It's a Long Way from Penny Apples

Rating:
Summary: The Anti-Angela
Review: Bill Cullen is obviously one of the people who read "Angela's Ashes" and felt it was a negative representation of the Irish. On the advice of his local clergy, he has taken time out of his busy schedule to write "the Buke" as he calls it, the story of his poor Irish childhood and the polar opposite to "Angela's Ashes" in every possible way.

As most readers know, Frank McCourt opens his memoir with the re-telling of his conception: a "knee-trembler" in an alley following an imigrants dance in New York City. A few months later, Angela's angry cousins drag Malachy Sr. to the altar and history. Bill Cullen's conception is nothing so ignominous: he's conceived in church-sanctioned, wedded bliss, following his father's hard night as a hero,helping bombing victims in World War II Dublin.

"Angela's Ashes" is written thru the eyes of a child, in first-person narrative, vivid and haunting, with humor as black as a bog on a dark night. "...Penny Apples" is written in the 3rd person, with Bill Cullen referring to himself as "the young fella" or Liam. The only insights the reader gleans is that the Cullen family are all founts of wisdom,pillars of the Church, honest and hard-working, and beloved by all who know them. Humor? Laugh at themselves? Perish the thought, they're all too busy earning and praying to have a laugh!

The First Communion is a landmark in any young Catholic's life. Frank McCourt's is one of the highlights of his memoir, a hilarious recounting of the trials and tribulations of this momentous occasion. Bill Cullen's is summed up in a few paragraphs; the only reason it is mentioned seems to be for the opportunity for Cullen to brag that the most expensive tailor in Dublin made his Communion suit as a surprise for him, just because the tailor admired the Cullen family so much.

We learn, over the 357 + pages of "It's a Long Way from Penny Apples" that Bill Cullen was a paragon and a prodigy, a child who impressed every adult who came into contact with him, an athlete so talented that football recruiters tried to woo him to England, a child who simultaneously helped support his 12 brothers and sisters, won scholarships to prestigous schools and trophies for his athletic prowess. In each 24 hour day he somehow squeezed in Mass, working the family's street pitch, going to school, running errands, athletic practice, reading, social/Church activities...and all this on a daily meal of boiled potatoes, while sharing a bed with 4 brothers! He treats his mother("the Ma") with reverence, skipping school to help her feed and raise his 11 siblings. His grandmother "Mother Darcy" is evidently Mother Ireland in the flesh, having personally been involved in every possible event of note in 20th century Dublin as well as knowing everything about Irish history and human nature. Why, Mother Darcy was even friends with little-known brother of Adolph Hitler, Aloysius!

Bill (or "Liam", as he refers to himself thruout the book)is far from the only paragon in the Cullen family. The Ma, tho uneducated, is a whiz with figures. The Da has never had a drink in his life, and won't allow anyone else to have one under his roof. The Da has never earned a penny for himself his entire married life; he turns his unopened pay packet over to The Ma every payday. These pillars of the Church keep holy water by their front door, never failing to make use of it on the way out. They pray the Rosary together nightly, go to morning Mass and evening Church activities daily. The annual additions to the clan are welcomed with never a thought for some sort of birth control. I have no doubt that this book will become a staple of parochial school libraries.

I could go on, point by point, chapter by chapter. But the real difference between "It's A Long Way From Penny Apples" and "Angela's Ashes" is: Frank McCourt has written a masterpiece that will be loved by readers for as long as there are readers. Bill Cullen has written a self-serving bit of promotional "and then..." which will only be loved and cherished by his family.

Rating:
Summary: A UNIQUE CELEBRATION!
Review: I came to this book thinking it was another Angela's Ashes because reviewers have put it there. Well, it is not, it is better. This book is a celebration of life, not a thrashing of it. The author is not using the book as a kind of therapy to vend this anger; instead we are treated to a wonderful world of love and affection and yes, deprivation. They are poor but they don't sit and around and complain and then look back in anger. They cope and in coping the children learn how to be responsible adults.
The affection and love that the family members have for each is so moving to read about. This book celebrates the family, celebrates people and celebrates life. The loss of a child is deeply felt but so also is the arrival of a new life.
However, having said that the book drags a bit and the author seems very bent on putting his 'genius' forward. The early part is better than the second half.

