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The Thorn Birds
[Penguin Readers Level 6]
Paperback
Published March 30, 1995
9 people are currently reading
222 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
November 17, 2017
I decided to do a review of this book because it is my favorite book.
Colleen Margaretta McCullough was an Australian author known for her novels, her most well-known being The Thorn Birds and Tim.
The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough has 2 volumes.
Powered by the dreams and struggles of three generations, The Thorn Birds is the epic saga of a family rooted in the Australian sheep country. At the story's heart is the love of Meggie Cleary, who can never possess the man she desperately adores, and Ralph de Bricassart, who rises from parish priest to the inner circles of the Vatican...but whose passion for Meggie will follow him all the days of his life.
For me this book is one of the greatest love stories of all time. The chosen subject, a catholic priest who falls in love with a young woman, is as old as the time itself. "The Thorn Birds" resembles "Romeo and Juliet". In Shakespeare's classical tragedy, hero and heroine are too young and do not realize the dreadful consequences of their action. In "The Thorn Birds", Ralph and Meggie (especially Meggie) realize exactly what they are doing and what will be the consequences of their actions if they are discovered.
It is very difficult to write the plot of a book without much of the story. The "The Thorn Birds" was called "The Wings of the Wind" in Australia. I think this comparison is not wrong at all. The novel is a wonderful combination that has all the ingredients necessary for a great book: love, compassion, religion, hate.
Colleen Margaretta McCullough was an Australian author known for her novels, her most well-known being The Thorn Birds and Tim.
The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough has 2 volumes.
Powered by the dreams and struggles of three generations, The Thorn Birds is the epic saga of a family rooted in the Australian sheep country. At the story's heart is the love of Meggie Cleary, who can never possess the man she desperately adores, and Ralph de Bricassart, who rises from parish priest to the inner circles of the Vatican...but whose passion for Meggie will follow him all the days of his life.
For me this book is one of the greatest love stories of all time. The chosen subject, a catholic priest who falls in love with a young woman, is as old as the time itself. "The Thorn Birds" resembles "Romeo and Juliet". In Shakespeare's classical tragedy, hero and heroine are too young and do not realize the dreadful consequences of their action. In "The Thorn Birds", Ralph and Meggie (especially Meggie) realize exactly what they are doing and what will be the consequences of their actions if they are discovered.
It is very difficult to write the plot of a book without much of the story. The "The Thorn Birds" was called "The Wings of the Wind" in Australia. I think this comparison is not wrong at all. The novel is a wonderful combination that has all the ingredients necessary for a great book: love, compassion, religion, hate.
November 28, 2024
Gripping and memorable decades after reading it .
It's also tragic in parts and quite spicy.
It's also tragic in parts and quite spicy.
April 14, 2023
It was one of the books I've ever read. Both Meggie and Fee are cheaters and the author writes it like it's very normal because Fee "loved" a married man and Meggie "loved" Ralph. Meggie and Luke both didn't love each other but DAMN they were married!!!
And the story itself doesn't have any diffrence with the stories all of us have heard thousand times.
And the story itself doesn't have any diffrence with the stories all of us have heard thousand times.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2011
ohhh! This one's unbelievable.. a masterpiece!
April 12, 2017
I have also seen the series of this book. Amazing Book.
March 5, 2011
I finished this in the summer, so it is not fresh in my mind. I know that I liked it, but didn't LOVE it. It drew me in pretty quickly and I liked the characters. There was a slow part in the middle that was a little hard to get through. But then it was really good, there is a great romantic story line. Unfortunately, I felt like it peaked 3/4ths of the way through it and kind of went downhill from there. But it did give me some interesting things to think about, and it was a very interesting story of that time and place. But when I finished it, I think I just felt sad and kind of depressed.
May 15, 2011
best book I ever read
Read
October 19, 2013Ralph left Maggie for money and Luke stayed Maggie for money. Money always beats Love.
October 31, 2021
Truly fantastic novel .
June 25, 2023
Could not put it down
December 31, 2021
©1977 WPL book
I've often wanted to read this book, because I vividly remember the miniseries from television. True to form, Father de Bricassart still looks like Richard Chamberlain while I'm reading.
This is a 692 page saga. The setting is Australia, 1915-1969.
I've often wanted to read this book, because I vividly remember the miniseries from television. True to form, Father de Bricassart still looks like Richard Chamberlain while I'm reading.
This is a 692 page saga. The setting is Australia, 1915-1969.
January 6, 2020
It was the most uncomfortable romance story I have ever read.
August 15, 2023
“Yanından geçen biri onun duygularını anlayamazdı. Hər şey yakalayabileceği yerdeyken uzanmış ve kaybetmişti.”
Read
March 12, 2024תסביך אדיפוס המשודרג(זה ליומן קריאה😭)
December 12, 2010
Everybody jizzes on themselves when they talk about this book, but I didn't find the romance that fab. Mostly weird and uncomfortable. But I really enjoyed her descriptions of farm life in pioneering Australia. There's a movie based on the book. I've not seen it. But people jizz over it.
Copied from my review of Morgan's Run: McCullough's work is hard to get through as it can be over the top with excessive information about stuff like how they distilled rum back in pioneering times. She has some weird sexual themes in all of her novels. I respect her as an author though because while she has the same broad themes in her books, like December/June relationships, sexually repressed men, etc, each book has very different characters that express those themes. It's historical fiction. It's good for that.
Copied from my review of Morgan's Run: McCullough's work is hard to get through as it can be over the top with excessive information about stuff like how they distilled rum back in pioneering times. She has some weird sexual themes in all of her novels. I respect her as an author though because while she has the same broad themes in her books, like December/June relationships, sexually repressed men, etc, each book has very different characters that express those themes. It's historical fiction. It's good for that.
January 18, 2022
I first came across Colleen on a snowy eve when 'trapped in the Cornell University hotel in April 1983 when I turned on the tele and there was the scene of a kangaroo crossing a paddock under the hot 'Ozzie' sun (which was actually filmed in California!) and the Thorn Birds unfolded. I read the book sometime after or the next year and was much taken with her story telling of drama in the Australian bush backdrop. The struggle that was the life journey of the priest was a great theme. This wasn't the edition I read of course but the picture on the cover is the version I saw on the small screen (accompanied by takeaway pizza as no cafe or restaurant was open on the campus because of the blizzard).
January 10, 2011
My sister-in-laws and I read the Thornbirds in tandem when it first came out. We recently had a reunion and decided it would fun to re-read what we had remembered as a great love story. I must say I found the book less interesting and more tedious the second time around. While it is a beautiful story, I felt the book was hard to wade through.
September 11, 2010
My All Time Favorite Book!!!!!!!!!
September 15, 2010
A most absorbing novel by Coleen McCullough. I could read this one again. The novel was better than the movie.
September 23, 2010
I just realized that I read this giant book in 8 days. I really enjoyed it a lot.
January 13, 2011
one of my favorite books ever. compelling story following an austrailian family from when their children were young to when they reach old age.
February 1, 2011
Great story and easy read. Even though I watched the series as a kid, I loved reading this book and was (sadly) surprised by the ending.
March 16, 2011
Even though this book was full of sorrow and despair, it was one of the best stories I have ever read. Really loved it.
November 21, 2024
loved it. Epic
June 10, 2011
Hasn't everyone read this?
December 28, 2022
Didnt like the life od Maggie.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews