Minugia Female, 25. Italy

This is my second favourite book ever.
I bought it because I deeply love Ireland and because I wanted to know more about its history and about what Irish people went through.
Reading Frank McCourt's life provides a perfectly clear idea of what being a poor, catholic, Irish family meant in the 30s. I would say poverty is the main protagonist of the book, because it affected every aspect of his life.
I had the feeling of actually being there, I could visualize the lane where he grew up, his house and the streets of Limerick.
The way he overcame all the difficulties he had to face is astonishing.
The result is a heartbreaking, moving and authentic portrait of the then Ireland.

E' stato davvero curioso rendersi conto che il Peter Pan che conscevo, quello delle favole raccontate prima di andare a letto, o quello dei cartoni, ha poco a che fare con il personaggio raccontato dall'autore. Barrie narra di un bambino alquanto presuntuoso, a volte egoista, spesso immaturo che non vuole proprio aprire gli occhi, un carattere che personalmente ho trovato irritante. Mi è caduto senz'altro un mito d'infanzia, nel frattempo tuttavia sono cresciuta anch'io quindi....

Once you've learnt to deal with the constant shifting of viewpoints, you're in the book! It is indeed amazing how easily the author can shift from Oskar to his grandparents' point of view. You have on the one hand the innocence and the brilliant mind of a nine-year-old boy coping with his father's death, and on the other his granparents, the tragedy of the 2WW and its legacy. At first I found the end a little bit disappointing, I was expecting something more, but then I realized that Oskar's quest is nothing but a way to feel his dad still close to him. I absolutely loved his inventions! The one with the farts is so ilarious! Original visual impact, moving, heartbreaking...worth reading!