Frank McCourt

Samson

Can anyone tell me how many books Frank McCourt has written ?
I have both Angela's Ashes and 'Tis.
However, I am sure I saw a book somewhere by a Frank McCourt (maybe a different Frank McCourt) with "brothers" in the title.

Does anyone know anything about this book ?

scipio_major

I haven't read it but Frank McCourt contributed to Brotherhood. A mystery novel where each chapter was written by a different writer. One of them is Roddy Doyle. That's all I know or not. I just remember seeing it in Dubray's.

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Scipio_major

sceptre

That was "Yeats is Dead". Brotherhood is a photography book in tribute to New York firefighters - Frank McCourt, Rudi Guiliani etc write bits of prose in it.

McCourt also wrote a book with his brother called "Through Irish eyes" - I think it's well out of print though (it was a limited run to begin with).

scipio_major

I stand corrected. Thanks spectre. I may check my facts in future.

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Scipio_major

apiou

I can't understand why you want to read more of McCourts stuff when there are better writers about.

Did you every ready Lar Redmonds books on the Dublin slums - they are really nice uplifting and good reading and not all pessimistic as McCourts are - and it does not rain in Dublin every day of the year.

Lar was born in Dublin and then went to live in Aussie land but comes home now and again and like all inner dubs always has dub in his heart

sceptre

Well, I'll tell you something - and this is not a comment on whether McCourt's writing is good or not - Limerick features in well, not very many books. When I was first reading Angela's Ashes, in the opening pages when he describes the view as he came out of the train station (or going towards the train station, can't remember which) and mentioned that ugly tower monument in the middle of the park, it struck a chord with me - the view and uncertain emotion he described was the same as I had when I first came to Limerick to live.

Now, that's only a small thing. It gave me an amount of sympathy for what the guy was trying to say in his book. I realise the guy took a lot of flak from people (the "Limerick wasn't really like that - it wasn't a slum" etc - to which I say pish and tosh - my father remembers hard financial times in mallow - along with the ration books and everything else (and he's only 53))

I'm not going to go on about what makes a good writer (or good writing) - I've a liking for the classics (Hardy, Dickins, Pasternak) and the modern classics (mostly American) but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy what Bill Bryson or JK Rowling write. And there are probebly hundreds of people just on boards.ie who have better literature appreciation than I do.

You may well be correct in saying that Lar Redmond is a better writer (haven't read anything by the guy so I won't disagree with you) - he doesn't get any extra sympathy from a Cork lad like me just because he has dub in his heart.

BEAT

well, I have read them both as well...I also bought his brother's book "A monk swimming" malachy McCourt
it's a good book as well.
I rather enjoy the McCourt's myself.

LOUGHLIN

I feel that you may have missed a point there. Maybe the idea was not that Lar was from Dublin and all that blah about Dublin but Having read the books of two people who grew up in the slums in two different cities (no matter where they are) I thought that Lar Redmond shon through because of his positive state of mind and maybe his singing and active mind, whereas I felt that McCourt was personification of pessimism. I even bought the film of AAshes to see how that was done and it gave me the same impression as the book.

sceptre

Ah, you're correct there. Certainly there's quite a lot of pessimism in McCourts books. ind you, my favourite book is still Tess of the d'Urbervilles (just like a soap opera), which isn't exactly packed with optimism.

Took a look for Lar Redmond on Amazon - they "can't supply any titles" that they list - I'm guessing I'd have no problems picking up books by the guy in the local Easons? (you've made me interested in reading the guy now)

apiou

Hi Sceptre,

Just to help you along,

The first book is Emerald Square and the second is A Walk In Alien Corn

Let us know whether you like them or not. I am sure that you will like them.
Other than that if you like personal experiences The Lost Continent is a great book about an American who went to live in the UK and then at 40odd he went on a car trip around the US and writes about the experiences god and bad. An interesting book.

If you have any good ideas too let us know

sceptre

Originally posted by apiou

Other than that if you like personal experiences The Lost Continent is a great book about an American who went to live in the UK and then at 40odd he went on a car trip around the US and writes about the experiences god and bad. An interesting book.

Bill Bryson's book - have it. Hooked from the first line: "I come from Des Moines. Somebody had to" Sums up the way I always felt about my home town. Don't know if you've read anything else by the guy - if not I'd recommend "Neither Here nor there" (travelling around Europe), "Notes from a small island"(about visiting the UK and later going there to live), "Notes from a Big country" (sort of a compendium of articles written for the Daily Mail) and maybe "Down Under" if you liked those. "A Walk in the woods" is good but I didn't find it funny enough at all. He's also written a few other-style books: "Made in America" (general history of interesting Americanisms) and two language-related books ("Mother tongue" and "troublesome words"). Just buy them all.

apiou

Hi,

I ma glad someone else has read it. I usually buy a book based on the first line. If someone can't get the first line correct it does not look good for the rest of the book. Thanks for the names of the other ones - I will be Ireland (Dublin) next week so will be able to get myself some books at a good price. Just a little story, that I am sure will amuse you. When I was reading the Lost Continent I was in a flight from Paris to Dublin. When the meal came around I started talking to the guy beside me (time passes quicker) and we had a chat about the book. We were staying at the same hotel in Dublin so we decided to share a taxi. When we arrived at Dublin airport I passed the control and waited him on the other side. When he caught up with me he said that the guy at the passport control thought that he was Bill Gates. I half looked at him and said, ""Nah, Bill Gates is small, you are too tall (nearly or around 6ft"" To which he answered "No Bill Gates is 5Ft 10"". I thought no further but in the taxi he said that he would love to read the book and hnaded me a card. I bought another copy of the book and sent it on to the address on the card. But I still have doubts, was it or wasn't it Bill Gates, Suppose I will never know.
Again thanks for the tip on the books,
If you like reading on countries and people and travels Lafcadio Hearn's books on Japan are brilliant. Lafcadio went to Japan in 1870s and wrote about Japan. His books are on the Japanese publis curriculum in school (as Shakespear is on ours) and he is a hero in Japan. He married the daughter of a Samuri. He was Half Irish (on his fathers side) and half Greek.
I am sure that you will really like his books on Japan (he wrote on other things aswell as he was the correspondant of an Amerian newspaper.