We discussed this book on Monday 21 March.
J chose the book because her daughter started high school this year so a book about high school teaching was very topical. She feels that teachers are often underrated.
Frank McCourt (1930 - 2009) was an irish-american teacher who wrote Angela's Ashes - a misery memoir about his impoverished childhood in Ireland. This book was written in 2005 and is a memoir of his thirty year teaching career in NYC.
Our views on the book:
Captures the hopeless atmospher of New York in the 1970s
Has lots of good bits but doesn't really hang together.
McCourt is good when telling stories but comes across as very needy. He writes like he needs to move on from his past.
McCourt focusses solely on the bad things.
No common thread pulling it together - as if his publisher demanded a third book and he threw it together.
The book reads like it is for the fans of Angela's Ashes and T'is (his second memoir) and has a lot of assumed knowledge.
Some enjoyed the Irish accent that seems to come through the writing. Others enjoyed his gritty honesty in writing.
Expected a less bleak story than Angela's Ashes
It rambled. Liked some of the lesson techniques but didn't get the point of the book.
Enjoyed the other books more.
An indulgent book about a needy author.
Lacks structure. Has some good comic points and some inspiring elements.
Score range: 5-6.5
Average: 5.6/10
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