Customer Reviews

A Long Stone's Throw

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If you had thought you had read the last word in the McCourt family saga after reading Frank McCourt's "Teacher Man" and Malachy McCourt's "Singing My Him Song", then brace yourselves for yet another delightful read in Alphie McCourt's "A Long Stone's Throw". The youngest of the four surviving brothers McCourt, Alphie McCourt demonstrates that he has, like his older brothers, a keen ear for dialogue and a fine sense of comedic timing too. Like his oldest brother Frank, Alphie shows that he is a fine prose stylist too, writing a similar lyrical prose which readers of Frank's books, especially "Angela's Ashes" and "Teacher Man" have found so moving and so rewarding. And yet his is a personal saga that may not resonate as strongly with readers as Frank's - or to a lesser extent, Malachy's - have. Why? I suspect there shall be those who will regard Alphie's personal odyssey as an employee, and then later an owner, of several of Manhattan's Irish-American bars and a trend-setting Mexican restaurant, to be less the stuff of legend than the colorful lives led by older brothers Frank and Malachy. Yet those who subscribe to such a view will be ignoring a fascinating life well lived by the youngest McCourt; one that takes readers on an epic journey not only through the mud-infested lanes of impoverished Limerick, Ireland, but such far-flung North American cities like Toronto and San Francisco too.

Without question, the most moving passages in "A Long Stone's Throw" recount Alphie's own impoverished Limerick childhood. A childhood that sounds far more hopeful, and substantially less oppressive, than either Frank's or Malachy's. The only one of the four surviving McCourt brothers to attend, and then graduate from, high school, Alphie yields page after page of truly memorable prose recalling his excellent education at Catholic schools. Equally memorable are his recollections of himself growing up, alone except for his mother, and a few close family members and friends, as he becomes the sole McCourt brother still residing in Limerick, his older brothers having gone to America to seek their fortunes. Some of Alphie's most emotionally rich prose is devoted to his mother, Angela Sheehan McCourt, painfully describing her own loneliness and great sense of loss, as she tends to a tiny household consisting of herself and her youngest son, Alphie.

There are other, better, memoirs written by such great Irish-American writers like, respectively, Pete Hamill ("A Drinking Life") and Dennis Smith ("A Song for Mary") (Incidentally both are long-time friends and acquaintances of Frank and Malachy McCourt). They are better simply because theirs are truly memorable examples of Irish-American literature. Yet none of these have conveyed as well as the memoirs written by the brothers McCourt, the experiences of adult Irish emigrants living in the strange land known as the United States of America. Alphie's infectious tone of optimism present throughout "A Stone's Throw" betrays his life-long love for his adopted country, even when the proverbial chips are down, which, in Alphie's case, seem more often than not. For this reason alone, "A Stone's Throw" deserves a wide readership not only amongst the great clan of devout McCourt fans, but also among those interested in reading about an Irish emigrant's experiences in America. Without a doubt, Alphie McCourt deserves ample praise for rendering a life most ordinary into one replete in literary richness.

You may think that if you've read the memoirs of the two older McCourt brothers, Frank and Malachy, you've heard all that the McCourt family has to say. You'd be wrong. Alphie has a unique story to tell and he tells it in his own distinct voice. His experiences as a young immigrant are widely varied and he recounts them with a wry self-deprecation that charms. Some of the episodes are horrific, some sweet, some bitter, all are moving. There are moments of laugh-out-loud comedy, most often endearingly at the author's expense. His observations of the various strata of American life he encounters in his innocence are witty and insightful, and he delivers his occasional philosophical ruminations with a fine literary style. This book is different from his brothers', but every bit as worthy.

Alphie McCourt is the youngest of the four surviving McCourt brothers, the most famous being Frank ("Angela's Ashes" - Pulitzer Prize winner). Much of Alphie's early life recollections parallel those of his oldest brother, Frank, though they are not as dramatic as Frank's accounting. Perhaps life had simply much improved by the time Alphie began growing up.

"A Long Stone's Throw" begins in 1960s NYC where Alphie is seeking to establish permanent immigration status and land steady work. Burdened by too much drink (like his father and Frank) and not enough enthusiasm, Alphie drifts, and eventually is drafted during the Vietnam years. Alfphie becomes a food inspector for the Army, then enrolls in Columbia after his discharge, only to drop out shortly thereafter.