Rating:
Summary: Forget this one
Review: I felt that author Bill Cullen could not make up his mind about what kind of book he was writing. In places it's a biography, toward the end it's a self-promotion, in the middle it's about marketing and bootstraps.

It's clear that the author is not a professional writer, as the prose is awkward, inconsistent, repetitive, and simplistic. I was also put off by the fact that he prefaced the book by declaring it to be a kind of Anti Angela's Ashes. While Angela's Ashes was unrelenting in its bleakness and hopelessness and despair, it was, unlike this book, masterfully written. Furthermore, who on earth is in a position to deny Frank McCourt his recollection of his experience? I don't think that Frank McCourt was making generalizations about everyone who is born Irish, poor, and Catholic -- that was not the reason he wrote his book. To think so is to miss out on the power of McCourt's story, his ability with the written word, and the subtleties of his humor.

Regardless of the different kinds of childhood they wrote about, McCourt's telling was so much more sophisticated and finessed than Cullen's. Cullen's story just plodded along, pounding into the ground his themes of faith, prudence, hard work, and rewards.

The only reason I kept plowing through it is because my mother is from Ireland, and so I enjoy reading books about life in Ireland in the first half of the 20th century.

Rating:
Summary: Indecision
Review: I felt that author Bill Cullen could not make up his mind about what kind of book he was writing. In places it's a biography, toward the end it's a self-promotion, in the middle it's about marketing and bootstraps.

It's clear that the author is not a professional writer, as the prose is awkward, inconsistent, repetitive, and simplistic. I was also put off by the fact that he prefaced the book by declaring it to be a kind of Anti Angela's Ashes. While Angela's Ashes was unrelenting in its bleakness and hopelessness and despair, it was, unlike this book, masterfully written. Furthermore, who on earth is in a position to deny Frank McCourt his recollection of his experience? I don't think that Frank McCourt was making generalizations about everyone who is born Irish, poor, and Catholic -- that was not the reason he wrote his book. To think so is to miss out on the power of McCourt's story, his ability with the written word, and the subtleties of his humor.

Regardless of the different kinds of childhood they wrote about, McCourt's telling was so much more sophisticated and finessed than Cullen's. Cullen's story just plodded along, pounding into the ground his themes of faith, prudence, hard work, and rewards.

The only reason I kept plowing through it is because my mother is from Ireland, and so I enjoy reading books about life in Ireland in the first half of the 20th century.

Rating:
Summary: Didn't care for it in the least.
Review: I found it odd to read an autobiography written in the third person. Not sure why the author did this - all I can figure is that there was so much boasting that he would have felt odd stating, "I, I, I" as much as he would have had to if written in the fist person. I was not surprised to find out the author divorced his first wife and married a former model - that's just the type of guy I imagined him to be after reading all the bravado in the book. I grew tired of all the bragging by the end - "ok, ok, you're really smart, I get it" was pretty much my sentiment as I struggled to get through this.

Rating:
Summary: A must-read!
Review: I just got this book this weekend (got an advance copy to review) and I already finished it. I could not put it down. All the reviews compare it to Angela's Ashes. Both excellent books, but Mr. Cullen's book shows the optimistic side of growing up in Dublin. Sure, his family was poor and they lived in a couple rooms with four or five kids crammed into a bed, but they worked together to get through whatever life threw them and they always were aware of the fact that there were people worse off than them. It's an inspiring rags -to-riches tale, and there's also a lot of history thrown in, mainly through conversations that the main character has with his grandmother. A great book for anyone into their Irish heritage - you get a real feel for what your ancestors experienced. Mr. Cullen grew up in the Summerhill tenements in Dublin and ended up owning the largest Ford dealership in Ireland and now owns a multimillion dollar auto company. This book truly shows that the old adage is true - you can do whatever you want if you put your mind to it. Buy this book, you will NOT be sorry!!

Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully uplifting biography and history of Dublin!
Review: I picked up "A Long Way From Penny Apples" while traveling in Ireland in June, 2004, but didn't get a chance to read it until now. I started reading on Thanksgiving evening and couldn't put it down until I finished it today. The hardbound book spent 14 weeks on the UK bestseller Top Ten list, with 5 weeks at number two, so I don't understand the caustic reviews offered here on Amazon. Heavens, if the Brits, who usually distain anything coming out of Ireland, have overwhelmingly found this book to be excellent then surely this outstanding book merits readership in the U.S. too.

Bill Cullen wrote the book as a tribute to his parents and grandmother, not as an ego booster for his own esteem. He was spurred on to write the book after reading Frank McCourt's words that there was, in effect, nothing more miserable than a poor Irish childhood. Cullen had a poor Irish childhood that he viewed as anything but miserable.

Mr. Cullen grew up in the poorest tenements of Dublin with 12 siblings. His family was certainly bereft of even the most basic needs for food and decent shelter, but flush with wise and spirited discipline from his loving parents and maternal grandmother. It was the positive, uplifting attitude of his family that drove Mr. Cullen's ambitions to become the very wealthy man he is today. He's written a true rags-to-riches story, giving most of the credit not to himself, but to the upbringing his family provided. All of the proceeds of the book will go to a youth charity in Ireland, and in fact Bill has promised $1 million to the charity whether or not the book raises that much money. Not exactly the actions of the type of person pictured in the previous reviews.

I certainly learned much from the depictions of a Dublin era long gone, but the optimistic tone of the book was most inspirational and left me with a smile on my face. My own grown children will receive copies of this book for Christmas this year, in memory of my Irish father and grandmother who would have bent their ear with the same wise teachings if they were still alive.

Rating:
Summary: Why the comparison?
Review: I really don't know why Bill Cullen felt the need to deride Angels's Ashes when writing his own book.
I don't see a whole lot of similarity between the two.
I found the style of Penny Apples to be somewhat disjointed and it is not a book that flows smoothly. The third person narrative takes some getting used to in an autobiography.
I began to feel somewhat uncomfortable reading the constant litany of what a wonderful, honest, upright person Bill considers himself to be. He even vindicates himself for stealing biscuits as a child by not being able to eat them!
Certainly he has made some monumental achievements in his business career, but intimate and personal matters (his first communion, the death of siblings, his divorce) barely rate a mention.
Bill Cullen says that he found Angela's Ashes to be depressing and that he has happy memories of a similar poor childhood. But how similar was it? Bill's father was always home, they had influential friends who helped them obtain housing and I sincerely doubt that Angela McCourt had 50 pounds tucked away in a cupboard to buy pigs or 500 pounds under a rug for mortgage repayments.
By all means read this book, but make sure you read Angela's Ashes as well for a balanced picture.

Rating:
Summary: Why the comparison?
Review: I really don't know why Bill Cullen felt the need to deride Angels's Ashes when writing his own book.
I don't see a whole lot of similarity between the two.
I found the style of Penny Apples to be somewhat disjointed and it is not a book that flows smoothly. The third person narrative takes some getting used to in an autobiography.
I began to feel somewhat uncomfortable reading the constant litany of what a wonderful, honest, upright person Bill considers himself to be. He even vindicates himself for stealing biscuits as a child by not being able to eat them!
Certainly he has made some monumental achievements in his business career, but intimate and personal matters (his first communion, the death of siblings, his divorce) barely rate a mention.
Bill Cullen says that he found Angela's Ashes to be depressing and that he has happy memories of a similar poor childhood. But how similar was it? Bill's father was always home, they had influential friends who helped them obtain housing and I sincerely doubt that Angela McCourt had 50 pounds tucked away in a cupboard to buy pigs or 500 pounds under a rug for mortgage repayments.
By all means read this book, but make sure you read Angela's Ashes as well for a balanced picture.

Rating:
Summary: It's a Long Way From Penny Apples
Review: I struggled to finish this book. I really did not find it interesting. It is simply a personal memoir and there seem to be no end to the stream of this type of book about growing up in Ireland. Maybe some one who knows the guy or his successful business might find it interesting or would like to know about his family but apart from that he had a uneventful life or not one that was of any significance to read about.