mccheese's "Funniest Books of All Time"

At risk of replying, um, late… the humor was entirely in the telling. Yes, twas a tragic story, tis true. But how can you not laugh at the mock pathos and self pity of the first two pages. As McCourt said, “A happy childhood is not worth your while.” Also you have to laugh at McCourt’s baptism (you can’t say arse in church); his first communion (“Forgive me father for I have sinned, I threw up the sacred body and blood of our Lord Jesus on me grand-mum’s back porch.” And of course there is all that hilarious catholic guilt about “the excitement.”

And the great humor is elevated (in this case, anyhow) by contrast to the depths. In this book those depths were provided by the death of his first love, his first real sins after his first drink, his first real confession (in which the priest no longer asked what all other priests asked of the sinless young Frankie: “Pray for me”).

And of course there is the happy ending where Frankie helps all the debtors of Limmerick and succeeds in journeying to the debaucheries of America. Tis a good and funny book? Tis.