Independant Reading Blog #1: 'Tis - Style

Frank McCourt, author of 'Tis, was brought up in the poverty of 1930's and '40s Limerick, with only a limited eductaion available to him. That fact is intentionally evident in the style in which his book is written. McCourt's writing is simple, almost child-like, with little and "improper" use of puncuation. Yet it is very descriptive, getting across very vivid images in the simplest language. In that sense, it is probably very like Irish storytellers that McCourt remembers as a child, among them his father.
McCourt's sentences are often ungainly in length, and occasionally awkwardly phrased, sometimes recquiring a second read through. He also repeats phrases or sentences within certain sections. This usually happens when he is feeling intense emotions, like anger or shame, or when he is drunk.
For example, he often lists the many troubles that are making him mad, and then repeats them while explaining that no one would care about or understand, his problems. This is an easy method to use in order to get the reader to remember a certain phrase(s) which will tie the book together at different points.
In the end, McCourt's style, though simple, is very effective, and contributes to the unique feel of the story.