-)
hmmp^_^ I think i would love to read the Angela's ash...
Pahiram poh ^_^
Happy GT ^_^
wow! very catchy first few lines on the Good Omens. Definitely worth a read. I will be looking out for it at the library.
wow! it was a romantic coincidence to have the same favorite book!
i loved how you describe the books that you most love. i haven't read any of the two but i will definitely be securing copies when i get the chance :)
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