Biography Good story, good writing-poor char development
Comments:
In 1952 Malachy McCourt migrated to New York City having traveled from Ireland in steerage. Malachy grew up in Limerick, Ireland and experienced just about the lowest poverty possible in the old country. Like many from his day life in America was viewed to be the highest of opportunities to achieve the promise of the good life. This is Malachy’s life story and it is told through his special ‘rose colored glasses’.
Malachy romanticizes his adventures living almost solely for wine women and song. More than just wine though, Malachy gives us a picture of a whimsical, raucous joy – of one constant party. Of course, as can be expected, he loses his wife and his children because he is irresponsible spending all of his money and all of his time drinking and partying. He gives us a pitiful view of his drunken father who left him, his mother and two siblings at an early age. He vows to never go hungry like that again.
Life in New York for Malachy is one saloon after another. I guess it was natural for him to tend bar and even own a saloon. But, his drinking lost those jobs and lost that good life he cherished so much. In this work Malachy is not so much insightful as he is caught in a cycle of alcoholism very like that of his father.
Malachy traveled the world doing lots of different jobs but eventually ran back full circle to face his past and the past of his father. This is a raw story told by a man who has not learned from all the bruises received. It is a dark story of some success and a lot of failure. It is a hard story to read and it is hard to feel much sympathy for Malachy Court. Even though the tale is well written it is not very likeable. I give it a 4 of 10 on the Weaver meter.
