'Tis'Tis
Score Modern
What it's about
The sequel to Angela's Ashes. In 1949, nineteen-year-old Frank McCourt arrives in New York from Limerick, with bad teeth, sore eyes and big dreams. He works as a houseman in a hotel, unloads trucks, is drafted into the army in Germany, and talks his way into New York University without a high school diploma. Finally, he becomes a teacher.
Why it's worth reading
It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list. McCourt's voice is as funny and sad as ever.
You'll love it if you liked
Angela's Ashes
How Green Was My Valley
A Tree Grows in BrooklynGood to know
It's best read after Angela's Ashes. There's drinking and some bitterness.
By the numbers
- Readers5 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller57 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #273 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #1405 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #2562 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Moving
More by Frank McCourt
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Quick answers
Is 'Tis worth reading?
Yes. It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list. It ranks #2,562 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 57.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is 'Tis about?
The sequel to Angela's Ashes. In 1949, nineteen-year-old Frank McCourt arrives in New York from Limerick, with bad teeth, sore eyes and big dreams. He works as a houseman in a hotel, unloads trucks, is drafted into the army in Germany, and talks his way into New York University without a high school diploma. Finally, he becomes a teacher.
How long does it take to read 'Tis?
About 10 hours (386 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after 'Tis?
If you liked it, try Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt, How Green Was My Valley by Richard Llewellyn or A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.