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sophia608 's review for:
Angela's Ashes
by Frank McCourt
I enjoyed the themes about family, being the “man of the house,” poverty, education, religion, alcohol, etc. etc. but the hyper-focus on discovering sexuality in the second half of the book felt rather excessive. The deep dive into religion and feelings of shame surrounding both sex and poverty was fascinating, and so nuanced and complexly addressed. It was never clear cut. The constant tension he expresses: the loving and hating his father, the pride of poverty, Ireland vs America, the reality (?) and contradictions of religion — all of that was held in such balance, somehow with none of it feeling overwrought. Every part of the novel felt unresolved, which I liked and disliked in equal measures. That felt very honest.
Overall, I really enjoyed it but the amount of focus on sex exploration was too much for my tastes and made me want to just get through it. I would have preferred the gravity and complexity of life covered with themes other than discovering sex is a thing.
Overall, I really enjoyed it but the amount of focus on sex exploration was too much for my tastes and made me want to just get through it. I would have preferred the gravity and complexity of life covered with themes other than discovering sex is a thing.