Angela's Ashes
by Frank McCourt
★ Top 10 book of 1996 · #8 on Best Books of 1996
Frank McCourt recalls growing up in Depression-era Brooklyn and then the slums of Limerick, where his father's drinking left the family hungry. His father's stories helped him endure poverty, and he tells it all with humor and forgiveness.
Best for: Memoir lovers who appreciate eloquent, funny and moving accounts of hardship in Ireland
Angela's Ashes is #8 on BookWard's Best Books of 1996, out of 38 1996 books that cleared our data bar.
What Angela's Ashes is about
Frank McCourt was born in Brooklyn in 1930 to Irish immigrants, Malachy and Angela. After the death of his baby sister, the family returns to Ireland and settles in Limerick, Angela's hometown. There they live on the dole and on charity from the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, in slum housing that floods. Malachy drinks away his wages, and the family endures more losses, including the deaths of twin brothers Oliver and Eugene.
The memoir centers on Frank's Limerick childhood in the 1930s and 40s, and it is told with a wry humor that keeps the bleakness from becoming unbearable. Malachy, flawed as he is, nurtures his son's love of stories, including tales of Cuchulain and the Angel on the Seventh Step. Readers who enjoy memoir, Irish history, or stories of resilience will find a lot here, and two sequels, 'Tis and Teacher Man, follow.
Angela's Ashes on the Best Books of 1996
Angela's Ashes came out in 1996. Of the 38 books first published in 1996 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #8 on our Best Books of 1996 list.
Why it made the list: 477 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.8 out of 5 (54 ratings); 26 are reading it right now. The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 1996 list
- Neverwhere Neil Gaiman, #6
- Infinite Jest David Foster Wallace, #7
- Desperation Stephen King, #9
- Airframe Michael Crichton, #10
See all Best Books of 1996 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 1995 Best Books of 1997.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 353 want to read it, 26 are reading it now and 98 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 3.8 out of 5 from 54 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 79 | 55% |
| Reader love | 29 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 84 | 20% |
Questions about Angela's Ashes
When was Angela's Ashes published?
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt was first published in 1996.
Was Angela's Ashes one of the best books of 1996?
Angela's Ashes is #8 on BookWard's Best Books of 1996, out of 38 1996 books that cleared our data bar. 477 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.8 out of 5 (54 ratings); 26 are reading it right now.
Why is Angela's Ashes on the Best Books of 1996 list?
477 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.8 out of 5 (54 ratings); 26 are reading it right now.
More of the best books of 1996
- A Game of Thrones George R. R. Martin, #1
- The Green Mile Stephen King, #2
- Forbidden Knowledge Roger Shattuck, #3
- Push Sapphire, #4
- Fight Club Chuck Palahniuk, #5
- Neverwhere Neil Gaiman, #6
See the full Best Books of 1996, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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