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Karolyn Sherwood's Reviews > The Thorn Birds
The Thorn Birds
by
by
I'm not sure if I love Colleen McCullough or hate her. Well, of course I don't hate her so I must love her, but she did make me cry and lose a lot of sleep this past week. This is the second time I've read The Thorn Birds, and I also watched the mini-series way back in 1983. (Am I that old? Maybe I saw it as a rerun.) In any case, it's been a few years and I had forgotten a few of the finer plot points, but the epic novel was still as powerful as I remembered it.
The Thorn Birds is an elegiac, family saga set in Australia across the better part of the Twentieth Century. It deals with love, loss, religion, weather, emotions, and all kinds of other things over which we have no control. As a synopsis, if you mix the Cleary family (mother, father, eight sons (maybe more), and one lovely daughter) with a bitter old Aunt, stir in a gorgeous priest, an enormous ranch, and ton of money; cook that for 700 pages; out comes a bucket of tears and one small question: why are we even alive? Nothing is sacred in her book, most specifically and dramatically—okay, also ironically—God Himself. The characters in the novel are Catholic to varying degrees, and therein lies the grief.
McCullough's writing (although I found the editing a little cumbersome) is deep, insightful, lyrical, and spot-on when she analyzes the interactions between her characters. A dozen passages or more spoke directly to me, asking those big-life questions that a person ponders during life's difficult moments or at least on quiet, introspective days. This book makes you think, people. Interestingly, one line jumped out at me; on Page 632 of the edition above, is the now well-known phrase "only the good die young." Interesting because McCullough wrote that line before Billy Joel's song of the same name was released (although both are attributed to 1977). Was it a common saying back then? I'm not sure, but if you Google it, the credit for coining the line goes to Mr. Joel. In any case, the novel is dramatic and heartrending, and if you're looking for a tear-jerker that you can't put down, this is your book. I reread it now because I was going through a Downton Abbey withdrawal, and it was just what I hoped for.
I marked all Five Stars but only because I can't give it 4 1/2. I would dock it slightly for the aforementioned editing issues, and I can see where some would say it's over the top sappy... but that is exactly what I was looking for.
The Thorn Birds is an elegiac, family saga set in Australia across the better part of the Twentieth Century. It deals with love, loss, religion, weather, emotions, and all kinds of other things over which we have no control. As a synopsis, if you mix the Cleary family (mother, father, eight sons (maybe more), and one lovely daughter) with a bitter old Aunt, stir in a gorgeous priest, an enormous ranch, and ton of money; cook that for 700 pages; out comes a bucket of tears and one small question: why are we even alive? Nothing is sacred in her book, most specifically and dramatically—okay, also ironically—God Himself. The characters in the novel are Catholic to varying degrees, and therein lies the grief.
McCullough's writing (although I found the editing a little cumbersome) is deep, insightful, lyrical, and spot-on when she analyzes the interactions between her characters. A dozen passages or more spoke directly to me, asking those big-life questions that a person ponders during life's difficult moments or at least on quiet, introspective days. This book makes you think, people. Interestingly, one line jumped out at me; on Page 632 of the edition above, is the now well-known phrase "only the good die young." Interesting because McCullough wrote that line before Billy Joel's song of the same name was released (although both are attributed to 1977). Was it a common saying back then? I'm not sure, but if you Google it, the credit for coining the line goes to Mr. Joel. In any case, the novel is dramatic and heartrending, and if you're looking for a tear-jerker that you can't put down, this is your book. I reread it now because I was going through a Downton Abbey withdrawal, and it was just what I hoped for.
I marked all Five Stars but only because I can't give it 4 1/2. I would dock it slightly for the aforementioned editing issues, and I can see where some would say it's over the top sappy... but that is exactly what I was looking for.
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Reading Progress
March 13, 2012
–
Started Reading
March 13, 2012
– Shelved
March 20, 2012
–
Finished Reading
April 4, 2013
– Shelved as:
read-2x
March 4, 2015
– Shelved as:
saw-the-movie
March 4, 2015
– Shelved as:
fiction
Comments Showing 1-3 of 3 (3 new)
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Hi Karolyn!
Makes me want to read it because of your review... hope to find the book here....
Makes me want to read it because of your review... hope to find the book here....
Crisel wrote: "Hi Karolyn!Makes me want to read it because of your review... hope to find the book here...."
That's cool to hear! Hope you like it as much as I did.
The Thorn Birds is an elegiac, family saga set in Australia across the better part of the Twentieth Century. It deals with love, loss, religion, weather, emotions, and all kinds of other things over which we have no control. As a synopsis, if you mix the Cleary family (mother, father, eight sons (maybe more), and one lovely daughter) with a bitter old Aunt, stir in a gorgeous priest, an enormous ranch, and ton of money, cook that for 700 pages, and out comes a bucket of tears and one small question: why are we even alive? Nothing is sacred in her book, most specifically and dramatically—okay, also ironically—God Himself. The characters in the novel are Catholic to varying degrees, and there in lies the grief.
McCullough's writing (although I found the editing a little cumbersome) is deep, insightful, lyrical, and spot-on when she analyzes the interactions between her characters. A dozen passages or more spoke directly to me, asking those big-life questions that a person ponders during life's difficult moments or at least on quiet, introspective days. This book makes you think, people. Interestingly, one line jumped out at me; on Page 632 of the edition above, is the now well-known phrase "only the good die young." Interesting because McCullough wrote that line before Billy Joel's song of the same name was released (although both are attributed to 1977). Was it a common saying back then? I'm not sure, but if you Google it, the credit for coining the line goes to Mr. Joel. In any case, the novel is dramatic and heartrending, and if you're looking for a tear-jerker that you can't put down, this is your book. I reread it now because I was going through a Downton Abbey withdrawal, and it was just what I hoped for.
I marked all Five Stars but only because I can't give it 4 1/2. I would dock it slightly for the aforementioned editing issues, and I can see where some would say it's over the top sappy... but that is exactly what I was looking for.