How does the book "angela's ashes" portray life in europe at that point in time?

Not to be picky but Ireland is not at all representative of a typical European lifestyle at that time. I would say that Ireland at that time was very impoverished as you mention and the unemployment forced many Irish males to go to Great Britain and America for work. Some came back and some stayed and never saw their families again (like the author's father). I would mention that with poverty the cl structure was vastly exaggerated in practice as the 19th century living conditions of the author's existence compared to the woman's who was lending money at loanshark rates to her neighbors. I would also mention that the Irish character kept a sense of humor about their problems and retained a faith in God and the Church but also a supersticious understanding of God... and the obvious problems of poverty complementing reliance on alcohol and vice versa.