Alphie's story then returns to Ireland, circa 1940 when he was born, and then his experiences at school and church, and then his brothers and surrogate sister leaving for the U.S. Eventually Alphie also leaves for the U.S. His first six years are spent going from waiter to part-time bartender, with Army service sandwiched in as well. Then two years in Dublin pursuing a law degree - drops out after two years. Returning to NYC, it's back to bartending, then at age 32 Alphie moves to the San Francisco area - again mostly tending bar at age 32. Two years later its back to NYC and bartending, and this time he marries. Then its opening a bar/restaurant - eventually folds largely due to partnership problems. Now he's 50, unemployed, and in danger of being evicted from his apartment. Fortunately Alphie then lands a job managing a large nearby apartment co-op.

Overall, the book was a bit of a downer, with Frank endlessly drifting and never making much of his obvious talents.

The talent of writing seems to be genetic. "A Long Stone's Throw" visits another memoir of the McCourt family, the baby of the family, Alphie. Growing up in a rough family during a rough time, Alphie had an eventful life like his other brothers. A whirlwind of a life brought him across the Atlantic and seemed to not have him have much rest, as he found himself in Canada, California, before finally finding stability in New York City. Another perspective of the McCourt family, "A Long Stone's Throw" is well worth the read.

As a fan of all of the books written thus far by Frank and Malachy McCourt, I looked forward to reading Alphie's piece.

I have to say I was slightly disappointed. The pace of Frank and Malachy's books is light and quick, where Alphie's is a book that sort of "plods on". It goes a little slow. It is rich in detail and personality, but it took me much, much longer to get through than I would've liked. However, any fan of the McCourts should definitely add this read to their collection.

Alphie has reason to be envious of his older brothers Frank and Malachy who were both able to rise above their desperate situation to achieve prominence and great success, while he watched from a rear position ten years the junior. They were both born in the US so could and did emigrate freely, while Alphie had to struggle with the INS. By the time he arrived in America, his brothers were already gaining notoriety in literary, social, and academic circles, and would continue to rise especially in Frank's case to rather spectacular success, but envy never shows in this liltingly composed, down to earth story of the personal struggles of an everyday man trying to find a way in life, but not trying too terribly hard most of the time. It is a fascinating and frankly more fully believable extension of the situation endlessly described and then often repeated throughout Angela's Ashes. It turns out though that life in the old country improved considerably in the ensuing years, and it is a welcome relief to have this revealed. Like Angela's Ashes, this memoir sometimes offers a bit TMI. For instance, both seem to spend an inordinate amount of time discussing certain mortal sins of a highly personal nature if you get my drift. I found myself growing alternatingly weary of somewhat mundane details and then suddenly connecting powerfully to an emotion or event described. Hopefully I'll stop short of careening off to personally discuss these coincidences of nature with Alphie or at least sleep it off at a rest stop and reconsider in the morning.

Who is Alphie McCourt? He is the youngest brother of Frank McCourt, Pulitzer prize winning author of Angela's Ashes and Malachy McCourt, a New York Times bestselling author.

Both older brothers have written memoirs detailing their impoverished upbringing in Limerick, Ireland, their emigration to the United States and the success they both found.

I listened to this in audio format. It was read by the author. It opens with-

"I often don't talk much. There is a rhythm to talk, a definite beat, sometimes my mind wanders and I lose the cadence of the conversation."

During the first disc I found McCourt's manner and rhythm of speaking to be slow and dull with little inflection. However, McCourt's Irish lilt is pleasant and I was soon caught up in his tale. He often breaks into song as well.

He begins telling his story when he is in his twenties and living in New York. The tale heads back to Ireland for childhood memories and then back to the U.S. Much of the childhood was something I had heard before, having read his brothers' memoirs.

I found some of the stories to be so detailed that I wondered if McCourt had kept comprehensive journals or diaries or he was embellishing his memories. Although interesting, I found some of the minutiae to be a bit boring at times.

Alphie McCourt struggled with alcohol through much of his adult life. He worked a variety of jobs, eventually finding success in the restaurant and bar business.