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The Thorn Birds

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'The Thorn Birds' by Colleen McCullough is an epic family saga spanning generations, set in the Australian outback. The story revolves around the Cleary family, focusing on the forbidden love between Meggie and Father Ralph, amidst themes of love, loss, and redemption. The author intricately weaves together the lives of vividly described characters, taking readers on a journey through time as they witness the growth and trials of the Cleary family against the backdrop of Australia's rugged landscape.

The plot of 'The Thorn Birds' is a compelling tale of star-crossed lovers, family dynamics, and the challenges faced by the characters over a span of fifty years. Readers are drawn into the emotional depth of the story, feeling heartbreak, inspiration, and a sense of nostalgia as they follow the characters' journeys from childhood to adulthood. McCullough's writing style is praised for its evocative descriptions, transporting readers to the Australian outback and immersing them in the lives of the Cleary family with a mix of sadness, joy, and historical fiction elements.

Characters:

The characters are complex and multi-faceted, with Meggie at the forefront, embodying strength and vulnerability, while Father Ralph navigates his ambition against his feelings for her.

Writing/Prose:

The prose is expressive and filled with rich descriptions, particularly of Australia, blending poetic elements with a deep exploration of character emotions and struggles.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot intricately weaves together the lives of the Cleary family over generations, focusing on Meggie's intense and often tragic relationship with Father Ralph, set against the backdrop of the harsh Australian outback.

Setting:

The setting vividly reflects the Australian landscape, serving as both a physical backdrop and an emotional landscape for the characters' journeys.

Pacing:

The pacing varies, with a gradual build-up in the beginning that can feel slow, intensifying as the emotional stakes rise but sometimes lingering in less engaging sections.
On December 8th, 1915, Meggie Cleary had her fourth birthday. After the breakfast dishes were put away her mother silently thrust a brown paper parcel into her arms and ordered her outside. So Meggie ...

Notes:

The Thorn Birds is set in Australia and New Zealand, primarily focusing on the Cleary family and their experiences on a sheep station called Drogheda.
The book spans fifty years, from 1915 to 1969, chronicling the lives and struggles of the Cleary family.
Meggie Cleary, the only daughter in a large family, develops a complex and forbidden love for Father Ralph de Bricassart, a local priest.
Colleen McCullough's writing is celebrated for its vivid descriptions of the Australian Outback, making the landscape a vital character in the story.
The novel explores themes of love, sacrifice, and the conflict between personal desire and duty, particularly through the lens of Catholicism.
The title, The Thorn Birds, refers to a mythical bird that searches for the perfect thorn to impale itself on while singing a beautiful song, symbolizing the characters' sacrifices and desires.
The book has sold over 30 million copies and is considered one of Australia's best-selling novels.
McCullough's characters are often complex and flawed, eliciting strong emotional responses from readers, both positive and negative.
The story includes intergenerational drama, focusing not only on Meggie but also her children, Justine and Dane, as they navigate their own challenges.
Despite its popularity and acclaim, some readers find the novel's pacing slow and the characters' suffering overwhelming.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include themes of forbidden romance, child neglect, religious conflict, death, and loss.

Has Romance?

The romance is a central theme of the book, particularly the forbidden love between Meggie and Father Ralph.

From The Publisher:

"Beautiful….Compelling entertainment." -New York Times

One of the most beloved novels of all time, The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCullough's sweeping family saga of dreams, titanic struggles, dark passions, and forbidden love in the Australian Outback, returns to enthrall a new generation.

The Thorn Birds is a chronicle of three generations of Clearys-an indomitable clan of ranchers carving lives from a beautiful, hard land while contending with the bitterness, frailty, and secrets that penetrate their family. It is a poignant love story, a powerful epic of struggle and sacrifice, a celebration of individuality and spirit. Most of all, it is the story of the Clearys' only daughter, Meggie, and the haunted priest, Father Ralph de Bricassart-and the intense joining of two hearts and souls over a lifetime, a relationship that dangerously oversteps sacred boundaries of ethics and dogma.

"A heart-rending epic…truly marvelous." -Chicago Tribune

Ratings (51)

Incredible (8)
Loved It (22)
Liked It (13)
It Was OK (4)
Did Not Like (4)

Reader Stats (97):

Read It (54)
Currently Reading (1)
Want To Read (29)
Not Interested (13)

1 comment(s)

Loved It
2 weeks

This is by far the most recommended book I've ever read. I've been meaning to read this one for the longest time as people keep saying it's well worth a read, and very often from people in my real life that isn't that huge of a reader themselves. I'm glad I bought it on second hand as it's a book I'll want to revisit more in the future. Although my reading experience wasn't that great as the text in my book was tiney tiny.

 
 
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