Teacher Man - Frank McCourt

This book made me think about how much a reader's life affects how they feel about a book. How I feel about this book, as a student-teacher who has not read "Angela's Ashes," is nothing like how others will feel about it.
I wanted to read this book now because I am always thinking about teaching and what it means to be a teacher and I was curious about McCourt's experiences. At first I couldn't get into the book BECAUSE I was so wrapped up in my own thoughts about teaching and when I came home and was trying to relax, the last thing I wanted to be forced to think about was teaching.
Or maybe the beginning is just not that gripping.
On this long weekend, however, when my student-teaching experience is coming to an end and I am feeling nostalgic yet hopeful about teaching (but I don't really have to think about it realistically until the holiday Monday), I could get into it, enjoy it, connect to McCourt's experiences, and learn some new ways to think about teaching.
Or maybe the ending is just better than the beginning.
So I wonder about even writing this blog. Just because I liked half of this book now, doesn't mean that I wouldn't have liked it more or less if I had read it at a different time. And whether or not I like it doesn't have any bearing on whether anyone else will like it.
I can imagine that if you are sympathetic to Frank's character from his other books, you would possibly enjoy this account of his later life. I can imagine that if you are interested in teachers, teaching, or are a teacher (especially high school), you would possibly enjoy his insight. I can imagine that if you enjoyed having Bernie Bowker as a teacher, and wanted to relive some of those classes, you may connect to McCourt's story-led teaching style.
Or maybe it just won't be the right time for you to read this. Or maybe it will be the perfect time, like it was for me this weekend, and it will at least make you think...