The Thorn Birds

by ,

Paperback, 743 pages

English language

Published 2005 by HarperCollins Publishers.

ISBN:
978-0-7322-8224-0
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OCLC Number:
77168264

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(1 review)

Treasured by readers around the world, this is the sweeping saga of three generations of the Cleary family. Stoic matriarch Fee, her devoted husband, Paddy, and their headstrong daughter, Meggie, experience joy, sadness and magnificent triumph in the cruel Australian outback. With life’s unpredictability, it is love that is their unifying thread, but it is a love shadowed by the anguish of forbidden passions. For Meggie loves Father Ralph de Bricassart, a man who wields enormous power within the Catholic church…

As powerful, moving, and unforgettable as when it originally appeared, THE THORN BIRDS remains a novel to be read…and read again. --back cover

38 editions

reviewed The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough

Not particularly good in any sense of the word

I was going to write a full review but to be honest this book isn't worth the hassle. The narrative drives a cast of characters too flat to be of any interest. The central plot may have been scandalous when published but now appears downright vile in light of the past quarter century of scandals involving the church. I think it's a popular book thanks to a long story, because it certainly isn't because of the characters or themes. One star for sparking an interest in Australia.

Subjects

  • Catholics
  • Fiction
  • Clergy

Places

  • Australia